Thai beach closure

The National Parks & Wildlife Department of Thailand announced that the beach at Maya Bay, on southwestern Thailand’s Phi Phi Le island, will be closed for four months starting June 1 to allow the sea environment to recover. This closure is set to occur annually. An environmental survey found that parts of the coral reef around the beach had been damaged and the amount of sea life had diminished.

After the beach reopens, visitors will be limited to 2,000 per day, and boats will no longer be allowed to anchor in the bay.

Many beaches and marine areas in Thailand’s national parks are closed from around mid-May to mid-October to allow them to recover. However, until this scheduled closure, Maya Bay had remained open year-round due to its popularity. The area was featured in the movie “The Beach,” released in 2000.