Search and rescue teams are racing against time to locate and retrieve a group of 13 people believed to have been trapped inside Tham Luang cave complex before more rain arrives in two days.
The weather is expected to be in their favour early this week with the Meteorological Department saying less rain is expected over the next two days while wet conditions will return on Wednesday.
Those engaged in the rescue operations hope to make best use of the dry conditions to pump the water out of the flooded passages which have impeded the search so far, even though water pumps have been working at full capacity and aquifer wells have been drilled to lower the water level inside the cave.
No contact has been made so far with the 12 young footballers and their coach who have been missing since June 23, but rescue activities have nevertheless made headway.
Divers have established a forward command in an area known as Chamber 3, shortening the distance between the rescuers and the missing group which is believed to have taken shelter in a section known as "Pattaya Beach".
The distance between Chamber 3 and Pattaya Beach is believed to be 3 kilometres. It has been reported that the divers have ventured 600 metres towards the target area.
The divers, both Thais and foreigners, are advancing, but at a slow rate as the whole cave network remains heavily flooded and the water is still muddy which has reduced visibility.
A stream of assistance and moral support continues to pour in for the rescue teams and the lost boys.
His Majesty the King has provided chargeable LED light bulbs which are being used to light the inside of the cave.
His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch has urged Buddhists to study the Metta Sutta to help them prepare their minds for making powerful wishes for the safety of the missing people.
Last Friday, His Holiness led a Metta Sutta-based prayer for the football team at Royal Plaza in Bangkok upon royal command.
Princess Ubolratana has drawn a picture of the Moo Pa, or wild boar, which the football club is named after, with a picture of the footballers on its back to extend her support with the hashtag "Bring Moo Pa home".
Additional compressed air tanks, scuba gear, water pumps, lights, ropes and survival kits have been transported into Tham Luang.
Naval Special Warfare Command chief Apakorn Yukongkaew yesterday promised: "We won't turn back ... We will continue to move forward until we find the boys."
The commander said safety is a priority and the divers use ropes to guide them and compressed air tanks have been placed at every 25-metre mark along the way, adding that the divers will also carry spare tanks and food supplies for the missing.
Outside the cave, all units are on standby with preparations being made should any of the boys need emergency treatment or transportation.
Vehicles have been barred from entering the site to facilitate this.
Evacuation and medical drills carried out on Saturday underlined the need to regulate traffic around Tham Luang cave as emergency routes were blocked by uncooperative motorists.
Police, troops and rescue teams continue to search for new shafts that will help them gain further access to the cave network.
Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said the rescue work is progressing well.
The search for shafts on the mountainside looks promising and experts are examining the findings to see if any of them can serve as a backdoor to reach the missing group, he said.
The governor has also stressed that extra funding is neither requested nor needed and called on the public to alert police of any scams.
Meanwhile, the government has launched the @realnewsthailand account on the Line chat application to counter fake or distorted news.
Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the account is not limited to the missing group.
