Thai Cave Rescue - General Discussion

[raven]

Quote

In 2018, 12 boys from the same football team decided to spend an afternoon with their coach exploring the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand. When heavy rainfall flooded the caves and trapped them inside, what was supposed to be a fun excursion turned into a massive international rescue operation that transfixed the world. 

This extraordinary story will now unfold in Thai Cave Rescue through the untold perspectives of the boys at the center of the rescue. Netflix has partnered with filmmakers from Thailand and across the world for this new series, which will premiere for audiences worldwide on September 22, 2022. 

I'm looking forward to this since we will hear from the boys and their coach.

[MissT]

For those of you that have Prime Video, just released on 8/5/22, the movie Thirteen Lives directed by Ron Howard.  It was very good.  Even though I knew the outcome, I was still on the edge of my seat.  

[configdotsys]

I am going to watch this as soon as I can. Before doing that, I have to say that while watching that situation unfold at the time, all I could think of was if this happened in America, you'd have people screaming into television cameras in hysterics demanding that the authorities do their job, would "cancel" the coach and demand his head, and would have lawsuits against anyone and everyone. What I saw when watching this unfold were parents who let the rescuers do their job and didn't decide that they should win the lottery because their kids acted like, well, kids... Maybe these programs will show hysterical parents but at the time I remember being in awe of their ability to be civilized: something we don't see much of here.

I remember reading that the coach taught the kids to meditate to get through it. As soon as the first rescuers arrived, the kids said, "Thank you for coming for us," or "saving us." Somehow, I can't see a group of American 12 year olds being similar in any way to these Thai kids.

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, configdotsys said:

I remember reading that the coach taught the kids to meditate to get through it. As soon as the first rescuers arrived, the kids said, "Thank you for coming for us," or "saving us." Somehow, I can't see a group of American 12 year olds being similar in any way to these Thai kids.

I disagree with that. I could see children staying calm and being grateful, especially if they came from homes where they were well loved and had supportive caregivers. If children are loved and nurtured they are very trusting of adults (because adults have always provided for their needs). 

A group of adults on the other hand I could see hurting each other down there. But the group of Chilean miners that were trapped a few years before did okay. Humans are an interesting species of big mammal- we are capable of extremes at the turn of a dime, we are capable of love and care and community, but also of hatred and fear and terror towards each other. 

[Cinnabon]

3 hours ago, configdotsys said:

Before doing that, I have to say that while watching that situation unfold at the time, all I could think of was if this happened in America, you'd have people screaming into television cameras in hysterics demanding that the authorities do their job, would "cancel" the coach and demand his head, and would have lawsuits against anyone and everyone.

OMG - I watched this last night and said THIS EXACT SAME THING. The Thai people were so calm and respectful, given the circumstances. No one screamed or brought guns. The kids were so respectful of their parents and their coach.   Once again, I’m ashamed of my own country. 🥲

[DanaK]

Trailer in the link http://thefutoncritic.com/video/2022/08/29/video-thai-cave-rescue-limited-series-official-trailer-netflix-803410/20220829netflix04/

[Raja]

The show is now up on NetFlix.  It looks like their algorithm took its time finding me.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Raja

[Raja]

On 8/8/2022 at 8:08 AM, Cinnabon said:

OMG - I watched this last night and said THIS EXACT SAME THING. The Thai people were so calm and respectful, given the circumstances. No one screamed or brought guns. The kids were so respectful of their parents and their coach.   Once again, I’m ashamed of my own country. 🥲

Along with people deferring to the authority figures came the other point of those above not acting or trying to hold their position. I am left to ponder that if the Governor had not been relieved of his commission just before the accident how things would have turned out when the national leaders were telling that he would take the blame.

[Bastet]

This defaulted to the English dubbed version, which is stupefyingly terrible, but once I switched to Thai with English subtitles, it became very watchable.  I've finished the first two episodes thus far, and like it more than 13 Lives (although, I haven't yet watched the episodes about the rescue, and I understand this takes some serious dramatic license, whereas the film stuck closer to reality).

The actor playing Mark's mom did a terrific job in the scene where the authorities don't believe he's in there so won't let her past the barricades to be with the other parents, and she says she has no papers, why in the world would she risk exposing herself if her son wasn't actually in that cave?

I love that one of the MREs donated by the U.S. military is cool ranch Doritos flavor -- "an American delicacy"

[Raja]

47 minutes ago, Bastet said:

This defaulted to the English dubbed version, which is stupefyingly terrible, but once I switched to Thai with English subtitles, it became very watchable.  I've finished the first two episodes thus far, and like it more than 13 Lives (although, I haven't yet watched the episodes about the rescue, and I understand this takes some serious dramatic license, whereas the film stuck closer to reality).

The actor playing Mark's mom did a terrific job in the scene where the authorities don't believe he's in there so won't let her past the barricades to be with the other parents, and she says she has no papers, why in the world would she risk exposing herself if her son wasn't actually in that cave?

