Thai soccer players crave food, wait to go home this week

The 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued after being trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand are recovering well and are eager to eat their favourite comfort foods after their expected discharge from a hospital next week.

All of them are expected to be discharged from ChiangRaiPrachanukrohon Thursday, Thai Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said on Saturday.

In video messages of the boys shown at a news conference on Saturday, they are seen wearing surgical masks, a safeguard against infection that's been taken since the last of them were pulled from the Tham Luang cave on Tuesday. Doctors said that Friday, when the videos were recorded, would be the last day they would have to wear them.

The boys, who range in age from 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach were all rescued from the cave last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, ending an 18-day ordeal.

"All of the 13 people, their physical bodies are strong, and fit. Regarding infections, through the medical evaluations in the first days there may be some of them that had minor pneumonia, but now all is cleared, no fever," Piyasakol said. Several were also reported earlier to be recovering from minor lung and middle ear infections.

Most of the boys, who were shown in their hospital beds, looked relaxed, and began their brief statements with a "wai," the traditional Thai greeting of hands raised to chest level with palms together.

A few also gave the two-finger victory sign and raised their right fists. One of the 14-year-olds, Ekarat Wongsukchan, whose nickname is Biw, playfully raised his two arms in a boxer's victory stance as laughter was heard in the background.

"Hello, my name is Biw, I am fine. I want to say thanks to everyone that worried," he said. All 13 offered thanks for the support they've been given.

Can't wait to eat KFC

Asked by an off-camera interviewer what they were looking forward to eating, their wish list included slow-cooked pork leg with steamed rice, fried crispy pork, roasted red pork, sushi, steak and KFC.

Adul Samon, a stateless 14-year-old sent to Thailand for schooling by his ethnic minority parents across the border in Myanmar, spoke in Thai and then in English: "Hello, I am Adul. Now I am very fine. I am very thank you so heavy, thank you so much."

Adul is perhaps the best known of the boys because he was the one speaking English in the video taken inside the cave when the team members were first found by two British cave divers on July 2, nearly 10 days after being trapped by flooding.

In the video from the hospital, he also holds up a paper, apparently a drawing of his teammates, whom he points out one by one.

Public Health Minister Piyasakol gave a prognosis for the boys, and said, "Psychologists have been talking to the kids, with the kids, their mental well-being is good today."

"Even though they are about to leave in the days ahead ... they aren't as strong as a normal person, they still need to rest and improve their health, and body," he said.

A hospital statement said as the boys continue to recover, they remain susceptible to infectious disease. To avoid mental stress, they should spend at least the next month only with family and friends, avoiding media encounters that might trigger post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, the statement said.