Call of the Heart

HeartCall of the
Rescue at Tham Luang Cave

Author : Coonoor Kripalani
Illustrator : Phookpan Chairat



HeartCall of the
Rescue at Tham Luang Cave

Author : Coonoor Kripalani
Illustrator : Phookpan Chairat

HeartCall of the Rescue at Tham Luang Cave

First published in Chiang Mai in 2022 by the Chiang Mai Read Project
Printed at Wanida Printing, Chiang Mai Province, 2022.

Text copyright © Coonoor Kripalani, 2022
Illustrations copyright © Phookpan Chairat, 2022
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise), without the prior permission of both the copyright owners and
the above publisher of this book.

ISBN: 978-616-590-194-9

Editor: Thattaya Anussornrajakit
Consultant and Coordinator: Preeyaphan Suiadee
Design: Chatuphon Chantharaboobpha

Publishing support
Minor International Public Company Limited
Heinecke Foundation
Mittare Insurance Publlic Company Limited,
Boldrsupply.co

Introduction

On June 23, 2018, the world learnt of the young football team of the Moo
Pa (Wild Boar) Academy trapped in the Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai,
Thailand. Globally, viewers were riveted to the news, waiting for a successful
rescue mission.

The story is a moving one, and must not be forgotten. The heroism of each
and every one who participated in the rescue mission is inspiring: from the
team of young players and their coach, to the Governor of the province,
to the Royal Thai Navy Seals, to the Thai authorities, to the geologists and
engineers, to the team of international divers who volunteered their time
and services, and including outside the cave, the community efforts of
neighbouring farmers, volunteers providing food and laundry services to the
rescuers, to the monks who prayed for the well-being of the boys and others
who participated in the vigil.

I was inspired to write this story as a reminder for children of the next
generation of the grit and resilience of the boys, the valour of their coach,
and the rescue divers. The story is inspired by true events, and follows closely
the gripping tension of the rising water and the long wait as the rescue team
assessed the dangers involved in the rescue, and then the rescue itself.

When I learnt of the only Singaporean diver, Douglas Yeo, who joined the
rescue mission at a late stage, in time to help the last of the boys out of
the swirling water, I found his story to be another compelling one. Hearing
of his struggles as a school dropout, his work in the Singapore Air Force,
and training as a salvage diver, I recognized yet another hero. The story I
was writing took on a another perspective; I wrote it through his eyes. It has
been a wonderful experience to get to know Douglas, his kindness and
compassion. I salute Douglas and all the brave and selfless heroes who
spared no effort to rescue the young football team from the dark floods of
the Tham Luang Cave! Long may their heroism inspire generations to come.

Coonoor Kripalani
Singapore; September 2021



Douglas Yeo returned from a dive trip and greeted his family. A recreational
master dive instructor, he put away his dive gear.

His son began to tell him that some children were trapped in a cave in
Thailand. Divers from around the world had gathered to help rescue them.

“Daddy, can you help them?” his son asked.

1

Douglas had been cut off from news as he’d been away diving.
He listened to the news and learnt that a football team of 12 boys, aged
between 11 to 16 years, from the Moo Pa Academy, Wild Boars in English,
and their coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, aged 25 years, had been trapped in
a flooded cave in Chiang Rai in northern Thailand for over a week.
The story was on the top of the news and world over viewers were riveted,
united in hope the boys would be rescued.
The boys had left home mid-morning on that fateful Saturday, for their weekly
football practice.

2

The boys’ parents got worried when the boys did not return that Sunday
evening from football practice. It was the birthday of Night. Night’s parents
awaited him at home with his presents and birthday cake, They were very

worried when he failed to return home that evening.
The parents formed a search party but could not locate the boys. They did,

however, find their shoes and bikes left neatly at the entrance to the Tham
Luang Nang Norn, the great cave of the sleeping lady, as it is known locally.

The parents feared for their sons, as they could see the cave was flooded.
They all knew the legend of the cave.

