Australian rescuers revisit Thai cave

Two Australian doctors who helped rescue a children's soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand have returned to the spot for the first time since then.

Richard Harris and Craig Challen, honoured by the Thai government last week, were part of the international operation to save the lives of 12 members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach.

The team were trapped for more than two weeks inside the Tham Luan cave in northern Chiang Rai province last July.

The two divers met the Wild Boars privately on Monday, and also briefly entered the cave, which has become a tourist attraction although access to the interior is restricted.

Harris and Challen paid their respects at the statue of Thai Navy Seal diver Saman Kunan, who died during the rescue operation.

Harris and Challen met Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha on Friday and received the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn, a royal honour awarded for services to the Kingdom of Thailand.

In January they were jointly named Australians of the Year.

Harris, an anaesthetist, was tasked with sedating the children to prevent panic attacks while a team of divers carried them outside through the long and narrow passages of the flooded cave.

Challen carried out medical checks on the young soccer players, aged between 11 and 16, inside the cave.

The Wild Boars had entered it after a soccer training session and became trapped inside after a sudden rainstorm flooded the passage.

An expedition found the group nine days later, 4km into the entrance and weak from lack of food.

Sedated, accompanied by two divers during the evacuation process and carried on a stretcher through the tunnel, they were taken out in phases over three days.