Cave boys to take first step into heat of media spotlight with interview

[webfact]

Cave boys to take first step into heat of media spotlight with interview

By THE NATION

 

 

THE 13 Wild Boars will sit down for a tightly-controlled interview with the media for the first time this evening, now that their physical health has sufficiently recovered from their ordeal trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang cave.

 

After the press conference, which authorities say will also be their last, they will return to their homes and try to live a normal life, according to Chiang Rai provincial Governor Prachon Pratsakun.

 

Prachon said yesterday that the interview with the boys and their assistant coach is being arranged by his office as well as the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital director, officers from the Provincial Public Relation Office and the Social Development and Human Security Office.

 

Prachon said the press conference is intended to provide a single opportunity for reporters from around the world to meet and interview the 13 members of the Mu Pa Academy football team, who were rescued earlier this month from depths of the cave in an operation that was watched around the world.

 

The players and their families will return to their normal lives after the press conference, said Prachon. To prevent adverse impacts to the boys and their families from too much public attention, they will not speak again to the media, said the governor.

 

 

“We will allow all survivors to attend the press conference, because people around the world are curious to know the story from their mouths,” he said.

 

“However, from the discussion with the children and their families, the press conference will be the only official media interview with these children. There will be no more speaking with the press after this meeting, because we want to prevent them from intrusions to their privacy and being taken advantage of for their fame.” 

 

He warned that anyone who failed to respect the agreement and later intruded on the survivors or their family members could be charged under child protection laws.

 

Only registered reporters will be allowed to attend the press conference at the Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organisation at 6pm today. 

 

Journalists will not be permitted to directly ask questions of the survivors, said the governor. Instead, they must submit their questions to the Provincial Public Relation Office in advance to allow time for psychiatrists to screen them and ensure the questions are appropriate for the young survivors.

 

Prachon said the measures were meant to prevent inappropriate or sensitive questions being put to the children, which could affect their mental health recovery, considering the trauma they have experienced.

 

In questions submitted so far by Thai and international media, most wanted to know about the actual events that took place on the first day they ventured into the cave, and what else happened while they were trapped inside the cave.

 

However, that line of questioning is contrary to a recommendation by the Royal College Of Psychiatrists, which advised against any queries that caused the boys to recall any distressing experiences.

 

The press conference will be broadcast live through the governmental TV Pool programme “Thailand Move Forward”.

 

Prachon also said that progress to verify the Thai nationality of three stateless Wild Boars members was being rushed, as all three had previously submitted their nationality verification request before the cave incident.

 

Nevertheless, he insisted that they will not get special treatment if they fail to meet the required qualifications for Thai nationality.

 

He also said that the globally renowned rescue operation at Tham Luang cave was a perfect opportunity for Chiang Rai to become a well-known tourist destination. 

 

He revealed a plan to renovate the landscape around the cave to receive large-scale tourist visits, build a museum, and set up safety procedures for visitors to the cave, which “everyone wants to visit because it is now famous”. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30350273

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-18

[webfact]

Thailand's rescued cave boys to address media on Wednesday

By Panarat Thepgumpanat

 

Volunteers arrive to clear the campsite of the rescue mission for the 12 boys of the "Wild Boars" soccer team and their coach, near the Tham Luang cave complex, in the northern province of Chiang Rai,Thailand July 14, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The 12 Thai boys and soccer coach who were rescued from a flooded cave will be discharged from hospital on Wednesday and hold a news conference the same day to satisfy huge media interest in their story, a government official said.

 

"We want to reduce public curiosity," government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters on Tuesday.

 

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach were safely brought out of the Tham Luang mountain cave complex near the border with Myanmar last week after a perilous rescue operation that drew global media attention and hundreds of journalists to the scene.

 

The boys and their coach have been in hospital in the northern town of Chiang Rai since they were rescued.

 

The authorities have been concerned about the impact of sudden fame and media attention on the boys' mental health, so Wednesday's news conference will be carefully controlled.

 

Journalists will submit questions in advance which will be vetted by a psychologist. Approved questions will be put to the boys by a moderator.

 

"We arrange it so that, after that, the boys can go back to their regular lives," Sansern said.

 

The boys and their coach had planned to explore the cavern for about an hour after soccer practice on June 23. But a rainy season downpour flooded the tunnels, trapping them.

