The boys appeared relaxed, sitting up in bed and thanking rescuers in a new video released by Thai authorities. The boys and their soccer coach will be discharged from the hospital next week, the health minister said.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
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All 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand are recovering well from their ordeal and eagerly awaiting a chance to enjoy their favorite delicacies.
In a new video released by Thai authorities, the boys appeared relaxed in their hospital beds. They began their brief statements thanking their rescuers with a "wai," the traditional Thai greeting.
"I am in good health now," said one of the boys, a 14-year-old nicknamed Note. "Thanks for saving me."
Asked by an off-camera interviewer what they were looking forward to eating, the boys listed delicacies ranging from slow-cooked pork leg with steamed rice to sushi.
"I want to have crispy pork rice and barbecue pork rice," 15-year-old Pipat Photi said in the video.
"I want pork knuckle rice," said 13-year-old Duangpetch Promtep. "Thank you for all the moral support."
Others said they were craving sushi and steaks.
The boys, who on average had shed 2 kilograms (4 pounds), had regained some of the weight and their appetites, health minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said on Saturday.
Piyasakol told reporters the health of all 13 had improved.
"All of the 13 people, their physical bodies are strong, and fit. Regarding infections, through the medical evaluations in the first days there may be some of them that had minor pneumonia, but now all is cleared, no fever," Piyasakol said, adding that all will be discharged on Thursday.
But Piyasakol flagged concerns about the mental stress that the boys were likely to be subjected to once they leave the hospital.
"Psychologists have been talking to the kids, with the kids, their mental well-being is good today," he said. "Even though they are about to leave in the days ahead ... they aren't as strong as a normal person, they still need to rest and improve their health, and body."
He warned relatives of the boys to resist giving interviews to media over fears they could have a negative impact on the boys' mental health.
The 12 boys, aged between 11 and 16, and their coach became trapped on June 23 when they were cut off by floodwaters while exploring the cave. They were found by a pair of British divers more than a week later. A high-risk international mission ensued and the group was eventually rescued.
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Saturday issued a royal decree promoting and honoring former Thai navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died last week during the rescue mission.
The king's order promoted Saman to lieutenant commander.
The 37-year-old died on July 6 while placing oxygen tanks in the cave in preparation for the rescue.
Saman was the only fatality in the dramatic operation.
Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys
After a daring rescue mission, Thai divers and international volunteers rescued 12 young soccer players and their coach from a flooded cave. The group was stranded in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex for 18 days.
Image: picture-alliance/Newscom
Happy ending after harrowing ordeal
After deliberating over how best to rescue the boys and their coach - considering even whether to teach them how to dive, or wait for the monsoon waters to recede months later - rescue workers finally settled on pumping out as much water as possible, sedating those trapped and strapping them to a diver who shepherded them to safety.
Image: Reuters/Thai Navy Seals
Found alive after nine days
Rescue divers initially found the 12 young soccer players and their coach alive on July 3 after they went missing in a Thai cave 10 days earlier. Fighting against time, rain and low oxygen levels, rescuers managed to free the first four boys successfully on July 8. The rescuers faced a complicated and dangerous diving mission to free the rest of the team and their coach.
Image: picture-alliance/Newscom
Glimpse of joy
Families of the teenage soccer players expressed their joy over the discovery of the boys nine days after they went missing. Outside the cave, the mother of one of the boys said she was "glad" for a glimpse of her son. "He's thinner," she said, as she ran her finger over the image of her son on a television screen.
Image: Thai Navy Seal via AP
Massive rescue efforts
Thai rescuers were assisted by an international team comprising experts from China, Australia, the USA and Britain. A video from the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page showed the group several kilometers inside the 10-kilometer (6-mile) cave network on a small wedge of dry ground. The boys moved 400 meters further in as the ledge had become covered by water.
Trapped by flooding
The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the cave to celebrate one of the player's birthday. They became trapped in the cave, a local tourist spot where similar incidents have taken place in the past, when sudden rainfall flooded its entry on June 23. It was later reported that some of the boys could not swim, further complicating the rescue.
Image: picture-alliance/Xinhua
A difficult mission
The rescue mission proved difficult for divers whose efforts were continually hampered by rising water that filled sections of the cave, often forcing them to stop. Getting trained divers into the cave was easier than getting untrained kids out.
Image: Reuters/S. Zeya Tun
Boys' safety paramount
The entire nation was glued to the media coverage of the rescue mission, and Thai authorities insisted they will not compromise on the safety of the trapped group. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (above, at right) thanked international experts who helped find the boys.
Image: picture alliance/Xinhua News Agency
First boys rescued
The first four boys were rescued by a team of 13 foreign diving experts and Thai Navy SEALS, who helped them navigate the flooded cave tunnels. The head of the rescue operation said they were the healthiest in the group. The rest of the boys and their coach would be rescued from the cave over the next two days.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Suwanrumpha
Safe and sound
Doctors who treated the boys after their rescue reported that while they had lost weight, the otherwise appeared to be in good health. The dozens of divers and hundreds of other rescue workers have been celebrated around the world as heroes, especially 38-year-old former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died after bringing the group supplies of air on July 5.
Image: picture-alliance/AP/Thailand Government Spokesman Bureau
