13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote:No-one can expect these young children to travel to Europe to take up the offers from the soccer teams in Barcelona, Lisbon and Manchester without parents or guardians or if three remain stateless and cannot be with their teammates.
I am guessing if any of the boys and/or the coach cannot go with the others because of their stateless status, the rest of the team will turn down the offers and would not go unless all of them can go - and that would not exactly help Thailand's reputation.

Right now Thailand is looking very good in the eyes of the world. I would find it very difficult to believe the Thai government would choose to stand in their way, especially since a key to the boys' survival was that stateless, multi-lingual Shan boy, and as a result become the object of harsh publicity and criticism.
fountainhall

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by fountainhall »

Gaybutton wrote:In a sense, the people of Thailand and much of he world has "adopted" these boys. But some of them, including the coach, are technically stateless.

What will become of their status? Will they remain status quo and be unable to accept any of the invitations in foreign countries? If they are granted Thai citizenship, what about their parents? Will these boys travel outside of Thailand without their parents?

If they are granted citizenship or some sort of other privileges, what about the many nameless and faceless children also in Thailand? Would it be fair to grant these boys special privileges while continuing to leave all the others stateless?
An interesting article which focuses on young Adul Sam-on but gives more information on these stateless people in Thailand. Interestingly Thailand has agreed to register all stateless people by 2024.
Adul is among more than 400,000 people who are registered as stateless in Thailand, according to the UN Refugee Agency — though some estimates put their numbers at 3.5 million . . .

With no birth certificate, no ID card and no passport, Adul cannot legally marry, get a job or bank account, travel, own property or vote.

Thailand has vowed to register all stateless people by 2024, but until then people like him remain stuck in legal limbo.
But it is Adul who is the subject of the article and his story is as heartwarming as the rescue.
Adul has one of the most sobering stories.

The boy’s parents dropped him off at a Thai Baptist church eight years ago, asking that the pastor and his wife care for him, The New York Times reported . . . Adul’s status as a stateless child gave him a desire to excel, and he surpassed his fellow classmates.

The young soccer player was known as the overachiever of the group . . . The teenager is proficient in five languages — English, Thai, Burmese, Mandarin and Wa, a language spoken near the Myanmar and China border.

According to The Wall Street Journal, his friends and teachers describe him as an all-rounder. He plays three instruments, has won trophies for every sport from volleyball to futsal, and was a straight-A student.

He was the top student in his class at the Ban Wiang Phan School in Mae Sai, with an unparalleled academic record.

“Soccer is my life,” he told one of his best friends, Luea-Boon Junta.

School director Phunawhit Thepsurin described the teenager as a “gem”.

“He’s good at both studying and sports … he’s brought our school several medals and certificates from his achievements,” the director told AFP.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real- ... b6535df44b
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Adul Sam-on - the multilingual boy - speaks English during his 'thank you' statement.

Also, the hospital may st[youtube][/youtube]art releasing the boys Thursday, July 19
___________________________________________________

Hospital releases video of ‘Wild Boars’ expressing gratitude

national July 14, 2018 16:28

By The Nation

The Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital on Saturday released a video clip on its Facebook page showing the 12 Mu Pa (Wild Boar) Academy footballers and their coach thanking everyone for their concern and help in rescuing them.

They also conveyed that they were in good health and looked forward to tasting their favourite foods.

The 12 youths and the coach were seen in a row of beds in the three-minute clip. They spoke in the following order:

Prachak Sutham (Note), 14, said he was now in good health and he would like to thank all the rescuers.

Duangphet Promthep (Dom), 13, said he would like to eat rice with stew pork leg and he would like to thank everyone for all their moral support.

Natthawut Thakhamsai (Tle), 14, said he was now in good health and would like to eat rice with basil and crisp fried pork. He thanked everyone for all their concern.

Ekkarat Wongsukchan (Bew), 14, said he was now in good health and he thanked everyone for their concern.

Pipat Phothi (Nik), 15, said he felt in good health. He said he would like to eat rice with crisp fried pork, and rice with stew red pork. He thanked the rescuers and everyone for the moral support.

Piraphat Sompiangchai (Night), 16, said he felt in good health and he would like to eat pork pan chabu very much. He thanked everyone for all the moral support.

