The 12 village boys who were trapped with their football coach in a Thai cave for almost three weeks are heading out to meet fellow youth players in Argentina and do a brief tour of the United States.
The members of Wild Boars football team, whose ordeal came to a happy ending in early July when an international team of cave divers brought them out in a complicated rescue mission, were leaving late on Wednesday night on their 17-day journey.
It had been planned for them to take six months out of the spotlight to ease any psychological trauma.
But Thailand's military government, eager to share in their glory, has trotted them out for public appearances and interviews. Movie deals are being negotiated.
