Thailand allows visitors back to beach made famous by 'The Beach'

Thailand has reopened Maya Bay, a white sand beach made famous by the 2000 film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, more than three years after closing it to allow its ecosystem to recover from the impact of thousands of visitors each day.

Located on the island of Phi Phi Leh in the Andaman Sea, the white sand beach was made famous by the 2000 film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

It is only accessible by boat from nearby spots like the islands of Phuket or Phi Phi, or mainland Krabi.

Authorities shut the whole of Maya Bay to the public in 2018, saying coral reefs and beach areas had been damaged by constant tourist activities.

Since the start of this year, some visitors have been allowed to return.

Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the area regenerated during its closure.

“The sharks have come back, coral reefs are regrowing, and the water is clear again,” he said.

“These things show that nature will heal if we give it time, and we have to work to keep it that way too.”

To ensure it remains protected, authorities said only up to 375 visitors would be allowed to visit at one time and swimming would be prohibited for now.

Boats would only be allowed to dock at a designated location at the back of the bay to avoid damaging coral reefs, they said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12 per cent of Thailand’s economy and was a key driver of growth, with the country attracting 40 million visitors in 2019.

But mass tourism has often come at a cost to the environment in Thailand and other parts of South-East Asia, with once-beautiful tropical beaches becoming polluted and strewn with garbage.

“Maya Bay is beautiful, it’s a marvellous place,” said Manuele Panin, a 40-year-old tourist from Italy, who was visiting the beach.

“I think it is fine that it has been closed all this time to protect nature and allow it to restore and recover.”