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| Tham Luang Cave is located in the border town of Mae Sai in Chiang Rai. The Thai people I met were gracious and kind. |
“At the extreme point of misfortune, good will surely arrive.” – Buddhist proverb
In what appears to be a dramatic outcome of answered prayers, 12 boys and their coach have survived a treacherous ordeal at the Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
The Thai Navy SEAL page says: “We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what. All the thirteen Wild Boars are now out of the cave.”
Coming from Chiang Mai, driving up to Chiang Rai by car is roughly six hours round trip. I often say that is it somewhat like a drive up the mountain province of Baguio coming from Metro Manila in the Philippines.
The scenery is similar wherein one would see rice fields and other greenery. But there is a difference in the architecture.
A lot of the houses I saw in this region of Thailand had Lanna-inspired (ancient kingdom in the Northern part of Thailand) designs and I would often see a tiny house alongside the main house. This was called a spirit house.
Siam Magazine explains, "Spirit houses have the same architectural features as a house or small monastery and you’ll always find them situated on a pillar of cement or wood. According to Thai custom, every home must have one. After constructing a home, Thai people perform a house blessing ceremony. They then have a special ceremony just for the spirit house. This is because Thai people believe that the spirits living around every house are sacred beings, protective deities in fact who protect the people inside the home, taking care that these humans may be peaceful, may thrive and may be free from all the dangers of the world."
The same belief system probably explains Tham Luang Cave’s myth of the Sleeping Lady. Tham Luang Nang Non is called the "Great Cave of the Sleeping Lady."
"The legend goes that in ancient times a beautiful princess fell in love with a stable boy and became pregnant. Knowing their love was forbidden, they fled and eventually settled in the cave to rest. When the stable boy went out in search of food, he was caught by the princess' father's army and killed.
Distraught, the princess stabbed herself and bled to death in the cave."
At the early stages of the rescue, a revered monk visited the cave and is believed to be the reincarnated lover of the Sleeping Lady.
"Some believe he is the current reincarnation of the princess’ dead stable boy lover, the father of her unborn child.
So when Boonchum walked into that cave mouth to pray to the spirit of the dead princess, it was personal."
Not everyone will believe the above legend. But in Thailand, the safe rescue of the 12 boys and coach may be full of significance. For many locals, it was probably the day that the Sleeping Lady decided to release the soccer team from her hold.
What was most interesting about this rescue was that it reached international attention. The most skilled divers from around the world appeared on the scene to help. The effort was joined by hundreds of other people who offered support.
Christians and non-Christians alike joined hands in solidarity and prayer. In an era of terror, the Tham Luang rescue was a rare sight and one that will be remembered for decades to come.
"Just to get any of them out alive would have been a miracle. But to get 13 out of 13 ... won't happen again," he says. "(It's the) biggest miracle ever."
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Mae Sai in Chiang Rai is located in the northern part of Thailand near the borders of Myanmar and Laos.
https://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/quiet-border-town-of-mae-sai-in-thailand.html
After the boys were rescued, some of them requested for Pad Kra Pao. Found a recipe and tried it.
https://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/thai-pad-kra-pao-in-my-kitchen.html
Mae Sai in Chiang Rai is located in the northern part of Thailand near the borders of Myanmar and Laos.
https://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/quiet-border-town-of-mae-sai-in-thailand.html
After the boys were rescued, some of them requested for Pad Kra Pao. Found a recipe and tried it.
https://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/thai-pad-kra-pao-in-my-kitchen.html
