Thailand honours Australian doctors for cave rescue role
BANGKOK, April 19 (Bernama) -- Thailand today honoured two Australian doctors for their crucial role in the rescue of 12 young football players and their coach trapped in a flooded cave complex in the northern province of Chiang Rai last year.
It presented the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn to Dr Richard Harris and Dr Craig Challen in a ceremony at Government House.
The two doctors also met Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha.
Dr Harris said it was “very exciting and great” to be back in the kingdom.
“We had no idea at the time of the rescue that this was going to be such a big story,” he said in a statement released by the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.
The two doctors are scheduled to travel to Chiang Rai and visit the Tham Luang Cave where the 12 members of the Wild Boars soccer team, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach were rescued from after being trapped for 17 days from June 23 last year.
They are also scheduled to meet the soccer team and their families.
“That’s really exciting for us to go and see them and make sure they’re well and see how they’re doing after the rescue,” Dr Harris said.
The two doctors were named in January as Australians of the Year, one of Australia’s highest honours.
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