3

Viewed from a certain angle the hill which covers the cave, Tham Luang
Nang Norn, does look like a sleeping lady. Legend has it that there was once
a beautiful princess who fell in love with a stable boy.
This angered the princess’s father. When the princess became pregnant, she
fled the palace with the boy. Her father ordered his soldiers to give chase
to the couple and kill the boy. When they did so, the distraught princess
stabbed her heart with her own hairpin and killed herself.
A mound grew over the body of the dead princess as she lay where she had
fallen, and local legend claims that the water that flows through the cave is
the blood of the dead princess.

4

The worried parents appealed to the authorities for help. The local authorities
called Bangkok, the capital of Thailand for help. Thai Navy Seals were sent.
They arrived to find the cave flooded. Water levels were rising, the current
was swift due to the bad weather, and visibility inside the cave was poor.
Douglas noted that in a few days, a team of sixty expert Thai and foreign
divers had been assembled for the rescue.
Water was being pumped out of the cave to reduce the water levels
inside, while the rescue teams studied the cave, known to be a favourite
exploration site of the Wild Boars and hikers.

5

A lucky break in the weather had allowed first responders to advance 600m
from the base.
At the same time, heavy drilling was being attempted outside the cave. It
was hoped both to establish communication with the boys, as well as to
increase oxygen levels inside their chamber.
Douglas learnt that Elon Musk, the US entrepreneur, offered assistance with
rock drilling technology. Ultimately drilling was considered too risky and in any
case the geologists were unable to pinpoint the exact location of the boys
inside the cave.
Later, Musk also offered his newly-invented small submarine to bring out the
boys, but it was unsuitable.

6

At the same time, Buddhist monks had gathered from all over Chiang Rai at
a local school, to pray for the boys and their coach.

The Abbot of Wat Phra That Don Ruang, Kruba Boonchum, a highly revered
forest meditation monk, regarded as the monk of three nations, Thailand,

Myanmar and Laos, also came to offer prayers and meditate for the boys.
Kruba Boonchum had taken the vow of silence, so he did not speak as he
blessed the throngs on arrival. His presence brought great comfort as he is
believed to be the reincarnation of the boy loved by the dead princess in
the legend of the cave. It was thought if he asked her as a personal plea,

she would release the boys.
After his prayers, Kruba Boonchum sent a message to say the boys were safe

and would be out in a few days. His words brought great comfort and hope
to the boys’ families.

7

Douglas heard how, in the glare of local and international media, the story
of the stranded team unfolded around the world, leading all news reports.
One thousand Thai rescuers were joined by foreign experts from Australia, the
UK, Japan and China, as well as thirty US military personnel, as they prepared
for the rescue, noted Douglas.
They placed extra oxygen tanks, strong ropes and LED lights along the cave
walls, to guide the other divers to Pattaya Beach. This is a sandy, airy part of
the cave, which is on higher ground. It was hoped that the boys had taken
refuge here.
On the ninth day since the group went missing, Douglas learnt all twelve
boys and their coach were found alive by well-known British divers, Richard
Stanton and John Volanthen. A former fire-fighter, Stanton is a technical diver
and together with his regular dive partner, Volanthen, an IT specialist in Bristol
and volunteer rescue diver, they are known to be among the world’s best
cave divers. They both have a great deal of experience in cave rescues
around the globe.

8

As the duo were placing lines to help the rest of the rescue team navigate
their way into the cave, they would surface at every air space, to smell,

shout and listen for a response. At 400 metres beyond Pattaya Beach, which
was also flooded, Volanthen ran out of line and swam to the surface. Here
he found the missing team and their coach.
Only one boy, Adul, spoke English.
“Hello,” said Volanthen.
“Hello,” said Adul. “Do you need help?”
“We are here to help you,” said Volanthen.
“Thank you,” said the boy.

