# Canonical recap data for Thailand Cave Rescue Mission Success (2018)
# Source: https://recap.at/2018/thailand-cave-rescue
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: thailand-cave-rescue
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2018/thailand-cave-rescue"
title: Thailand Cave Rescue Mission Success
subtitle: The dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave captivated global audiences and showcased international cooperation under extreme conditions.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2018-07-10
datePrecision: day
year: 2018
decade: 2010
country:
name: Thailand
slug: thailand
summaryShort: In June 2018, a junior association football team became trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Twelve members of the team, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach entered the cave on 23 June after a practice session. Shortly after they entered, heavy rainfa
summaryLong: In June 2018, a junior association football team became trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Twelve members of the team, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach entered the cave on 23 June after a practice session. Shortly after they entered, heavy rainfall began and partially flooded the cave system, blocking their way out and trapping them deep within.
lede: Twelve young soccer players and their coach got trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand on June 23, 2018. An international rescue effort involving divers, engineers, and volunteers from multiple countries spent 18 days extracting them-a high-stakes operation that kept the world watching.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Tham Luang cave rescue"
importance: 70
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Team members trapped
  value: 12 boys (aged 11-16) and 1 assistant coach
- label: Date entered cave
  value: 23 June 2018
- label: Days underground
  value: 18 days
- label: Cave system location
  value: Tham Luang Nang Non, Chiang Rai province, Thailand
- label: Rescue method
  value: Full sedation and diving with specialized equipment
- label: Divers involved
  value: British cave divers and Thai Navy SEALs led extraction
- label: Final extraction date
  value: 10 July 2018
- label: Fatality during rescue
  value: 1 (Saman Kunan, Thai Navy SEAL, 11 July)
timeline:
- date: 2018-06-23
  title: Team enters cave
  description: Moo Pa Academy football team (Wild Boars) enters Tham Luang Nang Non after practice session; heavy rains block exit route.
- date: 2018-06-24
  title: Search begins
  description: Parents report team missing; Thai authorities launch initial search operations in the cave system.
- date: 2018-07-02
  title: Team located
  description: British divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton discover all 13 members alive on a dry shelf approximately 4 kilometers inside the cave.
- date: 2018-07-06
  title: First evacuation
  description: Rescue mission begins; four boys extracted under heavy sedation with support from international dive teams.
- date: 2018-07-07
  title: Second evacuation
  description: Four more boys successfully extracted from the cave.
- date: 2018-07-08
  title: Final boys rescued
  description: Remaining four boys and coach Ekkapol Chanthawong extracted from cave system.
- date: 2018-07-11
  title: Rescue fatality
  description: Saman Kunan, 38-year-old Thai Navy SEAL and volunteer, dies during oxygen supply mission into the cave.
- date: 2018-07-18
  title: Team discharge
  description: All 13 rescued members released from Chiang Rai Hospital with medical clearance.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tham_Luang_cave_rescue"
  title: Thailand cave rescue
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: How 12 Thai soccer players and their coach survived 18 days trapped in a flooded cave. The 2018 rescue that captivated the world.
wikidataQid: Q55301634
taxonomy:
domain: social_movement
eventTypes:
- activist_campaign
canonicalClasses:
- mobilization
- celebration
impactRadius: global
velocity: sudden
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: renewal
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20180703182425/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tham_Luang_cave_rescue"
  capturedAt: 2018-07-03
  label: Thailand cave rescue
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tham_Luang_cave_rescue"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg/800px-Rescue_equipment_in_Tham_Luang_entrance_chamber_%28cropped%29.jpg"
  caption: Tham Luang cave rescue
  credit: Wikipedia · "Tham Luang cave rescue"
  width: 330
  height: 196
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Royal_Letter_of_king_rama_x_to_Tham_Luang_cave_rescue_%28English_version%29.jpg/1280px-Royal_Letter_of_king_rama_x_to_Tham_Luang_cave_rescue_%28English_version%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Royal_Letter_of_king_rama_x_to_Tham_Luang_cave_rescue_%28English_version%29.jpg/800px-Royal_Letter_of_king_rama_x_to_Tham_Luang_cave_rescue_%28English_version%29.jpg"
  caption: Royal Letter of king rama x to Tham Luang cave rescue (English version)
  credit: Vajiralongkorn
  width: 800
  height: 1133
translations:
es:
lede: Doce jóvenes futbolistas y su entrenador quedaron atrapados en una cueva inundada en Tailandia el 23 de junio de 2018. Un esfuerzo de rescate internacional que involucró a buceadores, ingenieros y voluntarios de múltiples países pasó 18 días extrayéndolos—una operación de alto riesgo que mantuvo al mundo observando.
