The Thai authorities have opened to tourist groups the famous Tham Luang cave, in the north of the country, where 12 children and their soccer coach were rescued in 2018 in an operation against the clock that kept the world in suspense for more than two weeks. .
On its Facebook page, the Department of Natural Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced that controlled groups of tourists will be able to visit the cave located in the Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non national park, in Chiang Rai province.
Groups of up to 10 people will be able to explore about 800 meters along chambers 1, 2 and 3 where part of the rescue of the children of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach took place. The visit lasts about two and a half hours and, while access to chamber 1 is free, to enter galleries 2 and 3 you have to pay an entrance fee of 950 bat (about 24 euros) in the case of Thais and 1,500 bat (39 euros) for foreigners.
During the excursion, which can be done in the dry season months between November and May, visitors will be able to learn the details of the rescue of the children, who entered the cave on June 23, 2018 after soccer training.
The minors, then between 11 and 13 years old, along with their coach, were trapped in a cave about 4 kilometers from the entrance after the cave was partially flooded by rains.
An international team of divers found the missing 13 on July 2, but it took up to 8 more days to extract them in a dangerous operation in which they had to sedate the children and in which one of the divers died.
After the rescue, the cave became a pilgrimage site where thousands of people come daily, although until now it was partially closed to the public.
Several books have been written about the dramatic rescue, which was brought to movie theaters through the film "The Cave" and the Netflix platform released a six-episode miniseries about the event last year.