9

“How many of you are here?” Volanthen continued.
“Thirteen,” replied Adul.
“Brilliant,” said Volanthen, happy to know that all the team and their coach
were together.
They were all in good health and spirits but had not eaten since they were
trapped.
Their coach was the weakest, as he had not partaken of the meagre
supplies they had with them, giving it all to the boys.
“We going today?” asked Adul, translating for his friends.
“Not today as we are just the two of us. We have to dive,” said Volanthen,
leaving them a light and reassuring the boys that they would return the next
day with many more people.

10

“Tell them we are hungry,” said the boys.
“We will,” replied the divers.

“What day will you come?” asked the boys.
“Tomorrow,” said the divers, “Thai Navy Seals will be back with food, the

doctor and lights.”
“I am very happy,” said Adul.
Douglas could see how elated the rescuers were at having found ALL the
boys. The Thai authorities, the media and above all, the parents of the boys,
were relieved and overjoyed.

11

The picture of the boys in the cave, taken by the divers, was shown around
the world.
Their Head Coach, Nopparat Kantawang, was very pleased to see how
strong the boys appeared, both mentally and physically.
Though anxious to get out of the cave, the boys were calm, not crying and
whimpering.
Possibly the snacks and drinks they bought from a vendor before entering the
cave may have helped them survive.
Douglas noted the great urgency to evacuate the boys.

12

Evacuation plans went into full swing, to take advantage of a couple of dry
days before a fresh downpour of monsoon rain.

Diving out was not an option, as in any case none of the boys knew how to
swim or dive. Neither was it feasible to walk out in their weakened state, as
the cave was flooded.

Worryingly, Douglas realized, even the professional divers took about 6 hours
or more to get to the boys.

The immediate task was to make the boys stronger by sending in food
supplies for them.

13

Douglas learnt a team of rescuers reached the boys the next day, as
promised.
It included Dr. Pak Loharnshoon, a graduate of the Navy Seals training
course, a nurse from the Royal Thai Navy’s underwater and hybaric medical
unit and seven Thai Navy Seals.
They carried food, water and oxygen supplies for the trapped boys, together
with hypothermia blankets to protect the boys from the damp and cold.
Dr. Pak treated the boys for minor injuries and gave first aid where needed.
Subsequently, the team was also attended to by Dr Richard Harris, an
Australian cave diver and anaesthetist, together with his dive partner,
veterinary surgeon Craig Challen, another experienced Australian cave
diver. The pair had been on their way to a cave diving expedition when they
were called to assist in the Tham Luang Cave rescue.

14

Dr Harris assessed the boys’ medical condition, and his work was essential in
the final stages of the rescue.

Meanwhile the boys were being taught to swim and dive by the Navy Seals.
At the same time, Douglas learnt, rescuers were racing to pump out water

from the cave, to reduce water levels and lessen its swift flow within the cave.
“The water is very strong and space is narrow. Extracting the children takes a
lot of people,” said Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wong Suwan.
A communication line to outside the cave was set up.

15

The boys were cheerful, Douglas gathered. They asked for World Cup
updates, as they knew the matches were going on. FIFA offered them
tickets for the World Cup finals. It was hoped they would be rescued in time
to go. The English, Japanese and Swedish World Cup Football teams sent
messages of support to the boys.
The boys were given minerals, food and water, as well as lighting, to
accustom them to normal light after being in the dark for so many days.
Whoever was ready first would be taken out.
By now it was a three-hour journey – diving, swimming, walking and wading –
for rescuers to reach the boys.

16

The boys’ parents trusted Coach Ekkapol, who they felt had taken care of the
boys in the cave and kept them calm, Douglas learnt.

Ekkapol had taught the boys life-saving skills. He taught them to remain
still and meditate as they waited to be rescued, in order to conserve their
energy. He also taught them to drink water dripping from the cave walls, as

he knew this was safe.
An orphan, Ekkapol lost both his parents at age ten. He spent time as a

novice monk before joining the Wild Boars as assistant coach. He was
ordained between the ages of 10 and 20. Coach “Aek” was very dedicated

to the team and the parents of the team thanked him.

