Thailand’s iconic beach Maya Bay will be closed to tourists for four months, officials have confirmed.
The bay, which is the setting for the Danny Boyle film ‘The Beach’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is taking a break from the daily hordes of day trippers who have been flocking there since 2000 when the film was released.
Thai officials have long discussed closing it down to allow its battered coral reefs to recover, and Thailand’s National Parks and Wildlife Department has confirmed it will close in June.
"It’s like someone who has been working for decades and has never stopped. Overworked and tired, all the beauty of the beach is gone. We need a timeout for the beach," said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, member of Thailand’s national strategy committee on environment development.
While some other beaches and islands have closed in the off-season, Maya Bay in the Phi Phi Islands has remained open because of its high profile and popularity.
The beach handles about 200 tour boats carrying 4,000 visitors every day, but is quickly running out of time before it suffers irreparable damage.
Thanya Netithammakum, head of the National Parks and Wildlife Department said:"If you ask me if it is too late to save our islands, the answer is no. But if we don’t do something today, it will be too late."
When Maya Bay reopens, a cap of 2,000 visitors a day will be imposed and no boats will be allowed to drop anchor ion the reefs.
All vessels will have to moor at floating piers away from the main beach.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Boracay, another tropical hotspot suffering from chronic overtourism. could shut down at the end of April for up to six months to allow authorities to conduct a massive clean-up and install proper waste treatment and garbage disposal systems.
