Saman Kunan
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Saman Kunan (; December 23, 1980 – July 6, 2018) was a Thai Navy SEAL. After leaving the Navy, he worked as a security guard at
Suvarnabhumi Airport Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Located mostly in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, it covers an area of , making it one of the biggest intern ...
. He died during the
Tham Luang cave rescue In June/July 2018, a junior association football team became trapped for fifteen days in Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, but were ultimately rescued. Twelve members of the team, aged 11 to 16, and ...
operation, earning him the title of 'Tham Luang Hero'. Saman was posthumously awarded the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, one of the country's highest honors, by King
Maha Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand. He is the tenth Thai monarch of the Chakri dynasty since ascending the throne in 2016 with the regnal name Rama X. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirik ...
. In honor of his sacrifice, several monuments and sculptures have been erected to commemorate his sacrificial contributions. These tributes serve as lasting symbols of respect and admiration for his courage and impact on the region. He is featured in a large mural titled "The Heroes", which has been installed in the new memorial hall at the entrance of the Tham Luang cave.


Personal life

Saman Kunan was born on 23 December 1980 in Chaturaphak Phiman. He is the son of Vichai and Samran Kunan. He attended the Naval Academy School and joined the
Underwater Demolition Assault Unit The Naval Special Warfare Command (), commonly known as the Royal Thai Navy SEALs (an acronym for SEa–Air–Land), is an elite special operations force of the Royal Thai Navy. The unit was set up in the name of Underwater Demolition Assault Un ...
, also known as the Thai Navy SEALs. Saman resigned from the unit in 2006 to work for
Airports of Thailand PCL Airports of Thailand plc (AOT) () is a public company that manages ten international airports in Thailand. AOT was established on September 20, 2002, as a result of the privatisation of the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT). At t ...
as a security guard at the
Suvarnabhumi Airport Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Located mostly in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, it covers an area of , making it one of the biggest intern ...
in Bangkok. He was married to Valeepoan Kunan. An athletic person, Saman was also an experienced
triathlete A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...
, and a member of Nich-100Plus, a well-known Thai cycling team. He also practiced kayaking and hiking.


Cave rescue and death

In June and July 2018, Saman was a volunteer diver in the Tham Luang cave rescue, an international rescue operation to extract 12 boys and their football coach trapped in
Tham Luang Nang Non Tham Luang Nang Non (, , ), also known as Tham Luang or Tham Yai, is a karstic cave system in the Tham Luang–Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, near the village of Ban Chong in Pong Pha subdistrict, in northern Thailand. It lies beneath Doi Na ...
, a large cave system beneath the
Doi Nang Non Doi Nang Non (, ; 'Mountain of the Sleeping Lady') is a mountain range in the Thai highlands in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is a karstic formation with numerous waterfalls and caves rising at the southern end of the Daen Lao Range. Part ...
mountain. On the evening of 5 July, Saman and a diving partner entered the cave to place air tanks along a planned exit route. On his way back, Saman ran out of air himself. His diving partner pulled him out of the water and performed
CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during cardiac or respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function and maintain circulation until sp ...
on Saman, but he did not regain consciousness. Saman was pronounced dead on 6 July, around 01:00. Later that day, his body was moved out of the cave, brought to the Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai Airport and flown to the U-Tapao Airport, near Bangkok, to receive the
royal funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of ...
.


