2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

Taking inspiration from the 2018 cave rescue in the northern province of Chiang Rai, one billion baht will be invested in a new attraction and exhibition called The Caventure. A soft opening is expected in October next year.

The 17-day rescue in 2018, or the Tham Luang cave rescue, at Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai, was an extraordinarily dangerous mission that had the globe captivated. It was a massive operation and cooperation was needed from several Thai and international departments to save a football coach and 12 youngsters from the Wild Boar football team.

International divers, rescue workers, soldiers, police officers, and many other specialists joined the mission drawing worldwide public attention. The incident was later highlighted in books, documentaries, and finally, in Ron Howard’s wonderful movie Thirteen Lives.

Now, the event agency, Index Creative Village, wants to create the nail-biting misadventure again with a permanent exhibition and an attraction called The Caventure.

Construction on the Caventure starts work this month on a 40,000-square-metre area in the Mae Sai district of the Chaing Rai province. The spot is about one kilometre away from the Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park.

Inside, The Caventure will have a permanent exhibition telling the stories of the Wild Boar football team and the rescue process. The highlight will be the Tham Luang Nang Non, simulation room. The real rescue equipment and possessions of the coach and children, like the clothes they wore and the bicycles they rode to the cave, will be exhibited in this room.

The Caventure will also offer visitors the immersive experience of being in a cave, and the project will provide a balloon touring service for visitors who want to see a bird’s eye view of the cave.

Index Creative Village believes the project would draw 500,000 visitors per year and generate between 300 million baht to 650 million baht in revenue.

The founder and CEO of the Index Creative Village, Kriengkrai Kanjanapokin, revealed that the company has researched different attractions that have been constructed as a remembrance of other notable incidents in history, such as 9/11.

Kriengkrai said the September 11 memorial attracts three million visitors per year in the US while Stonehenge in the UK draws 1.6 million more tourists per year.

Kriengkrai added that places with stories are interesting for tourists.

SOURCE: Bangkokbiznews | Dailynews | Brand Inside