JULY 29, 2018 • THE WEEK 39football academy—black shorts and
white T-shirts with multicolour trim,
with a charging wild boar in red. Also
present at the interaction were two
psychiatrists from the hospital, the
four SEALS who stayed with the boys,
the medical director and Pratsakun.
Th e medical director announced
that the boys were physically fi t, and
had put on weight while they were
admitted. Th e psychologists echoed
the same and told that the 13 mustand coach Ek would be granted Th ai
citizenship; the papers have already
been submitted, said Chiang Rai
Governor Prachon Pratsakun. Lee
himself is of Myanmarese origin,
with a Chinese mother. He is married
to a Th ai national and has been living
in Mae Sai district for more than 20
years now.
Th e boys were released from the
hospital on July 18, amidst intense
media glare. Th eir tightly-controlled
interaction with the media was
held at the provincial government’s
Khotchasaran conference hall in
Chiang Rai. Journalists had to submit
questions before 5pm on July 17.
Th e questions were then vetted,
reportedly by the psychiatric services
department of the Chiangrai Pracha-
nukroh Hospital.
Th e boys entered the conference
hall kicking footballs, and were
dressed in the kit of the Wild BoarBHANU PRAKASH CHANDRA