Funeral

On 7 July at 11:30, a funeral ceremony was held at the
Roi Et Airport Roi Et Airport is a domestic airport in Nong Phok subdistrict, Thawat Buri district, Roi Et province in Northeastern Thailand, and is approximately 11 kilometres from downtown Roi Et. The airport consists of a passenger terminal measuring 3,0 ...
. A
petty officer first class Petty officer first class (PO1) is a rank found in some navies and maritime organizations. Canada Petty officer, 1st class, PO1, is a Naval non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of petty officer 2nd-cla ...
upon leaving the Navy, King
Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand. He is the tenth Thai monarch of the Chakri dynasty since ascending the throne in 2016 with the regnal name Rama X. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirik ...
posthumously promoted Saman to lieutenant commander, an unprecedented rise of seven ranks. He was also awarded the Knight Grand Cross (first class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant. On 14 July, Saman received a royal-sponsored cremation at the Wat Ban Nong Khu in the Roi Et province. The ceremony was attended by thousands of people. In India, a sand sculpture of Lieutenant Commander Saman was created as a tribute to honor his bravery and contributions.
Iker Casillas Iker Casillas Fernández (; born 20 May 1981) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and currently works as a football commentator. Popularly dubbed "''San Iker''" ("Saint Iker") for his ability to produce miracu ...
, a former goalkeeper for the Spanish national team, who posted a photo of Saman on his Instagram and expressed his admiration. On 12 July 2018, a charity was organized in Phayao province to raise funds for the family of Navy Lieutenant Saman. Approximately 500-700 people participated in the event, which raised over 200,000 baht in donations. On 26 July 2018, a special football match was held at the
Rajamangala Stadium The Rajamangala National Stadium (; , ) is the national stadium of Thailand national football team. It is part of the Hua Mak Sports Complex, and is located in Hua Mak Subdistrict, Bang Kapi, Bangkok. Its official opening on 6 December 1998 co ...
to raise funds for his family. Six teams participated in the event, including Caravane, the
Sports Authority of Thailand The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT; ) is Thailand's national sports governing body. It operates as a state enterprise under the oversight of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and was established in 1985, replacing the Sports Promotion Organi ...
, the
Royal Thai Naval Academy The Royal Thai Naval Academy (Thai: โรงเรียนนายเรือ) (RTNA) was established by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1898. He officially opened the academy on 20 November 1906. Originally located on the royal yacht ''Maha ...
, the
Naval Special Warfare Command The United States Naval Special Warfare Command (USNSWC), also known as NAVSPECWARCOM and WARCOM, is the naval component of United States Special Operations Command, the unified command that oversees and conducts the nation's special operatio ...
, , and the
National Institute of Development Administration The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) ) is the only public higher education institution in Thailand that teaches only at the graduate level (postgraduate) with a strong emphasis on Management, Economics and sustainable deve ...
.


Legacy

A memorial site has been established in the vicinity of Tham Luang, which has become a major tourist attraction. The site has brought together over 300 fellow artists from Chiang Rai to create paintings and photographs for a multipurpose pavilion. After he became a national hero, a bronze statue of him, designed by renowned national artist
Chalermchai Kositpipat Chalermchai Kositpipat (, , ; born 15 February 1955) is a Thai visual artist. Primarily a painter known for his use of Buddhist imagery, Chalermchai's works have been exhibited worldwide. Biography Chalermchai Kositpipat was born into a Sino-La ...
, was erected outside the Tham Luang cave. He is one of the key figures depicted in the film ''The Cave''. Following a screening of the movie, his family was presented with THB 100,000. In July 2019, the
Airports of Thailand Airports of Thailand plc (AOT) () is a public company that manages ten international airports in Thailand. AOT was established on September 20, 2002, as a result of the privatisation of the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT). At t ...
(AOT) established a large building named the Lt. Cdr. Saman Kunan Building in his honor. A 1.9-meter-wide by 2-meter-long bas-relief sculpture standing 2 centimeters high was installed in the building as a tribute. In 2022, the Hollywood biographical survival film ''
Thirteen Lives ''Thirteen Lives'' is a 2022 biographical film, biographical survival film, based on the Tham Luang cave rescue, directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by William Nicholson (writer), William Nicholson. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, C ...
'' was released, in which he was portrayed by actor
Sukollawat Kanarot Sukollawat Kanaros (; born 18 April 1985), nicknamed Weir, is a Thai actor, model and singer. He is seen on Thai television Channel 7. Early life and education Weir was born on 18 April 1985, in Khon Kaen, Thailand. He is the second son of Vee ...
.


Awards

* 2018 - Knight Grand Cross (first class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunan, Saman 1980 births 2018 deaths
Saman Kunan Saman Kunan (; December 23, 1980 – July 6, 2018) was a Underwater Demolition Assault Unit, Thai Navy SEAL. After leaving the Navy, he worked as a security guard at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He died during the Tham Luang cave rescue operation, earni ...
Security guards Underwater diving deaths