The cave complex in Thailand where 12 schoolboys and their coach were trapped for more than two weeks will be turned into a museum to highlight the rescue operation.
Efforts to acquire the film rights to the dramatic incident have also begun, with US film industry personnel arriving onsite on the final day of the rescue mission that ended on Tuesday.
The plight of the boys attracted global attention and Thai officials seem keen to capitalise on this.
“This area will become a living museum, to show how the operation unfolded,” the head of the rescue mission, Narongsak Osottanakorn, told a news conference.
“An interactive database will be set up,” he said. “It will become another major attraction for Thailand.”
Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha insisted that safety precautions would need to be implemented before any members of the public could access the area, however, stating that the cave was “dangerous”.
Thailand’s deputy head of national parks, Chongklai Woraponsathron, said: “In this crisis situation, today, I don’t want to talk about work, but I think the Thai people, we are lucky that we are going to have a world class tourist attraction.”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand also said it planned to promote the Tham Luang cave as a tourist attraction after it made headline news around the world.
Hollywood producers were present on the final day of the rescue operation ahead of plans to turn the harrowing incident into a blockbuster, according to news.com.au.
Michael Scott, managing parter of Pure Flix films, said: “I see this as a major Hollywood film with A-list stars.”
Scott and co-producer Adam Smith reportedly planned to conduct interviews with the key people involved, including the victims and their families.
The boys went missing during an excursion in the remote northern province of Chiang Rai.
A complex and dangerous rescue operation, lasting eight days, ended on Tuesday after a team of divers saved the boys and their coach from the flooded Tham Luang cave system.
The recovery mission resulted in the death of retired Thai navy Seal diver, Saman Gunan.
