Source::CNA
Maya Beach, coming to fame in the movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio has reopened to visitors and travelers after being closed to allow the surrounding ecosystem and environment to recover for more than three years.
Maya beach, a white sand beach surrounded by 100m high cliffs, is located on the island of Phi Phi Leh in the Andaman sea and can only be reached through boats from nearby places such as the islands of Phuket or Phi Phi, or the mainland spot of Krabi.
With tourism being a significant portion of the Thai economy, such spaces like Maya Bay have been lucrative spots for the government to make money with foreign tourists and travellers arriving in droves. But with mass tourism has come at the expense of the environment in the area and the beautiful beaches being polluted and covered in garbage.
Therefore, the government shut down Maya Bay to the public in 2018 for the surrounding local flora and fauna to recover. Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said, "The sharks have come back, coral reefs are regrowing, and the water is clear again."
While the beach has been reopened again, to ensure the safety and the sustainability of the environment, only up to 375 people are allowed to visit the beach at a time and swimming will be prohibited for now. Also, boats coming towards the beach will only be allowed to dock at a designated location at the back of the bay to avoid harming the corals.
Photo Courtesy: [Eduardo Gibba/flickr]
