Infamous Tham Luang caves reopened after monsoon season

Tham Luang caves, where 12 boys and their football coach were dramatically rescued in 2018, reopened to the public today. The site had been closed since July 1 to weather the monsoon season. In late June 2018, a young football team exploring the caves became trapped when heavy storms brought flash floods that filled the cave with water.

The caves in Khun Nam Nang Non forest park closed for three and a half months to avoid any similar incidents during the rainy season. Now opening again to tourists, the chief of the Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai where the caves are located presided over a merit-making ceremony yesterday to celebrate the reopening.

The cave shot to worldwide infamy when the students were trapped, an ordeal that has now been depicted in several movies and a recent Netflix series. Crowds flocked to see for themselves the caves where the 12 boys and their coach were trapped. But during the pandemic, the site had to be closed several times due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

With those closures though, park officials used the time to make improvements for future visitors. An easier road was put in to help those with disabilities and elderly visitors. The landscaping in the whole area was redone. And a road was created to link the caves to Sa Morakot, a nearby natural pond.

Visitors to the caves will see several new features as well. A free tram will help settle visitors to the complex. And a memorial has been built to commemorate the rescue mission and the officer who died during it. Saman “Ja Sam” Kunan was a 37 year old Petty Officer first class who lost his life attempting to free the children and is now remembered with a sculpture outside the entrance.

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