Phanumat Saengdee (Mix), 13, said he appreciated all the help in the rescue operation and thanked everyone for their moral support. He said he was safe now so no one should be worried about his condition.

Adul Sam-on (Dul), 14, said his condition had improved and he would like to go to a KFC shop. He said he was now killing time by drawing pictures of his friends and Coach Ek in the cave. He also said in English: “I’m Adul. I’m very fine. Thank you for helping us. Thank you very much.”

Chanin Wibulrungruang (Titan), 11, said his condition was returning to normal and he would like to eat sushi. He thanked the Navy SEALs for rescuing him and thanked everyone for all the moral support.

Pornchai Khamluang (Tee), 16, said he would like to eat fried rice with crisp pork and would like to thank everyone for all the moral support.

Sompong Jaiwong (Pong), 13, said he was strong now. He would like to eat curry basil rice with fried egg. He thanked everyone for all the moral support and thanked the international community for helping the team. “Thank you,” he said in English.

Mongkol Boonpiam (Mark), 13, said he was now strong and could even run. He would like to eat a piece of steak. He thanked everyone for all the moral support and promised to fight on

Ekkapol Chanthawong, 25, or Coach Ek, said his condition was improving and he now felt strong. He would like to eat fried rice with crisp pork. He said he would like to thank all the people and all the ministries and Navy SEALs as well as the doctors for helping the team.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30350079
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by Geezer »

Do the invitations for international travel which the boys have received include all-expense-paid trips door to door? If not they would be of no use. Would that include their minders?
fedssocr1

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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I love that the smallest one is Titan
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Geezer wrote:Do the invitations for international travel which the boys have received include all-expense-paid trips door to door?
No announcements about that have been made yet, but I would imagine yes. I think by now the world is well aware these boys are quite poor.

I would also imagine nobody expects them to travel alone at their age, without the ability to speak or read English.

fedssocr1 wrote:I love that the smallest one is Titan
Of course I would think most of us grasp the humor in that, but the name is not pronounced that way. It is pronounced more like "Tai Tahn" and probably most of the time just "Tahn."
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by fountainhall »

Geezer wrote:Do the invitations for international travel which the boys have received include all-expense-paid trips door to door? If not they would be of no use. Would that include their minders?
The Lisbon invitation has been announced as all expenses paid.
LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese club Benfica has invited 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a cave in Thailand to spend an all-expenses-paid week at its training academy.

“We believe this simple gesture can help these faces recover the joy and smiles that no child should ever lose,” [Club Prsident] Vieira said in the letter.

The academy is no stranger to celebrities. Pop star Madonna lives in the Portuguese capital Lisbon and her 12-year-old son last year started training at the academy.
Although I have seen nothing in the media, I am certain the other two that i know of - to Manchester and Barcelona - will be the same. Knowing the boys come from relatively poor families, these clubs would never consider invitations expecting the boys to pay their own way. Similarly no-one would expect mostly young teens to travel without at least one parent or guardian each.

If this is not the case, then I'm also certain of one thing. There will be a media backlash in those countries against the clubs!

Other developments

Local papers this morning have photos of the cremation service for the Navy Seal who lost his life. The King has posthumously promoted Petty Officer 1st Class Saman to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, an unprecedented rise of seven ranks. The King has also bestowed on him a Royal Decoration - Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant - for dedicating his life to the operation to save the boys and their coach.

The Prime Minster has expressed his gratitude to 19 farmers whose land was flooded as a result of the vast amount of water being pumped from the cave. The farmers have generously declined the compensation they were offered earlier in the operation.

Over this weekend more than 4,000 volunteers from around Chiang Rai Province have turned up to spend two days cleaning up the Forest Park where the cave is located. Thereafter the Park will be closed for six months.

Clean-Up volunteers line up for registration
Image
Photo: Theerawat Khamthita/Bangkok Post
fountainhall

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Thai-owned Leicester City which won the English Premier League a year ago has also announced it will fly the Thai boys to see one of their matches in England.

The aunt of one of the boys said “By the time the British divers found them Pong expected to die in the cave.”

https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/thai ... 65e4c88202
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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fountainhall wrote:The aunt of one of the boys said “By the time the British divers found them Pong expected to die in the cave.”
I think this article is more comprehensive and it shows which boy is Pong.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6780977/d ... exhausted/
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