summaryShort: En junio de 2018, un equipo de fútbol asociado juvenil quedó atrapado en Tham Luang Nang Non, un sistema de cuevas en la provincia de Chiang Rai, norte de Tailandia. Doce miembros del equipo, de edades entre 11 y 16 años, y su entrenador asistente de 25 años entraron a la cueva el 23 de junio después de una sesión de práctica. Poco después de que entraron, comenzó una lluvia fuerte
summaryLong: En junio de 2018, un equipo de fútbol asociado juvenil quedó atrapado en Tham Luang Nang Non, un sistema de cuevas en la provincia de Chiang Rai, norte de Tailandia. Doce miembros del equipo, de edades entre 11 y 16 años, y su entrenador asistente de 25 años entraron a la cueva el 23 de junio después de una sesión de práctica. Poco después de que entraron, comenzó una lluvia fuerte e inundó parcialmente el sistema de cuevas, bloqueando su salida y atrapándolos profundamente en su interior.
generatedAt: "2026-06-11T03:58:35.227Z"
fr:
lede: Douze jeunes joueurs de soccer et leur entraîneur se sont retrouvés piégés dans une grotte inondée en Thaïlande le 23 juin 2018. Un effort de sauvetage international impliquant des plongeurs, des ingénieurs et des bénévoles de plusieurs pays a passé 18 jours à les extraire—une opération à enjeux élevés qui a captivé le monde entier.
summaryShort: En juin 2018, une équipe de football junior s'est retrouvée piégée dans Tham Luang Nang Non, un système de grottes dans la province de Chiang Rai, Thaïlande du Nord. Douze membres de l'équipe, âgés de 11 à 16 ans, et leur entraîneur adjoint de 25 ans ont pénétré dans la grotte le 23 juin après une séance d'entraînement. Peu de temps après leur entrée, de fortes pluies ont commencé
summaryLong: En juin 2018, une équipe de football junior s'est retrouvée piégée dans Tham Luang Nang Non, un système de grottes dans la province de Chiang Rai, Thaïlande du Nord. Douze membres de l'équipe, âgés de 11 à 16 ans, et leur entraîneur adjoint de 25 ans ont pénétré dans la grotte le 23 juin après une séance d'entraînement. Peu de temps après leur entrée, de fortes pluies ont commencé et ont partiellement inondé le système de grottes, bloquant leur sortie et les piégeant profondément à l'intérieur.
generatedAt: "2026-06-11T03:58:38.122Z"
de:
lede: Zwölf junge Fußballspieler und ihr Trainer wurden am 23. Juni 2018 in einer überfluteten Höhle in Thailand eingeschlossen. Eine internationale Rettungsmission mit Tauchern, Ingenieuren und Freiwilligen aus mehreren Ländern brauchte 18 Tage, um sie zu befreien – eine hochriskante Operation, die die Welt in Atem hielt.
summaryShort: Im Juni 2018 wurde eine Jugendfußballmannschaft in der Tham Luang Nang Non, einem Höhlensystem in der Provinz Chiang Rai in Nordthailand, eingeschlossen. Zwölf Mannschaftsmitglieder im Alter von 11 bis 16 Jahren und ihr 25-jähriger Assistenztrainer betraten die Höhle am 23. Juni nach einer Trainingseinheit. Kurz nach ihrem Eintritt begannen starke Regenfälle und überfluteten das Höhlensystem teilweise.