 

Two British divers found them on July 2 squatting on a mound in a flooded chamber several kilometers inside the complex. Rescuers then had to work out how to get them out through the tunnels, some of which were full of fast-flowing floodwater.

 

Their dramatic story is already set for a retelling by Hollywood, with two production companies looking to put together movies about the boys and their rescue.

 

Passakorn Bunyalak, deputy governor of the province of Chiang Rai, said the boys would be sent home after the news conference and he was requesting their parents and journalists to hold off interviews for about 30 days.

 

"At this early stage, we are trying to get media not to bother the boys," he told Reuters, adding that they were protected by Thailand's Child Protection Act.

 

An article in the act protects those under 18 from media coverage that would cause emotional and reputational injury.

 

(Reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by John Chalmers and Nick Macfie)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18

[smedly]

OK it is great that they were rescued and all that but this story is starting to get old and boring, time to move on.

 

It really is done and dusted, leave these lads alone to get on with their lives, nothing more to see

[Spock]

Won't be much of an interview if the psychiatrist's association vet all the potentially distressing questions e.g as cited . 'What happened while you were in the cave?' What else are you meant to ask them? 

[webfact]

Thai cave boys' first public appearance; locals, media wait for televised address

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre

 

Police stand guard outside the Tham Luang cave complex, after the rescue mission for the 12 boys of the "Wild Boars" soccer team and their coach, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - The 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave will make their first public appearance on Wednesday when they hold a nationally-televised news conference in Chiang Rai.

 

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach sparked an international rescue effort after they became trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai.

 

The boys and their coach have been in hospital in Chiang Rai since they were rescued.

 

"I pass the hospital where the children are staying every day and every day I say a prayer to thank Lord Buddha for their return," said Duang, a noodle vendor, who only wanted to be identified by her first name.

 

The Thai government will allot 45 minutes' airtime on its "Thailand Moves Forward" for the soccer team's news conference.

 

The show, which will be recorded at Chiang Rai's provincial hall at around 6 p.m. local time after the evening national anthem, will also be broadcast live across dozens of channels.

 

Some Thai television personalities joked that the boys will help ratings of the otherwise dull television show, which is usually reserved for monotonous conversations about the military government's performance.

 

"This is the story all Thais want to hear. Don't switch it off, don't put it on mute," joked a presenter VOICE TV, a television station that is often critical of the military government.

 

"It should help the Thailand Moves Forward show's ratings shoot through the roof," he added.

 

The soccer team's rescue operation drew global media attention and hundreds of journalists to the scene.

 

Many journalists left after the last four boys and their coach were brought out safely last week. But the sleepy, northern town of Chiang Rai kicked into action again on Wednesday ahead of the boys' much-anticipated appearance.

 

"The reporters are back. I had to pick a Japanese reporter up from the airport at 2 a.m.," said Manop Netsuwan, a Chiang Rai resident and tour operator.

 

At Chiang Rai Airport a screen welcoming visitors shows a cartoon of the group with rescuers and the words: "Our Heroes".

 

The boys, their coach and some rescuers will be asked a series of carefully vetted questions submitted by journalists in advance, officials said.

 

They have asked the media and the public to respect the boys privacy after they are discharged, citing concerns about the sudden impact of media attention on the boys' mental health.

 

"The media know that the children are in a difficult situation, they have overcome peril and if you ask risky questions then it could break the law," Tawatchai Thaikaew, deputy permanent secretary at the Justice Ministry, told reporters on Wednesday.

 

"We don't know what wounds the kids are carrying in the hearts," he added.

 

(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpnat in BANGKOK; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18

[darksidedog]

The authorities seem to be doing a very good job so far of shielding them, and a single interview will hopefully clear the curiousity that many people have. I would like to hope that the press will then leave them alone, though I suspect they will not be able to help themselves and the boys will receive more, probably unwanted attention from them, vultures that they are.

Vetting the questions is a sensible idea, as long as they don't go overboard with it. The more that remains unanswered, the more likely it is that they will be hounded to fill in the gaps.

Regardless, this seems like the final chapter and I hope they all manage to go back to normal live and leave their adventure behind them.

[Media1]

They will drag this put for a year +

[hidbehindthesofa]

Alternatively - is this restricted press conference designed to tease and titillate the media (and book publishers and film makers) in order that the "cave 13" can ultimately receive greater remuneration for selling their stories ?

