The Thailand cave rescue mission has garnered worldwide attention and many stories have since emerged from this dramatic and daring operation. One of the stories revolves around the heroic 14-year-old Wild Boars member, Adul Sam-on as he played a crucial role in communicating with some British rescue divers, thanks to his proficiency in English.
Source: China Press
On the day they were discovered by the British divers, Adul was reportedly the only one on the team who could speak English, and he did a brilliant job in updating the divers with what they needed, including info on how long they’ve been stuck inside the cave.
The valuable information he provided helped the authorities tremendously in planning the rescue mission. What’s more impressive is that Adul actually speaks five languages – English, Thai, Burmese, Mandarin, and Wa, which is a language spoken near the border of China and Myanmar.
Source: China Press
It was reported that Adul was born in the self-governing Wa region of Myanmar, which is not recognised by any country in the world, including Myanmar itself. That’s why most of the kids there are stateless with little to no education and employment opportunity.
In fact, the region is rather well-known for drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare.
Source: DVB
So, when he was eight years old, his parents sent him to a Thai Baptist church and requested the pastor and his wife to take care of him. Driven by his desire to succeed, and the fact that he’s a stateless child, Adul is an overachiever and an extremely well-mannered boy.
“The first thing that comes to mind when I talk about him is his nice manner. He gives a ‘wai’ gesture to every teacher he walks past, every time,” his instructor at Ban Pa Moead School told reporters.
Adul’s proficiency in English has definitely helped tremendously in this operation, and apparently the schools where the Wild Boars members are studying at have decided to use this moral of the story to encourage other students to beef up their English.
Banners saying, “You never know when you will need your English” were spotted in at least six schools.
Source: Sinchew
Adul’s ability to speak fluent English in a country where less than a third of the population understand the language is certainly commendable. We wish him all the best for his future and he’s definitely going somewhere!
Also read: Hollywood Producers Already in Thailand to Turn Cave Rescue Mission Into a Movie
