The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced the implementation of stringent safety measures in anticipation of the upcoming reopening of Chiang Rai’s renowned Tham Luang Cave in July. The cave rose to global prominence in 2018 when 12 young Wild Boars football players and their coach became trapped inside for an arduous 18-day period due to flooding, ultimately culminating in a successful rescue operation.
This weekend, a delegation comprising key officials, including Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department; Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, Director of the National Park Office; Chutidech Kamonnachanut, Director of the Conservation Area Administration Office 15 Chiang Rai; and Vernon Unsworth, the British cave diver who played a pivotal role in the heroic 2018 rescue mission, will embark on a visit to the Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non-National Park.
Presently, only the exhibition zone and the area in front of the cave are accessible to the public. However, starting in July, the first cave chamber, spanning approximately 150 meters, will be opened for visitors. To ensure a controlled and safe experience, each visiting group will be limited to a maximum of 25 people, and each exploration session will last 30 minutes.
To effectively manage the influx of tourists, authorities have set a daily limit of 16 rounds, enabling up to 400 visitors to enter the first chamber per day. As for the second chamber, only four groups, each comprising 15 individuals, will be granted access on a daily basis. To secure entry, interested individuals must submit their applications at least one week in advance. The third chamber, meanwhile, will be reserved exclusively for researchers and experts, who are required to submit a formal letter to the department at least 30 days prior to their planned visit.
The meticulous implementation of these safety measures aims to ensure the preservation of Tham Luang Cave while allowing limited public access for sightseeing and exploration purposes. By carefully managing the number of visitors and controlling the duration of each visit, authorities strive to strike a delicate balance between safety and providing an opportunity for people to marvel at the cave’s awe-inspiring natural wonders.