17

Outside the cave, Douglas saw that frantic efforts were underway to begin
the rescue operation. The whole community was engaged in these efforts.
Racing against time and the weather to reduce water levels in the cave,
many more generators were put in use to drain out 1.6million litres of water
per hour – enough to fill more than half an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Yet water levels within the cave were reducing only by 1cm an hour. Luckily
the rain had stopped for the last three days.
Farmers nearby were proud to make a significant contribution by allowing
their fields to be flooded with the excess water being drained out, at the cost
of their crops and livestock, in order to save the boys.

18

Buddhist monks who had gathered, continued chanting in prayer for the
safe return of the boys.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn ordered a kitchen to be set up in the back of an
army truck to make sure no one went hungry.

Volunteers had set up free food stalls to feed journalists, rescuers, the boys’
parents and anyone else present.

Others set up stalls offering free haircuts and massages to the brave and
tired rescuers.

Local laundry services offered free service to the overseas rescuers,
laundering over 100 pieces of clothing each day for them.

A Thai company supplied light sticks for free, which were being used inside
the cave, while an Israeli firm provided underground communications
systems.

19

Then tragedy struck.
Mr Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy Seal Diver, died as he made his
way out of the cave after placing oxygen tanks along the exit route, in
preparation for the rescue of the Wild Boars.
His death demonstrated the danger of the mission. It cast gloom over the
on-going rescue planning.
Saman received a posthumous honour by royal decree from the King. Later
it was announced that a 2.4 metre statue of Saman would be placed in
front of the cave.

20

The rain had resumed and water levels in the cave were rising again.
Owing to so many more people in the cave, oxygen levels inside were

dropping.
Rescuers put in a line to pump in fresh air. To reduce the number of people

inside, all non-essential workers were withdrawn.

21

Rescuers kept up the boys’ spirits while giving them high-protein and high-
energy foods to build up their strength.
Letter paper and pens were given to the boys to write to their parents to
reassure them that they were well.
Their letters told their parents not to worry. They asked for their favourite foods,
and asked that their teachers not give them too much homework when they
returned!
The parents wrote back to say they were waiting for the boys to come home
and that they were praying for their well-being.

“Father and Mother,
please don’t worry about
me. I am fine. Please take
me to eat fried chicken
after this. I love you,”
Chanin
Wiboonroongruang
(Titan,
the youngest boy, 11)

“I love you Mum and Dad and
I want to eat barbecue pork,”
Pipat Poti (Nick, 15)

22

Water levels remained high however, and the urgency of bringing the boys
out of the cave was increasing.

The authorities now cleared all reporters and public 500 metres beyond the
mouth of the cave. The area was screened off for the rescue operation.
Ambulances were standing by.

“I promise to take
the very best care
of the kids. I want to
say thanks for all the
support and I want
to apologise,”
Ekkapol (Coach, 25)

The father of the
youngest boy, Titau,
responds,
“I want to tell him I love
him. I want to thank all
Thais. I want my son to
be ordained after he is
out of the cave.”

23

Learning all this in Singapore led Douglas Yeo to a decision. He made up his
mind to volunteer in the rescue effort to bring the Wild Boars out of the cave.
He reflected on his life that had led him to become an expert diver. A high
school dropout, he worked at odd jobs to earn for his family and for his
sisters’ education. He completed his national service and joined the air-
force, where he acquired many useful skills.
On a visit to Australia, a friend introduced him to the ocean and diving.
Douglas was hooked!! As his diving abilities improved, he was able to
find work to sustain him. It was dangerous work, cleaning the hulls and
bottoms of boats, and salvage diving. Often these works were carried out
at night, so Douglas had a lot of experience working underwater in the dark.
Occasionally he had worked as a marine fire-fighter.

24

Surely all these past years were a preparation for him to face this challenge,
he thought.

Douglas called his friends in Thailand, who put him in touch with the Thai
Navy Seals. Douglas was approved to join the rescue effort.

