The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Thailand has ordered the closure of the tourist site Maya Bay located within Koh Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province. The four-month closure is necessary after it became apparent the bay’s fragile marine ecological system had been severely damaged by huge numbers of visitors. Maya Bay will be closed in a bid to give the crowded islands “a rest” from visiting tourists in order to rehabilitate island’s coral reefs.
Maya Bay gets up to 5,000 visitors a day, with most tourists travelling by boat from Krabi and Phuket. It is one of the most visited beaches in Thailand and the impact from boats and tourists are noticeable. Destination Asia Thailand agreed that something had to be done about the situation at Koh Phi Phi to protect the beautiful Maya bay, so future guests can also enjoy this natural wonder for many years to come.
The closing of islands & beaches has been done before at several sites in Thailand 4 to 6 months per year which helps nature recover. Other islands and National Parks closed for a period of time in 2018 are;
Koh Similan & Surin islands: 16 May – 14 October 2018
Koh Tachai: closed until further notice
Angthong National Marine Park: 01 November – 15 December 2018
This closure will affect our day trips to the Phi Phi islands which included a stop at the famous Maya Bay. Please note from the 1st June until further notice our Phi Phi islands experiences will still operate but alternative sightseeing stops will replace the stop at Maya Bay.
We are now working on the alternatives stops with our local suppliers and as soon as the itineraries are final, we will inform our agents and guests accordingly.
Destination Asia Thailand would like to apologize for this inconvenience but we are sure you can understand the reasons behind the Maya Bay closure. Thank you for your trust in our services and we look forward to service you in the future.