 

They have all survived a horrendous ordeal that has attracted world-wide interest and why should they not capitalise on that, provided it is managed properly ?  Certainly if it happened in the west, there would be a PR or management company looking to get them the best deals for film rights, book deals, public appearances, chat shows, etc.

 

I am sure thousands of people in Thailand know who they are and where they live so they are not going to be allowed to return to their villages and lead normal lives without being hounded in any event so why not try to make the best of it for them and their families so they can come to terms with, and properly manage, their "celebrity" status whilst it lasts and secure themselves some income ?

 

They are not going to be able to walk away from this and lead normal lives.  Even in Thailand, they will be hailed as "super stars" -  without the international interest.  They may well need emotional and psychiatric support and that needs to be managed and paid for somehow as there are no free social and medical services in Thailand.

 

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Spock said:

Won't be much of an interview if the psychiatrist's association vet all the potentially distressing questions e.g as cited . 'What happened while you were in the cave?' What else are you meant to ask them? 

 

My guess is that there will be reporters who ignore the guidelines / no go question guidelines and go right ahead and ask disturbing question.

 

So easy fix, don't all anybody to interview them.

 

 

[webfact]

Thailand to televise first public appearance of rescued cave boys on Wednesday

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre

 

FILE PHOTO - The 12-member "Wild Boars" soccer team and their coach rescued from a flooded cave pose with a drawing picture of Samarn Kunan, a former Thai navy diver who died working to rescue them at the Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, in Chiang Rai, Thailand July 14, 2018. Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital AND Ministry of Public Health/Handout via REUTERS

 

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - The 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand are set to make their first public appearance on Wednesday, at a nationally-broadcast news conference in the northern province of Chiang Rai.

 

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach have been in hospital following a successful international effort to rescue them last week after they became trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave complex.

 

The government has allotted a 45-minute slot to Wednesday's news conference on its "Thailand Moves Forward" programme, which will also be televised live on dozens of channels around 6 p.m.

 

The boys, their coach and some rescuers will be asked a series of carefully vetted questions submitted by journalists in advance, officials said.

 

"We don't know what wounds the kids are carrying in their hearts," said justice ministry official Tawatchai Thaikaew, who asked for the boys' privacy to be respected, citing worries over the impact of media attention on their mental health.

 

"The media know the children are in a difficult situation, they have overcome peril and if you ask risky questions then it could break the law," he told reporters.Some Thai television personalities joked that the boys' appearance would boost ratings for an otherwise dull show that usually features discussions of the military government's performance.

 

"This is the story all Thais want to hear. Don't switch it off, don't put it on mute," joked a presenter of Voice TV, a broadcaster that is often critical of the military government.

 

"It should help the Thailand Moves Forward show's ratings shoot through the roof."

 

The rescue effort drew global media attention and hundreds of journalists, many of whom left after it wrapped up, but excitement picked up again in the usually sleepy town of Chiang Rai ahead of the boys' much-anticipated appearance.

 

"The reporters are back. I had to pick up a Japanese reporter from the airport at 2 a.m.," said tour operator Manop Netsuwan.

 

A cartoon of the group with its rescuers, captioned, "Our Heroes", was displayed on a welcome screen at the airport.

 

"I pass the hospital where the children are staying every day and I say a prayer to thank Lord Buddha for their return," said Duang, a noodle vendor, who asked to be identified only by her first name.

 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has permitted use of the Royal Plaza, a public square in Bangkok's old town, for a party to thank the Thai and foreign participants in the rescue, said deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

 

Announcing the celebration, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had earlier told reporters, "There will be a banquet, there will be performances arranged for all groups," without specifying a date.

 

(Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpnat and Pracha Hariraksapitak in BANGKOK; Editing by Michael Perry and Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18

[Phuketshrew]

The last few group photos of the 12 rescued boys seem to include 13 boys - Does anyone know why this is? Is one the coach?

 

[BobBKK]

Milking time has arrived!  

[chainarong]

8 hours ago, smedly said:

OK it is great that they were rescued and all that but this story is starting to get old and boring, time to move on.

 

It really is done and dusted, leave these lads alone to get on with their lives, nothing more to see

It's been touted as a once only interview , lets hope so ?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Journalists rush to attend footballers’ interview

By The Nation

 

 

An army of Thai and foreign media members flocked to register for a press conference in which the 13 footballers, who had been rescued successfully from a flooded cave in Chiang Rai, would give an interview on the Thailand Moves Forward programme at 6pm on Wednesday (July 18).