I love that one of the MREs donated by the U.S. military is cool ranch Doritos flavor -- "an American delicacy"

Asking Abdul to translate what we just heard the cave divers say to the kids was a glaring moment, as with the Governor telling the American engineer to switch back to English. I do wonder if this series or Ron Howard in his movie did the gender flip as she partnered up with Ranger Pim and not a civilian who knew the mountain.

I was in the service during the transition from C rations to MREs, that was an upgrade. I do wonder about the new flavors. Will MREs take off in Thailand like spam did in Hawai'i and the Philippines?

[Bastet]

The episode dedicated to Ja Sam, the retired SEAL who died while placing oxygen tanks along the route in preparation for bringing the boys and their coach out, is fantastic.  And I assume the SEAL we saw emerge with a bloody cut is the one who later dies from infection.  He normally gets ignored altogether, so it's nice to see these men get their due.

I'm up through episode four now, and still enjoying it.  The actor playing the governor is pitch perfect, and I love the interaction between the boys, and between the parents/guardians, the two groups who are going through this together but every member within those groups is experiencing it a little differently based on their individual circumstances. 

Poor Dom, when he was the only one who didn't get a letter from family, and then the scene between his aunt and the governor was even better, when she's anguished that her taking his advice to go home and get some rest meant she wasn't there when the doctor told all the parents/guardians to write notes, and he has to tell her no one can get back in now to take a letter to him.

And poor Tee, realizing his dad has left work in another city to wait outside the cave, when he fears that lack of income means they'll have to move as they won't be able to afford their rent, and says he wants to be brave to make the family's sacrifice worthwhile, but he panics when he gets in the dark water with all that gear.

I read a review of this - which vehemently joined me in saying this should be watched in Thai with subtitles, not the dreadful dubbed English version Netflix defaults to - in which I learned some of the first episode scenes in the boys' homes were filmed in the boys' actual homes.

And that the filmmakers knew the only reason to do another project about this is to finally tell the boys' stories, but they were apprehensive about re-traumatizing them by interviewing them, only to find they were eager to recount what went on inside the cave, including all the pranks they pulled to entertain themselves.

Edited October 5, 2022 by Bastet

[Cinnabon]

Are we talking about 2 different series here?

[Raja]

3 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Are we talking about 2 different series here?

Amazon Prime has a Ron Howard movie. There is also a documentary.  This is about the NetFlix Thai produced series but comparison are being made to how others approached the rescue and Wild Boars stories..

[Cinnabon]

18 minutes ago, Raja said:

Amazon Prime has a Ron Howard movie. There is also a documentary.  This is about the NetFlix Thai produced series but comparison are being made to how others approached the rescue and Wild Boars stories..

The earlier comments here ARE about the Ron Howard movie. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Cinnabon

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

The earlier comments here ARE about the Ron Howard movie. 

Yes, some people posted in the wrong thread about the Ron Howard movie (before this series had even dropped).  The thread for that film is here in the Movies forum.

[Cinnabon]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yes, some people posted in the wrong thread about the Ron Howard movie (before this series had even dropped).  The thread for that film is here in the Movies forum.

Thanks.

[Bastet]

I finished the series this morning and really enjoyed it.  Even though I knew very well they got Mark out successfully, I still felt the tension.  I love him encouraging Titan when he was scared to take his turn, and then immediately breaking down crying when Titan left, so afraid they're not going to come up with a mask for him and he'll never make it out.  Then I started crying when he saw Titan had added his name to the list.

The coach was very moving throughout the dive-out sequence, initially wanting to be the first to go, so if something was wrong with the plan, he'd be the one to die and they could fix it before trying with one of the boys, but being told he needs to stay to be there for the survivors if anything does happen to one of the boys.  Then on that last day to be told he has to go out first, when the divers are at their strongest and most refreshed to handle his size, leaving boys behind.

I loved the closing sequence, with the real coach and the actor bowing to each other, and the real boys playing soccer.  This series did a great job sharing their story, and I hope they're pleased with how it came out.  (It's sad to learn the actor playing Coach Ek died, unexpectedly and at such a young age.)

[MaggieG]

Such an amazing story of resilience. I loved that everyone got some focus, the boys, the parents, the Governor, the military both Thai and American, the divers, the team of Pim, Jenny and Noon. There were so many great scenes. That final video that Sam sent to his wife made me cry. The scene between Jenny and the farmer who sacrificed her crop made me cry. Poor Mark breaking down after telling Titan to go made bawl. 

Whenever I see horrible things on the news about people hurting each other and doing something awful, I try to think about this story to remind myself that there is still some good in humanity. So many people from many walks of life came together to rescue these boys, no questions asked, many of them risking their own lives. It's a beautiful story. Yes, I'm a sap 😅

[raven]

On 10/5/2022 at 9:35 AM, MaggieG said:

the team of Pim, Jenny and Noon

Love them.  I hope they were all real people (there's the usual "some situations/peoples may be done for dramatization purposes" disclaimer at the beginning of each episode).

