In the bleak hours when there was no news of the missing boys, a new community emerged on the side of this mountain.
Divers, cavers, and soldiers all trudged purposefully through the thick mud, focused on their own small role in what felt like a national effort.
Now that the 12 boys and their football coach have been located, the mood in the camp has transformed. It is a place of hope, energy, and purpose.
Yo Sato is 27. He grew up in east London but returned to Thailand to teach English. He drove for hours to get here to offer his service as a translator for the local police.
“I'm speechless, I've got goose-bumps right now,” he says.
“Seeing those kids alive just changes people's mood. People are working so hard, it's so tiring. But now, they are all smiling. And seeing the British and the Thai working together, it's just the best thing ever.”
Classmates of the young footballers come to the mouth of the cave to show their support. At the spot where their friends last glimpsed the outside world, they sing for them.
“Believe in God. Only belief can move a mountain,” go the…
