Thai authorities lock down The Beach for two months
When Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at Maya Bay in Thailand during the filming of "The Beach", the beach is an untouched natural gem. The success of the film turns out to be the beach's downfall, with tourists flocking in daily. Thai authorities have now pulled the plug again.
The world-famous Maya Bay on the Thai dream archipelago of Ko Phi Phi will be closed to tourism again from Thursday for two months. From August 1 to September 30, visitors will not be allowed during the rainy season to give the bay and its fragile ecosystem a chance to recover from the tourist influx, Thai media report, citing authorities.
The white tropical beach with its distinctive rocks gained worldwide fame through Danny Boyle's hippie blockbuster "The Beach" in 2000, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In addition to Maya Bay, two other bays will also be closed, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Kor Bay, according to the chief of the local national park, Yutthapong Damsrisuk.
In June, he had already announced that severe coral bleaching had been found at some of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots on Ko Phi Phi. In some cases, 100 percent of all corals and sea anemones were affected. Closing the bays to tourism could perhaps help stop the process.
Three and a half years of closure - then the tourists returned
After the success of "The Beach", masses of tourists flocked to Maya Bay on the otherwise uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh for years to admire the bay. Soon, the paradise turned into an overcrowded nightmare. Dozens of boats anchored in the once intact reef every day, the corals were broken, the blacktip reef sharks disappeared, and the garbage piled up.
At the urging of marine biologists, the authorities finally pulled the plug: In June 2018, Maya Bay was unexpectedly closed - and remained so for three and a half years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was only reopened for tourists in January 2022, under stricter rules. Nevertheless, the beach remains a highlight for tourists. Between October 2023 and July 2024, another 1.6 million tourists visited.
The closure during the monsoon season is also about the safety of visitors: Most guests arrive by traditional longboats from the neighboring island of Phi Phi Don. In rain and high waves, it is difficult for the sometimes very old boats to dock at Loh Samah Bay, from where visitors now walk to Maya Bay.
The closure of Maya Bay for two months this rainy season aims to aid the recovery of its coral reefs, heavily impacted by tourist activity. As highlighted by marine biologists, the daily influx of tourists and their activities, such as anchoring boats, broke corals and led to the disappearance of blacktip reef sharks.