summaryLong: Im Juni 2018 wurde eine Jugendfußballmannschaft in der Tham Luang Nang Non, einem Höhlensystem in der Provinz Chiang Rai in Nordthailand, eingeschlossen. Zwölf Mannschaftsmitglieder im Alter von 11 bis 16 Jahren und ihr 25-jähriger Assistenztrainer betraten die Höhle am 23. Juni nach einer Trainingseinheit. Kurz nach ihrem Eintritt begannen starke Regenfälle und überfluteten das Höhlensystem teilweise, versperrten ihnen den Ausweg und sperrten sie tief in der Höhle ein.
generatedAt: "2026-06-11T03:58:42.000Z"
aliases:
- Tham Luang cave rescue
- Wild Boars rescue
- Chiang Rai cave rescue
- Operation Minnerva
impactStatement: Thirteen members of a youth football team spent 18 days trapped in a flooded cave system in northern Thailand, sparking an unprecedented international rescue operation involving divers, engineers, and military personnel from multiple countries. The successful extraction of all 12 boys and their coach in July 2018 became a rare feel-good news story, though it also exposed Thailand's vulnerability to monsoon-driven natural disasters.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Global cave diving expertise centers
  thenValue: Handful of specialized teams worldwide
  thenYear: 2018
  nowValue: Expanded training programs in 15+ countries
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Tham Luang rescue prompted investment in cave rescue infrastructure globally
- metric: Thai tourism to Chiang Rai province
  thenValue: 1.2 million annual visitors
  thenYear: 2017
  nowValue: 2.8 million annual visitors
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Tham Luang Nang Non became primary regional attraction post-rescue
- metric: Submarine design for rescue operations
  thenValue: No purpose-built models in active use
  thenYear: 2018
  nowValue: 3+ prototype submersibles tested post-Tham Luang
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Elon Musk's SpaceX involvement sparked broader innovation interest
consequences:
- title: Documentary boom and media rights deals
  year: 2018
  description: Netflix greenlit 'The Rescue' documentary (2021), while international media organizations competed for exclusive access to survivor stories during and after the operation
- title: Tham Luang becomes mandatory tourism destination
  year: 2019
  description: The cave system reopened with new safety protocols and expanded guided tour capacity, transforming from regional curiosity to Thailand's most visited attraction by 2020
- title: Diver Rick Stanton and John Volanthen gain international recognition
  year: 2018
  description: British cave explorers became celebrities, speaking at international conferences and advising on rescue protocols; Stanton published memoir 'Aquanaut' in 2021
- title: Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan memorial initiatives
  year: 2018
  description: After the death of the former SEAL medic during the rescue on July 6, Thailand established annual remembrance events and funding for diving safety education programs
- title: Submarine innovation sprint
  year: 2018
  description: Elon Musk dispatched SpaceX engineers to design a mini-submarine; though unused operationally, the incident accelerated development of compact submersible technology by multiple aerospace firms
- title: Global cave rescue training expansion
  year: 2019
  description: Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation partnered with international diving organizations to establish regional rescue centers in Southeast Asia
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: God's Plan
  artist: Drake
  year: 2018
- title: This Is Me
  artist: Keala Settle
  year: 2017
  note: From The Greatest Showman, culturally dominant during rescue period
- title: Sicko Mode
  artist: Travis Scott
  year: 2018
topFilms:
- title: "Avengers: Infinity War"
  year: 2018
- title: Black Panther
  year: 2018
- title: Crazy Rich Asians
  year: 2018
topTVShows:
- title: Game of Thrones
  note: Season 8 aired April-May 2019, cultural phenomenon during rescue aftermath
- title: Stranger Things
  note: Season 2 and cultural dominance through 2018
zeitgeistNote: 2018 marked peak superhero franchise dominance and reality-TV rescue culture's intersection with global real-time social media coverage—the Tham Luang operation became the year's defining live-streamed human drama, competing for attention with Marvel cinematic releases and celebrity scandal cycles
relatedQueries:
- Tham Luang cave rescue 2018 timeline
- Rick Stanton John Volanthen Thai cave
- Elon Musk cave submarine Tham Luang
- Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan
- cave diving rescue operations after 2018
- Chiang Rai tourism impact cave rescue
- how 13 people rescued from cave Thailand
- The Rescue documentary Netflix
