The conditions of the boys varied. All were malnourished; some had lost significant weight. All were dehydrated. Some showed signs of infection. None had sustained injuries during the extraction itself, which was an operational success on its own terms. The Thai medical establishment, backed by international medical expertise, managed the recovery process over the following week.
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## Ekkapol Chantawong After the Cave
Coach Ekkapol — the last person to leave the cave on July 10 — arrived at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital in the state of a man who had given more than he had kept for himself.
By the accounts of the medical teams who assessed him, Ekkapol had maintained the boys’ welfare at the expense of his own throughout the 18-day ordeal. He had eaten minimally to ensure that whatever food was available went to the boys. He had led them in meditation to conserve energy and manage the psychological demands of their situation. He had maintained calm when calm was the difference between survival and panic. His physical condition at rescue was significantly worse than that of most of the boys.
His specific personal circumstances added weight to the moral complexity of his situation. As a stateless person — his family lacked Thai citizenship documentation — he had no formal legal standing in Thailand, a vulnerability that he had lived with for most of his life. The rescue and its global attention transformed his position: the Thai government granted him citizenship after the rescue, acknowledging that the man who had protected twelve boys underground for eighteen days deserved the legal status of the country he had served.