But the biggest hurdle, he knew, was yet to come. How could he explain his
decision to his family? They would surely object to him endangering his life in

this way.

25

Douglas called his family and sat them down around the dining table. He
told them that he had volunteered to join the rescue mission in Thailand and
wanted their understanding and blessings.
His middle son was his biggest supporter. The older boy and the youngest
one were a bit apprehensive, when Douglas announced his mission.
When he asked for his mother’s blessing, the lady who had cautioned him all
his life to be careful, asked, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

26

“Yes,” replied Douglas.
“Go then and be safe,” she said, nonchalantly returning to her TV

programme.
Douglas’s wife looked at him tenderly and said, “Your mind is made up

already, right? You know how dangerous this is. Are you prepared?”
“Yes,” said Douglas.

“Then I cannot stop you,” his wife replied.

27

As Douglas prepared to leave on his mission, the news broke that four boys
had been evacuated from the cave.
The daring rescue mission involved eighteen divers – thirteen foreigners
and five Thai Navy Seals. Starting at 10 am, with a mix of climbing, wading,
walking and diving in poor visibility and through cold waters, the rescuers
brought out each of the boys.
At a certain point the rescuers had to negotiate a particularly narrow
passage that went up and then down, obliging the divers to turn and twist
through a very small space, while guiding the boys and carrying their oxygen
tanks.
The first two boys emerged at 5:40 pm, the third boy two hours later
at 7:40 pm and the fourth boy exited ten minutes later.

Cave rescue hazards

800m - 1km

Group found Some parts too narrow
to wear scuba tanks
28

The boys were sedated and wearing face masks so that they could breathe
normally throughout the operation.

They were not named and were whisked away in ambulances to a hospital
in Chiang Rai.

The news was greeted with euphoria and hope for the rest of the boys. The
rescue mission for them was to resume the next day.

In the midst of all the jubilation, rescuers prepared for the mission the next
day. More oxygen tanks had to be placed to replace those used, and all
ropes, lines and lights had to be checked. Ninety divers worked together for

this.

Chamber three, Entrance
divers' operating
29
base

Steep slope

Douglas arrived in Chiang Rai the next evening. He was met by the Thai
military and taken straight to the cave to begin work.
He was stationed in Chamber 2, with thirty other foreign and Thai divers.
By this time four more boys had been evacuated. Their rescue took two
hours less than the day before. More than 100 people were involved,
including 18 foreign divers.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha arrived at the cave to review operations,
encourage the rescuers and comfort the boys’ families.

30

This time the boys were examined by field doctors before being carried on
stretchers to waiting military helicopters.

They were flown to the hospital to remain under observation, together with
their friends rescued the day before. The boys felt well enough to ask for fried

rice in hospital!
Douglas was now positioned to assist in the rescue of the remaining four Wild

Boars and their coach.

31

Carrying his own dry rations, Douglas with his Thai Navy Seal buddy “Joe,”
took his position with the rest of the team, under the supervision of a senior
Thai Navy Seal. The Thai Navy Seals used code names so as not to reveal
their real identities.
They entered the cave anxiously, to await the arrival of the remaining five
Wild Boars.
Through his tunnel vision, Douglas was aware of the dim, cold and murky
waters of the cave. A feeling of claustrophobia began to creep up on him.
Douglas pushed aside all thoughts of wanting to get out, compelled by the
urgency of the mission and the need to stick by his buddy and the rest of the
team.

32

One-by-one, the children emerged on stretchers winched on to a rope,
pulled by four escort divers.

Douglas and his team-mates secured the boys on their stretchers, and
gently moved them along a steep slope to another group of rescuers down

the line.
The youngest boy’s eyes met Douglas’s eyes, and through this look he

reassured the child that all was well.
The successful evacuation of the remaining five Wild Boars made the

grueling hours spent in the dark muddy waters worthwhile.
Coach Ekkapol stayed with the final group of Wild Boars and was the last

person to be evacuated out of the cave.

