It’s been less than six months since 12 boys and their football coach became trapped in a Tham Luang cave system in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. Foreign tourists keep turning up—transforming the spot into a booming tourist attraction that’s a popular setting for Instagram posts.
A recent Guardian story quotes a vendor who trades near the entrance of the cave, where more than 100 stalls have sprung up selling their wares to visitors. “People tried to make Tham Luang a tourist attraction before, many times, but it never became popular. Now it is famous all over the world because of the boys saved from the cave. We are not just happy because of the money from tourists. We are also very proud people want to travel here to see our beautiful park. It is an honor for us,” she said. Tham Luang cave has become a go-to spot for foreigners seems notable.