The search and rescue effort was described by the mission chief and Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn as a "United Nations team".
It involved personnel and volunteers from the UK, China, Myanmar, Laos, Australia, the US, Japan and many other countries.
Locals near the cave complex cooked food for those on site, cleaned divers' clothing and ferried others around for free.
Specialist divers from around the world risked their lives to enter the cave system in search of the boys.
The atmosphere now at the cave site is one of joy, but many will be thinking of Saman Gunan, the Thai ex-Navy diver who died while on a re-supply mission in the cave.
He will be honoured with a state funeral.