33

As the last of the Wild Boars was safely out, the rescue divers began to make
their way out.
In a flash, the water levels suddenly rose, sending the rescue divers
scrambling to save themselves. One of the pumps pumping out water had
broken, leading to this sudden rise. Luckily all the divers, including Douglas,
got out safely. Australian divers Harris and Challen were the last ones out.
Sadly, it was then that Richard Harris learnt that his own father had passed
away while he was freeing the Wild Boars.
The boys recovered well in hospital and thanked all their rescuers. They cried
when they heard that Saman Kunan lost his life for them.
Three weeks later, in honour of Saman, all the boys except Adul who is not
Buddhist, began a ceremony to become novice Buddhist monks. They had
their heads shaved in preparation for spending nine days in the temple. At
the end of this time, they were ordained. Coach Ekkapol decided to spend
the next three months in the monastery.

34

Douglas flew home after the successful rescue.
His family welcomed back their hero.

The press picked up his story and all over Singapore people heard of
the man who volunteered his services to save boys in Thailand out of the

goodness of his heart.

35



Postscript

“It is our pride – Mission Impossible of Thailand,” announced the
Thai government, when thanking the international divers who
assisted in this spectacular rescue. For many of the divers, it
was the riskiest operation they had ever undertaken.

Richard Stanton spoke for all the divers when he modestly
declared that they were not heroes, but simply people with a
unique skill set, giving back to the community. In November
2018, Stanton and five other members of the British cave
rescue team were given the 2018 Pride of Britain Award for their
outstanding bravery and role in rescuing the children from the
Tham Luang Cave. This ceremony in London was attended by
the Wild Boar Team.

Both Stanton and John Volanthen received the George Medal
in the British 2019 New Year Honours for their work in the Tham
Luang Cave rescue. Three other members of their team were
made Members of the Order of the British Empire and two
others were awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal.

Dr Richard Harris and Craig Challen were both awarded the
Star of Courage and the Medal of the Order of Australia in July
2018 and were joint winners of the 2019 Australian of the Year.

Douglas Yeo was awarded The Royal Thailand King No.5 Novel
Humanity Award and Medals from the Royal Thai Embassy
in Singapore in 2019. He was nominated for The Singapore
Straits Times 2019 Singaporean of the Year award, and
named among The Most Fabulous 100 People in Singapore.
His life story is recounted in the book, "Zero Visibility", selling
in bookstores in Singapore. Serving meals to needy families
and the elderly is his goal and mission during the Covid-19
pandemic. His central kitchen supplies over 300 meals each
Friday, with funds raised through his store that sells recycled
items.

On September 6, 2018, the Thai government hosted a
big event in Bangkok to thank all those who contributed
to the rescue. All the participating rescue divers received
commendations from the Government of Thailand.

A team of Thai artists prepared a huge painting of the 12 boys
and their coach. An exhibition of the cave rescue was shown in
Bangkok and traveled around Thailand, to show the rest of the
country this remarkable rescue.

The rescue mission had many heroes from the Moo Pa
Academy Head Coach, Nooparat Kantawang, who kept the
anxious parents company and lifted their spirits as they waited
for the boys to be rescued, to all the medical personnel who
looked after the boys both inside the cave and at the Chiang
Rai Hospital after they were rescued, to the Governor of Chiang
Rai, Narongsak Osotanakorn who gave press conferences
twice a day and undertook a great deal of the coordination,
to the water and geological engineers who studied the terrain
and kept the water levels down, like Thawatchai Feungkachorn,
Head of the Great Naga Water Pump team, who kept his
water pumps working at the cave site to drain water for twelve
days for free, contributing to the efforts of the Royal Irrigation
Department as well as the Army.

