Famous Thai beach closed due to ecological disaster

Thai authorities have announced that Maya Bay, made famous by the 2000 film The Beach, will be closed indefinitely, until it recovers from the ecological damage suffered by an excessive number of tourists.

In March, it was announced that access to Maya Bay would be cut off for tourists from June 1 through September 30.

This Monday, it was announced that the bay, which is a part of a national park, will be closed “from October 1 onward until natural resources return to normal".

Thailand's Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation has assessed that Maya Bay has not sufficiently recovered in the past four months without tourists.

The beach at the Maya Bay was visited by 200 boats and 4,000 people each day on average.

Recent research carried out marine biologists has shown that a large part of coral reefs in the area have disappeared, as has almost the entire sea life.

Maya Bay

Thai beach

beach in Thailand

Thai beach closed