Thailand Cult beach Maya Bay to be closed again for two months

The world-famous Maya Bay on the Thai dream archipelago of Ko Phi Phi will be closed to tourism again for two months from Thursday. No visitors will be allowed during the rainy season from August 1 to September 30 so that the bay and its fragile ecosystem can recover from the onslaught of visitors, Thai media reported, citing the authorities.

The white tropical beach with its striking rocks became world famous thanks to Danny Boyle's 2000 hippie blockbuster "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In addition to Maya Bay, two other bays would be closed, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Kor Bay, the newspaper "The Nation" quoted the head of the local national park, Yutthapong Damsrisuk, as saying.

Devastating coral bleaching

In June, he had already declared that devastating coral bleaching had been detected at some of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots on Koh Phi Phi. In some cases, 100 percent of all corals and sea anemones were affected. Closures for tourism could perhaps help to halt the process.

For years after the success of "The Beach", masses of tourists made the pilgrimage to Maya Bay on the otherwise uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh to marvel at the beautiful bay. Soon, paradise mutated into an overcrowded nightmare. Dozens of boats dropped their anchors into the once intact reef every day, the corals were destroyed, the blacktip sharks disappeared and garbage piled up. At the urging of marine biologists, the authorities finally pulled the ripcord: Maya Bay was unexpectedly closed in June 2018 - and ultimately remained closed for three and a half years due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was only reopened to holidaymakers in January 2022, under stricter rules. Nevertheless, the beach remains a highlight for tourists. From October 2023 to July 2024 alone, 1.6 million holidaymakers visited again.

High swell

The closure during the monsoon season is also about the safety of visitors: most guests come on traditional longboats from the neighboring island of Phi Phi Don. When it rains and the waves are high, it is difficult for the boats, some of which are very old, to dock in the bay of Loh Samah, from where visitors now walk to Maya Bay.

SDA