Against Hostile Nature: The Roles of Magic and Science in Thailand’s Cave Rescue

Abstract

The rescue mission at Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand, presents a scenario in which magical rituals and technical knowledge were marshaled against hostile natural conditions. While practical endeavors were made to mitigate the risks and impediments posed by malign weather and topographical features of the cave, myths and rituals were enacted to control unruly factors not subject to human manipulation. In this paper, I argue that: 1) Magical rituals at Tham Luang cave did not originate from the participants’ confidence in the reality of supernatural beings but from their attempt to use alternative approaches to remedy a precarious situation when practical efforts and technical knowledge did not yield a desired outcome. 2) In this case, the participants regarded the reality of supernatural beings and their role in the rescue as a possibility rather than a self-evident truth.