Famous for Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie, once welcomed 5,000 visitors / day but tourists are forbidden to do 1 thing
Maya Bay is a beautiful bay located on the island of Ko Phi Phi Le, part of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Thailand.
The 2000 movie “The Beach” by actor Leonardo DiCaprio is about a fictional island, hidden from the world that helped make Thailand’s Maya Bay famous. Millions of tourists flock to visit and explore this tourist destination every year.
After more than three years of closure due to excessive tourist activity, Thailand’s iconic attraction has reopened, welcoming tourists to explore.
Thailand’s Maya Bay reopens to tourists on January 1 (Photo: @PattayaHostel)
Thailand’s most beautiful bay is a “victim” of overtourism
After the filming of “The Beach” finished, tourists flocked to Maya Bay every day. In just one day, Maya Bay welcomes more than 5,000 tourists to visit, traveling by more than 200 boats.
Most visitors to Maya Bay are from Krabi, Phuket and Phi Phi Don. Speedboats and longtail boats are the only way to reach the bay.
A cruise to Maya Bay is an incredible and breathtaking experience. But the popular beach has faced serious consequences of “excessive” attention from tourists.
Too many people go boating to visit, causing the beach’s coral reefs to be destroyed and eroded. Overcrowding of people to visit, bad tourism activities cause the natural resources here to be destroyed, the original beauty of the bay is greatly affected.
Ranger Suthep Chaikao says that in 2018, things were even worse. “Back then, I woke up at 5 am and saw that there were boats on the bay. The sun had not yet risen, but people were already here. At that time, because there was no specific closing time, tourists could come. whenever”.
In June of the same year, the Thai Government closed Maya Bay for four months for ecological restoration and because of inclement weather. Later, officials announced that the island would be closed indefinitely because of irreparable environmental damage.
Crowds of tourists on Maya Bay beach in April 2018 (Image: Getty Images)
Maya Bay reopens in new style
Officially opening on January 1, experts have had more than three years to make the beach beautiful again, bringing life to the ecosystem by planting trees and corals. The authorities in charge have introduced new rules for maintaining the beach by ensuring environmental protection actions are in place.
Boats are no longer allowed to directly enter the bay whenever they want. Only eight boats are allowed into the area at a time, dropping passengers off at the pier at the back of the island. They will then take a short walk through the jungle to the crescent-shaped beach.
About a dozen rangers patrol the beach, blowing whistles on violators. Of course, swimming is prohibited.
Speaking to National Public Radio in March, ranger Suthep Chaikao said: “We have fined a French tourist 5,000 baht (more than 4 million VND). One of the rangers blew his whistle to warn him. But he still deliberately entered. So we have fined him.”
In addition, the number of tourists visiting is limited. Each visit cannot exceed 300 tourists. They can only be on the island for an hour, and opening times start at 10am and end at 4pm.
When visiting Maya Bay beach, tourists should prepare water and snacks. Besides, wearing a hat, applying sunscreen is essential to protect the skin from the sun.
Maya Bay (Image: Instagram)
According to The Travel
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