Eleven enter temple for nine days to show thanks for rescue and honour navy Seal who died during operation

Eleven members of the football team who were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand have taken their first steps to being ordained as Buddhist novices, a gesture to honour those who took part in their rescue.

The boys, whose ages range from 11 to 16, will live in a Buddhist temple for nine days, the same length of time they were trapped in Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai before they were discovered by a team of divers.

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Their coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, who had already lived as a Buddhist novice for a decade, will be ordained as a monk. One of the boys, 14-year-old Adul Sam-on, will not be ordained as he is a Christian.

The boys’ families had made the pledge to ordain the Wild Boars footballers to show thanks for the efforts that went towards saving them and also to pay respect to the Thai navy Seal, Saman Kunan, who died in the rescue operation.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The boys at the Phra That Doi Wao Buddhist temple in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai. Photograph: Panumas Sanguanwong/AFP/Getty Images

Dozens of local residents joined in the temple ceremonies to show support for the group, whose rescue captivated people around the world. By afternoon, about 200 people had gathered at the temple as monks shaved the heads of the boys and their coach in preparation for their ordination on Wednesday.

Buddhist males in Thailand are traditionally expected to enter the monkhood, often as novices, at some point in their lives to show gratitude, often toward their parents for raising them. It is believed that once a person is ordained they gain merit that is also extended to their parents. The boys will donate their merit to the memory of Saman.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The rescued boys together with their coach pose with Buddhist monks. Photograph: Panumas Sanguanwong/AFP/Getty Images

“Ordinations are supposed to give us peace of mind,” said Sangiemjit Wongsukchan, the mother of Ekarat Wongsukchan, 14, one of the rescued boys. “We can only do this for nine days because then he will have to go back to study and prepare for exams. Back to his normal life.”

Wednesday’s ceremony will take place at another temple on a Chiang Rai mountaintop before the group returns to reside for more than a week at Wat Pha That Doi Wao, near Thailand’s northern border with Myanmar. That temple is close to the group’s homes, making it easier for friends and relatives to visit.

Play Video 1:29 'A miracle moment': Thai football team describe being found – video

The rescue effort to save the boys and their coach finally ended on 10 July, after divers, caving experts, navy Seals and volunteers from around the world came together to save the boys. The boys recently described how they had drunk water from the cave walls to survive and had tried to dig themselves out after getting trapped in the cave when it became flooded with the monsoon rains.

Since they were discharged from hospital on Tuesday, the boys have been spending time at home. The Thai government has imposed a ban on media speaking to them for 30 days.

Associated Press contributed to this report