The new Netflix series Thai Cave Rescue re-creates the harrowing 2018 ordeal in Thailand in which 12 young soccer players and their coach were rescued after being trapped in a cave for 18 days.
The cast of the six-part series, which debuted on Sept. 22, includes established Thai actors and newcomers. Learn more about the cast and their real-life counterparts below:
Age: 24
“Eak is the 24-year-old assistant coach of the “Moo Pa” (Wild Boars) youth soccer team in Thailand’s Chiang Rai Province. On June 23, 2018, Eak led the12 Wild Boars to explore Tham Luang, a cave nestled in the Doi Nang Non mountain range.
Realizing that they have become trapped by rising waters, Eak is overcome by guilt and starts blaming himself for endangering their lives. He sets those feelings aside to focus on his young wards, teaching them meditation (a practice he learned during his monkhood, after losing his parents at a young age). During the 18-day ordeal, Eak is always the first to dig holes and the last to eat. Whether in normal life or in times of crisis, he serves as the Boars’ leader.
Eak is played by Papangkorn “Beam” Lerkchaleampote. Prior to Thai Cave Rescue, he starred in Water Boyy and Stranded, among other projects. Sadly, he died in his sleep on March 23, 2022, in his hometown of Bangkok, Thailand, at age 25.
Age: 12
Mark lives with his single mom. Due to his small size and frail physical condition, he’s the last boy to be rescued.
Age: 16
“Tee is the Wild Boars team captain. As the eldest son, he feels compelled to take responsibility for his mom and sister while his father works in construction in Myanmar. Due to immense pressure and guilt over his dad having to quit his job to wait for him outside the cave, he panics during the diving training boot camp. He is one of the boys to be rescued in the last mission.
Age: 14
Adul is the only English-language speaker in the group. He’s the first boy who greets the British divers who discover him and his friends. Good-spirited and thoughtful, he provides comfort to his friends throughout the crisis.
Age: 11
“Titan is the youngest boy on the team. Fed up with his parents’ constant arguing, he’s moody, irritable, and temporarily staying – with his mom’s permission – with Coach Eak. He is one of the boys rescued in the last mission.
Age: 14
Biw is one of the members of the Wild Boars.
Age: 13
Phong is a lonely boy who lives with his grandma, the only person who he believes loves him. He harbors guilt for yelling at her for forcing him to stay with his uncle in Chiang Mai Province.
Age: 13
Mix is one of the members of the Wild Boars.
Age: 13
After his mom moves to Bangkok and he’s sent to live with his aunt and her family, Dom feels abandoned and rejected. He becomes upset when he’s the only boy who doesn’t receive a family letter while being trapped in the cave.
Age: 17
Night celebrates his 17th birthday during the ordeal in the cave.
Age: 15
Nick is rescued in the first mission, along with Note and Tle.
Age: 15
Note is rescued in the first mission, along with Nick and Tle.
Age: 14
Tle is rescued in the first mission, along with Nick and Note.
The Chiang Rai governor is about to be transferred to a new post in the nearby province of Phayao but is kept on as chief of the rescue mission. Despite facing an array of obstacles and challenges, he is competent, meticulous and open-minded in considering all suggestions as he helps formulate a strategy to rescue the boys.
Sam is a retired Thai navy SEAL, an avid triathlete and a loving husband to his wife, Meaw. After learning of the ordeal, he volunteers to help deliver oxygen cylinders for the divers in the rescue operation.
On his last dive, however, he loses consciousness and dies underwater. His death marks the first fatality in the rescue and emphasizes the extreme dangers of the operation. His sacrifice changes the course of the rescue plan. He is posthumously honored as a national hero for his commitment, courage and bravery.
Kitsuwan is a veteran actor whose credits include Rambo (2008).
Suwannarat is a Thai-American hydraulic engineer doing her Ph.D. field work with the minister of agriculture and natural resources of Thailand. Using her hydraulic knowledge and expertise, she is determined to find ways to stop the water levels from rising inside the cave. Despite several failures, she never gives up and fights for those who are trapped.
Thai-Norwegian actor/model Sperbund also appeared in Fast & Feel Love and Bad Romeo.
You can follow her on Instagram here.
Pim is the park ranger on duty at Khun Nam Nang Non National Forest when the crisis happens. After she finds abandoned bicycles at the entrance of Tham Luang, she becomes worried and immediately jumps into action. Resolute and strong-willed, Pim insists on helping the search and rescue team by using her local knowledge and expertise.
Phanlerdwongsakul is an actor-director whose credits include The Gifted: Graduation and The Edge of Daybreak.
You can follow her on Instagram here.
