Good news for Thailand fans: The world-famous Maya Bay on the paradisiacal island group of Ko Phi Phi is open again – at least for the next ten months. From August 1st to September 30th, the dream bay in the south of the country is closed to visitors every year so that its fragile ecosystem can recover from the onslaught of tourists. The national park authority asked guests to strictly observe all applicable rules.
The white tropical beach, which is framed by striking rocks, was made famous by Danny Boyle’s hippie blockbuster “The Beach” from 2000. In the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the beach is still completely untouched.
Authorities pulled the ripcord
But then masses of tourists flocked to the bay on the otherwise uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh. Soon the paradise became an overcrowded nightmare: dozens of boats dropped their anchors into the once intact reef every day, the corals broke, the blacktip sharks disappeared, and the trash piled up.
In 2018, at the urging of marine biologists, the authorities pulled the ripcord. The beach was closed – and ultimately remained so until the beginning of 2022 due to the corona pandemic. Since then, stricter rules have applied, for example boats are no longer allowed to enter the bay. But the beach remains a tourist hotspot: 1.6 million vacationers came again from October 2023 to July 2024 alone.
In addition to Maya Bay, two other bays are now regularly closed during the monsoon season: Loh Samah Bay and Lo Kor Bay. This year, the closure was particularly important because experts had already identified devastating coral bleaching in May at some of the region’s most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots.
The closure in the rainy season is also about the safety of the guests: most of them come with traditional longboats from the neighboring island of Phi Phi Don. During storms and high waves, it is difficult for the often old boats to dock in the bay of Loh Samah, from where holidaymakers now walk to Maya Bay.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:241001-930-248352/1
Good news for Thailand fans: The world-famous Maya Bay on the paradisiacal island group of Ko Phi Phi is open again – at least for the next ten months. From August 1st to September 30th, the dream bay in the south of the country is closed to visitors every year so that its fragile ecosystem can recover from the onslaught of tourists. The national park authority asked guests to strictly observe all applicable rules.
The white tropical beach, which is framed by striking rocks, was made famous by Danny Boyle’s hippie blockbuster “The Beach” from 2000. In the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the beach is still completely untouched.
