Many residents of Mae Sai district, of Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai, took part in a merit-making ceremony this morning (Monday) by presenting alms to monks in front of Tham Luang cave. The cave was the scene of a historic rescue operation two years ago, which saved the lives of 13 young “Wild Boar” footballers and their coach trapped inside the flooded cave.

The religious event commemorated the massive rescue operation, which involved rescue teams from several countries and hundreds of volunteers, and paid tribute to the late Lt-Cmdr. Samarn Kuna, alias Ja Sam, a member of the Thai Navy SEAL team, who died of suffocation during the mission.
Among the participants were the young footballers and their coach, Ja Sam’s widow, Mrs. Waleeporn, and Vernon Unsworth, a British cave diver, who was heavily involved in the rescue operation.

After the presentation of alms to monks, a ritual was performed to pay respects to the guardian spirit of Tham Luang cave. The event featured several activities, including a panel discussion on the future of the cave, its development into a learning centre about the ecological system and future cave rescue operations.