Thailand opens iconic beach for visitors

The beach was made famous by the 2000 film, The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It had been closed for visitors for more than three years to allow its ecosystem to recover from the impact of thousands of visitors every day

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Thailand has reopened Maya Bay, a white sand beach on the island of Phi Phi Leh in the Andaman Sea. It is accessible only by boats from Phuket or Phi Phi, or mainland Krabi. The beach was made famous by the 2000 film, The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It had been closed for visitors for more than three years to allow its ecosystem to recover from the impact of thousands of visitors every day.

Authorities had said in 2018 that the whole of Maya Bay was being shut because the coral reefs and beach areas had been damaged by constant tourist activities. But since January 1 this year, a few visitors have been allowed to return. “The sharks have come back, coral reefs are regrowing, and the water is clear again,” Yuthasak Supasorn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, was quoted by Reuters. “These things show that nature will heal if we give it time, and we have to work to keep it that way too,” the Governor said.

The Coronavirus pandemic affected Thailand’s tourism sector since tourism accounted for about 12 per cent of the country’s economy. Around 40 million visited Thailand in 2019. However, mass tourism has come at a cost to the environment in Thailand and other parts of the nation, with once-beautiful tropical beaches becoming polluted and strewn with garbage

Only up to 375 visitors were being allowed to visit at one time while swimming would be prohibited for now. Boats will only be allowed to dock at a designated location at the back of the bay to avoid damaging coral reefs.

The Coronavirus pandemic affected Thailand’s tourism sector since tourism accounted for about 12 per cent of the country’s economy. Around 40 million visited Thailand in 2019. However, mass tourism has come at a cost to the environment in Thailand and other parts of the nation, with once-beautiful tropical beaches becoming polluted and strewn with garbage.

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