I also teared up quite a few times.  This was the most emotionally affecting of these specials that I've watched, so that was a feat, considering we know how it all ends.  I could really appreciate the pressure on the Governor and the distress of the parents.  If one of the many, many moving pieces hadn't fit, the whole thing could have been an immense tragedy.  The meteorologists; the engineers; the divers; the farmers; the kids themselves.  It is really an inspirational and moving story.  

I haven't watched it yet but there's a documentary on Netflix - interviews with the boys and their coach.  I'm looking forward to that one.

[Bastet]

56 minutes ago, raven said:

Love them.  I hope they were all real people

Kelly and Pim are fictional, representing the basics of the true story of a number of park rangers and engineers.  I don't know about Noon, but I did read in one article she's a fictional version of a real person (a man in real life).

1 hour ago, raven said:

I haven't watched it yet but there's a documentary on Netflix - interviews with the boys and their coach. 

I fell asleep shortly into it and haven't had a chance to continue, but that's no reflection on its quality -- the short bit I saw was interesting.  (I was just really tired [I watch Netflix in bed, as that's the TV I have hooked up for streaming] and have subsequently been distracted by other programming.)

[Raja]

8 hours ago, Bastet said:

Kelly and Pim are fictional, representing the basics of the true story of a number of park rangers and engineers.  I don't know about Noon, but I did read in one article she's a fictional version of a real person (a man in real life).

I came to the scenes in the miniseries thinking that in no way would Ron Howard gender flip females into males for his movie so concluded that everybody except the Wild Boars, and immediate family, the Governor, the cave diving specialist and the fallen Thai Navy SEAL was probably a composite of different people to form the characters.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

I came to the scenes in the miniseries thinking that in no way would Ron Howard gender flip females into males for his movie so concluded that everybody except the Wild Boars, and immediate family, the Governor, the cave diving specialist and the fallen Thai Navy SEAL was probably a composite of different people to form the characters.

Ron Howard's narrow focus in Thirteen Lives made composites a non-issue; he could easily cast person for person.  This series' much broader scope - focused on the team and their coach, but encompassing their families and the huge number of people working on the rescue - meant composite characters were inevitable.  The showrunners had more time and a different intent than Howard did with his film, but they still couldn't make everyone a character.  The key figures are a direct, named representation, but some of the integral participants working as part of a team get represented as a group by a fictional character.

[Bastet]

I finally watched the documentary and highly recommended it.  It's a great addition to the docuseries, and stands well on its own.

While the series was about all aspects of the rescue, the documentary is, as the title says, the story of the trapped thirteen.  We get so much more insight into what things were like in the cave, particularly in the ten days before rescuers arrived, when they had no idea if anyone was looking for them (and, indeed, as time went out, assumed they were not -- that everyone figured they were dead, so there was no point).

It was heartbreaking to hear them recount how the sound of the approaching flash flood that drove them to the final chamber sounded to them like a helicopter rescue at first.

And to see Coach Eak's family photo get erased one by one until it was just him, in explaining how he got his Buddhist training -- that he was sent for it after he was an orphan so he wouldn't be a burden to his extended family.

The documentary really drove home how the rescue arrived just in the nick of time, that everyone's minds and bodies (and flashlights) had given out, and they'd even discussed that it was okay to eat the body of whoever died first, so that he could provide help to his friends.  And then how jubilation gave way to confusion and disappointment when they learned they weren't getting out then, and, in fact, no one knew how or when they would be.

Great little bits of additional information, like how in the boys' minds, when they were brought out of the cave, they'd get on their bikes and ride home, so they decided the guys who lived the farthest from the cave would get to go out first.

I really appreciated the inclusion of the Navy SEAL's widow, and how the boys reacted to learning "Sgt. Sam" had died for them.  It's very touching how the boys feel an obligation to behave, so the world is comforted they put all this effort into rescuing good kids.

This also revealed what a co-leader, with the coach, Tee was, in morale maintenance and strategy.

I'm impressed there's no indication the kid who, when they got to the T-junction and saw the water conditions, wanted to turn back and got out-voted resented his teammates or his coach for not heeding his warning.

And I loved the light touches, like their group fantasies as they were digging, especially that when one asked the group what they'd do if a naked girl was there, and the first kid to respond said, "I'm so tired, I'd make her dig."

[raven]

Too sad; only 17 years old. 

Thai cave rescue: Duangpetch Promthep, Wild Boars captain, dies in UK

Quote

Duangpetch Promthep, one of the 12 boys who was rescued from a Thai cave in 2018, has died in the UK.

The 17-year-old was found unconscious in his dorm in Leicestershire on Sunday and taken to hospital, where he died on Tuesday, the BBC has been told.

He had been enrolled in a football academy in the UK since late last year.

It is not known how the teenager died, but Leicestershire Police said his death is not being treated as suspicious. Reports in Thailand said he suffered a head injury.

 

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, raven said:

Too sad; only 17 years old. 

Thai cave rescue: Duangpetch Promthep, Wild Boars captain, dies in UK

 

I saw that this morning; very sad