Tham Luang Cave to be developed as a living museum
Tham Luang cave at the Tham Luang – Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, will be developed into a "living museum.” It will serve as a learning center to highlight the recent rescue mission to save 13 lives trapped in the cave.
 |
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan spoke about the development of this new museum in his national address on July 13, 2018. He cited the successful and remarkable rescue operation at Tham Luang as historic, saying that the incident attracted global attention.
The incident involved search and rescue operations, conducted by both Thai and international volunteers, to bring out the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach safely from the flooded cave. Help and sympathy poured in from all over the world. Sadly, however, a Thai Navy SEAL diver, Saman Gunan, died in the rescue attempt, and he was recognized as a "Tham Luang hero.”
The Prime Minister believed that Tham Luang cave would continue to attract global interest in the future.
The idea of turning the cave into a museum is intended to preserve the memory of the incident, which is one of the world’s great stories. Lessons learned from the crisis situation would also be useful for people in all parts of the world.
He said that the Tham Luang museum would show how the difficult and dangerous operation to save the 13 lives was carried out. Because the situation was extremely challenging and differed from rescue missions elsewhere, it should be remembered and recorded so that young people could learn more.
The Prime Minister said that the natural environment in the area that was affected by the search and rescue operations would be restored to its original state. After that, the living museum would be handed over to responsible agencies, such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Chiang Rai province. It is also expected to become a major tourist attraction in the future, as well.
He said that items, equipment, pictures, and a database concerning this incident, even the letters written by the 13 survivors, should be displayed at the museum for visitors to view. During the incident, a number of farmers sacrificed their farmland, so that it could be used as a catchment area for water drained out of the cave.
All these elements would be recorded to show the great devotion of all people involved and the borderless cooperation in the joint mission.
