The Week India - July 29, 2018

JULY 29, 2018 • THE WEEK 41

I have had opportunities to work with

the local police, mainly translating for

them. That relationship eventually got

me into the liaison team that handles

public relations.

And, you were asked to be here?

No, I volunteered. So did four of my

employees. Only specialists were per-

mitted to be here. Certifi ed divers and

medics and so on.

Because of your business, your

speciality is climbing.

I am a hobby climber, too. I have

climbed in Malaysia, and extensively

in Thailand. Singapore has only one

hill to climb, so to speak. So, when we

volunteered, we were interviewed by

the Royal Thai Army and then fl own to

Chiang Rai. From there, we got here on

army transport and started climbing on

June 27.

Was climbing here diff erent, and

how?

Very diff erent. When I started climbing,

I was far younger and fresh from my

two-year compulsory military service.

So, age and fi tness were on my side.

And then, the rock here is limestone.

Very sharp, jagged edges. And,

deceptive. Might seem strong, but

might not be.

Were you in Tham Luang cave

complex?

No, like I said, specialisation was key. I

had no diving experience, so there was

no reason for me to be there. I was at

the other end of the cave. Or, maybe at

one of the many ends of this cave. I was

in a team with Mr Thanet, a geologist.

He and others studied possible entranc-

es, and then we scouted for them.

How many openings do you think

this cave complex has?

At least 10, I think. Of varying sizes, of

course. The most promising one was

the one where we had to climb 100m

to the cave mouth. It was on higher

elevation than the main mouth at Tham

Luang. Our thinking then was that

as the boys had probably climbed to

higher ground, they would be closer to

us, than to Tham Luang.

Did you lose hope at any point?

No, we did not. Mr Thanet said that as

fl oodwaters rise, even ants climb to

higher ground. So, we were confi dent

that the boys had reached somewhere.

But, where? And, how to reach them?

Those were the questions.

What would be your biggest learn-

ing from this?

Good things will come out of this, I am

sure. More tourists will come to visit

the caves. And, a proper mapping of

the cave network will be done.

Do you see yourself as a hero?

Not at all. I am just a little candle from

Singapore. There were candles from all

over the world. Together, we lit up the

cave and found the kids.

Last question. People say this cave

network extends to Myanmar.

I have heard that, too. It is probable,

yes. But, I wouldn’t know for a fact.

In fact, when the mapping is done, I

would be very excited to know!

■ INTERVIEW

Poh Kok Wee

member of rope rescue team

Not heroes,

we were just

candles

POH KOK WEE, 57, was one of two
known Singaporeans involved in the
Tham Luang cave rescue. The other
was rescue diver Douglas Yeo. Wee
spoke to THE WEEK on the sidelines of
the cleanup operations in the common
area of the cave complex. Based in
Nonthaburi province, he runs a busi-
ness fi xing signages and solar panels
on high-rise buildings. He has been in
Thailand for 28 years, and is a liaison
offi cer for the Royal Thai Police.
So, how did a Singaporean join the
Thai police?
Well, in short, I have been doing
business near Bangkok for so long that

the cave. A SEAL in undies and a foil
blanket was a funny sight, they said.
Th e three SEALs present on stage
were grinning wide when the experi-
ence was shared. Th e SEALs did not
reveal their names.
On stage, the boys presented
a portrait of Kunan that they had
autographed. Th e messages refl ected
their guilt and gratitude. None of the
boys had told their parents that they
were going to Th am Luang. On stage,

they all looked contrite when the

prospect of facing their parents came

up. Th ey apologised to their parents

publicly.

Th e boys have become heroes, no

doubt. When the interaction went

live on Facebook, one comment un-

der it said: “Do you have a gf?” Mean-

while, other off ers, too, are pouring

in for the twelve. Naresuan Universi-

ty has off ered them full scholarships,

up to PhD level, and FIFA president

Gianni Infantino has invited them

to the FIFA World Player of the Year

awards ceremony in London, on

September 24.

During the interaction, the Wild

Boars said that the fi rst football

match they watched after being

rescued was the telecast of the FIFA

World Cup fi nal. Most of them were

cheering for France, the coach said.

Didier Deschamps and his boys

would be pleased!