The Wild Boars became instant celebrities after going through
this ordeal. Three of the boys, Adul Samon, Mongkol Boonpiam
and Pornchai Kamluang, as well as Coach Aek, who were
stateless were granted Thai citizenship. In October 2018, they
participated in the Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
as well as appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show, winning
hearts in the west by their humble greeting in the Thai wai
manner, with folded hands. DeGeneres introduced them to
Zlatan Ibrahmovic of the Los Angeles Galaxy and they got
to play with that team. In the UK they appeared on TV and
met up with three of the British divers, Jason Mallison, Joshua
Bratchley and Connor Roe, who had helped in their rescue.

Marking the first anniversary of their rescue, the boys returned to
the mouth of the Cave on June 23, 2019, to attend a Buddhist
ceremony honouring the memory of Saman Kunan.

The Moo Pa Team

Team Captain: Duangpet Promthep Chanin Vibulrungruang
(Dom, age 13 years) (Titan, age 11 years)

Panumas Sangdee Sompong Chaiwong
(Mig, age 13 years) (Pong, age 13 years)

Mongkol Boonpiam Natthawut Takamsong
(Mark, age 13 years) (Tern, age 14 years)

Ekarat Wongsukchan Adul Sam-on
(Bew, age 14 years) (Dul, age 14 years)

Prachak Sutham Pipat Poti
(Note, age 15 years) (Nick, age 15 years)

Pornchai Kamluang Peeraphat Sompiangchai
(Tee, age 16 years) (Night, age 17 years)

Coach Ekkapol Chantawong
(Aek, age 25 years)



Acknowledgements

Many thanks to my dear friends, Bill and Kathy Heinecke of Minor International
PCL and the Heinecke Foundation, as well as Gurdist Chansrichawla of
Mittare Insurance PCL, and Boldr Supply Co., for their support of this project.
It is this commitment that will bring reading skills and more to the children of
Thailand.

Thanks too to the wonderful and efficient Khun Chompan Kulnides, and the
very experienced Khun Jack Preeyaphan Suiadee, who have walked me
through this journey every step of the way. Without them, this project would
not have come to fruition.

To the impressive Khun Thattaya Anussornrajakit, who successfully initiated
the One City, One Book reading project in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai that
I learnt about at the virtual AFCC 2021, thank you for including our book in
your reading programme.

Grateful acknowledgements to illustrator, Khun Phookpan Chairat, for
bringing the story to life with her imaginative illustrations, and to Khun Ong-
art Ritpreecha for his translation into Thai, thus making the story accessible to
children in Thailand.

To Anil Thadani, for his support in so many ways, thank you for helping me
realize this dream and for making this book a reality.

Finally, thanks to the Moo Pa Academy Football team and Coach Ekkapol,
for providing the inspiration for this story, as well as to all the heroes of the
rescue team, including Douglas Yeo, for your awesome response in a crisis. It
shows us how huge the human heart can be.

Coonoor Kripalani
Singapore; September 2021

Author Illustrator

Coonoor Kripalani Phookpan Chairat

is the author of a number of Graduated with a bachelor's
bilingual picture-books in Hindi and degree from the Faculty of Fine
English for early learners, in both and Applied Arts and Architecture,
print and digital formats. Her books
range from basic learning of the Rajamangala University of
Hindi Alphabet, Numbers, Colours Technology Lanna Payap Region
and Shapes to learning about
jungle animals, going to the market, Campus, Chiang Mai Province.
playing in the park and yoga. Her Currently, happy with raising
book, "Let’s do Yoga" (Scholastic,
India), is very popular with children. children, taking care of her parents
Her more recent works such as, and working together.
"The Troubles of Tigers: The Story
of Tippu", "Wild Again: The Story Creative works of art include
of Laxmi", and "Going with the Abstract, Semi Abstract (mostly still
Floe: An Arctic Voyage", address lifes), each with its own variations.
ecological concerns, conservation
and the wonders of the natural based on inspiration and the
world. conditions that occurred at that
In addition, Coonoor writes articles
on popular Indian film and radio time.
broadcasting, that are published in
scholarly journals.