This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
Published on November 2, 2019, the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand has reopened to visitors, nearly a year after the dramatic rescue of the Wild Boars football team.
The cave, located in Chiang Rai province, drew over 2,000 tourists on its first day of reopening, according to local conservation officials.
"We have allowed visitors to see the mouth of the cave," said Kamolchai Kotcha, director of the local conservation office that oversees the cave.
While visitors are currently not allowed beyond the entrance, officials are considering allowing people deeper inside after surveying the safety of the route.
Some of the rescue equipment left behind, including telephone wires, hoses, and zip lines, could be exhibited inside the cave for visitors to view in the future, Kotcha added.
The cave was the site of a harrowing rescue operation in June 2018, when the Wild Boars football team became trapped after heavy rains blocked the only route out.
After nine excruciating days of searching, the boys were found emaciated but alive on a muddy perch deep inside the cave.
They were sedated and fitted out in full-face breathing masks before being pulled to safety through a hazardous underwater labyrinth.