 

Veteran journalist Suthichai Yoon will host the special interview, asking questions pre-selected from lists submitted by news agencies.

 

Towards the end of the show, journalists may be allowed to ask questions, which would also be screened by psychologists to protect the boys from possible trauma.

 

The Chiang Rai provincial administrative organisation office, which was decorated with a miniature football field and Mu Pa Academy jerseys, was crowded with many reporters and media crews.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30350329

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jonathan Fairfield]

LIVE STREAM - Press conference of boys rescued from Tham Luang cave

 

Watch it here: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049056-live-stream-press-conference-of-boys-rescued-from-tham-luang-cave/

[Spock]

Really boring start to the press conferences. The Thais couldn't have made it any duller if they had tried, which they probably did by eradicating any interesting questions.

[Spock]

The boy who speaks English has got the question/answers reversed. He wasn't asked how long they had been inside, he did the asking.

[Nigeone]

Really impressed with the coach . He comes across as very well and stated all the lads could swim as it was part of his programme and he took them every Saturday to learn to swim. Nice lads and seem fine . Tough little buggers as many Thai youngsters are . Respect to them and the coach . 

[mok199]

 So many reporters will be looking to further their own carreer with this story,and media is relentless when looking for dirty laundry....

[Spock]

This conference has been a bit of a mess. Boys describing themselves as recalcitrants and everyone apologising for not telling their parents they were going to the cave. The coach had a lot to say, but some of it was a bit weird - like selecting the one's furthest from home to go first because they had furthest to ride their bikes. 

[4evermaat]

3 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

The last few group photos of the 12 rescued boys seem to include 13 boys - Does anyone know why this is? Is one the coach?

 

Yes.  The Cave 13 is 12 kids + 1 adult assistant coach. I guess everything else will be continued in the live press event thread or subsequent threads. 

 

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

LIVE STREAM - Press conference of boys rescued from Tham Luang cave

 

Watch it here: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049056-live-stream-press-conference-of-boys-rescued-from-tham-luang-cave/

 

[Tug]

I am thrilled the team is ok I hope they receive scholarships and some perks for their suffering and survival go boars!

[Spock]

48 minutes ago, Tug said:

I am thrilled the team is ok I hope they receive scholarships and some perks for their suffering and survival go boars!

They have already received scholarships to doctorate level so you can put down the glasses on that one.

[monkfish]

When's their next football match i will go watch?

[anon467367354]

what I want to know is who was the irresponsible one that let that security guard from the airport who used to be a Navy SEAL into the caves?

It cost the man his life. Did he have a family, wife, kids, parents, siblings?

Who allowed that to happen and when is doing something stupidly dangerous when there were more than enough experts on the scene considered heroic?

What's the last thing a redneck says before he dies? "watch this!"

These children should not have to feel any guilt or deal with any stress related to the death of the security guard. It's hard enough as it is. Are they trying to stress the kids out? Are they trying to make the kids think he's dead because of them?

It's not a great story, so let it go. I think it's doing more harm than good. Just my opinion of course.

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Spock said:

 The coach had a lot to say, but some of it was a bit weird - like selecting the one's furthest from home to go first because they had furthest to ride their bikes. 

That is quite understandable reasoning , considering their situation and their knowledge at the time .

[khaowong1]

"There will be no more speaking to the press"..  Riiiggghhhttt...?

[Spock]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

That is quite understandable reasoning , considering their situation and their knowledge at the time .

I would have thought that he would be under no illusion about the boys riding their bikes home from the rescue. Surely if he is in discussion with the navy seals and Harry he would have known about the ambulance, helicopter and hospital? If he is included in the decision making, you'd hope he would be well informed about the evacuation process. 

[fullcave]

They are heroes now. Now maybe we can finally find out who's brilliant idea it was to swim into a cave 5 km during rainy season and give credit where credit is due. ?

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, Spock said:

I would have thought that he would be under no illusion about the boys riding their bikes home from the rescue. Surely if he is in discussion with the navy seals and Harry he would have known about the ambulance, helicopter and hospital? If he is included in the decision making, you'd hope he would be well informed about the evacuation process. 

Not sure whether they would have been aware of all the goings on outside , when they had been stuck in a cave for 9 days , and their only thoughts among themselves was who should be the first to go back home again..........by bike