Thai boys turn monks, for 9 days

Mae Sai, July 24

The young Thai soccer team, whose dramatic evacuation from a cave captured world’s attention, had their heads shaved in a ceremony on Tuesday as they prepared to be ordained as novice Buddhist monks, in a gesture to honour their rescuers.

They will leave the monastery and return to civilian life after nine days (on August 3). Eleven of the 12 team members and their coach, who were trapped in the cave for more than three weeks, prayed to ancient relics and offered drinks and desserts in gilded bowls to spirits at a Buddhist temple. The gesture was meant to honour Lt Cmdr Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL who died during the cave rescue operation on July 6.

One of their teammates is a Christian and instead attended a local church to perform a separate ceremony. — Agencies