Thailand's military government, saying it is concerned filmmakers and media may take advantage of the young soccer boys who were rescued from a flooded cave, wants to control how movies portray their ordeal and heroic rescue.
Soccer coach Ekkapol Janthawong, center, and members of the rescued soccer team attend a Buddhist ceremony that is believed to extend the lives of its attendees as well as ridding them of dangers and misfortunes in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, Thursday, July 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Culture Minister Vira Rojpochanarat said he will propose at next week's Cabinet meeting that a special committee oversees the production of films, documentaries and videos related to the experiences of the 12 boys and their coach who were trapped in a cave for almost three weeks.
With the boys returning home, attention has turned to how the media are handling the post-rescue story. There has been criticism of several news outlets, mostly foreign, that are considered to have ignored official advice to leave the boys alone for at least a month to try to avoid the psychological stress that recounting their ordeal might trigger.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Friday he had instructed officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to make sure the young soccer players and those associated with them are not bothered while they are going through a period of mental rehabilitation.
He warned foreign media they may face prosecution even if they unintentionally violate child protection laws.
Wissanu, who is considered the top legal expert for Thailand's ruling junta, said that it is the boys' right to sign contracts for their own benefit, but added that the government committee would provide advice "like a manager," without seeking any profit for itself.
He said the government was "very afraid" that some of those close to the ordeal could be coerced to sign contracts "because once a contract is signed, that person can't do anything else, which is why someone with legal knowledge needs to step in and help."
The rescue, carried out successfully against high odds, was a rare bit of feel-good news from Thailand, which has been mired in political conflict and heavy-handed military rule for more than a decade. Even as the world watched the cave saga, a boat sinking off a southern resort island claimed almost 50 Chinese tourists, an event that normally would have registered as a high-profile debacle.
The cave rescue also allowed the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been criticized for political maneuvering to stay in power after elections planned for next year, to share in some glory.
The government's Thailand Film Office already regulates the production of films shot in Thailand by foreign companies, including vetting scripts and issuing filming permits, but Vira said the committee would oversee content, licensing and the protection of privacy of the rescued team and their families.
Speaking after a film board meeting Thursday, Vira said that five foreign film production companies had shown interest in making a movie or documentary about the cave rescue and some had already been on location to collect information.
Thai film producers have also shown interest but have not yet contacted the government, Vira said.
The boys and coach of the Wild Boars soccer team were released from the hospital on Wednesday and at a news conference described how they got trapped in the cave, and after 10 days cut off from the outside world, were astonished to see two British divers rising from muddy waters and assuring them work was underway to rescue them.
"This (story) has all the right elements," Vira said. "If you talk about drama associated with filmmaking, it has everything. It has loss as well as jubilation. The content and story it has for filmmaking is very complete. Even if you don't create additional drama, these events had every flavor."
Several murals and sculptures have already been commissioned to mark the epic cave adventure. Many focus on Saman Gunan, a former Thai navy SEAL who volunteered to help with the rescue effort and died while diving on a mission to supply the cave with oxygen tanks essential to helping the boys escape. Saman is being treated as a national hero.
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand and New Zealand on Wednesday vowed to boost economic cooperation with an aim to triple two-way trade by 2045, as the New Zealand leader visited Thailand for the first time in 11 years.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday and met with his Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin at the government house on Wednesday. They discussed trade, education, investment, visa arrangements, tourism, transnational crime and cybersecurity.
“We have agreed to elevate Thailand-New Zealand relations to a strategic partnership in 2026 or sooner, which will mark the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. This will create the momentum for us to further expand and deepen cooperation in all dimensions,” Srettha said during a joint news conference after the meeting.
Luxon said that trade between the countries has tripled since a free trade agreement was signed 20 years ago.
"But today we have committed to look for further opportunities to expand our economic cooperation and for new opportunities. Today we announced an ambitious goal to triple our two-way trade by 2045,” he said.
Business delegations from both countries also held a meeting helmed by the two prime ministers at the government house, seeking to rapidly expand the bilateral economic relationship.
The two leaders said they looked forward to tariff-free entry for all Thai and New Zealand imports due to take effect Jan. 1. They also said they agreed to further facilitate visas between Thailand and New Zealand, and to resume direct flights that were shut after the pandemic.
Just before the news conference, the prime ministers presided over the signing of two agreements to increase cooperation in education and aviation supply, repair and maintenance.
The situation in neighboring Myanmar was also discussed. Srettha said Thailand is closely watching the tense situation on its northwestern border, where the key Myanmar town of Myawaddy recently fell to forces fighting the military, which seized power in 2021.
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, center, arrives before the welcome ceremony for New Zealand's Prime Minister at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, right, is escorted by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, before a welcoming ceremony at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A Thai soldier checks royal guards before a welcome ceremony for New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, foreground, escorted by Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, listens to national anthems during a welcoming ceremony at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, second left, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, third left, bow in front of Thailand and New Zealand national flags during a welcome ceremony at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, left, reviews an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, front left, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, front right, review an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)