Thailand has reopened Maya Bay, the white sandy beach made famous in the movie. the beach (the beach, 2000)Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, more than three years after the authorities of that country have closed To allow the ecosystem to recover from the impact of thousands of visitors each day.
The beach, surrounded by one hundred-meter cliffs, is located on the island of Phi Phi Leh in the Andaman Sea and can only be reached by boat from nearby points such as Phuket, Phi Phi or from the mainland – Krabi.
Thai authorities closed the entire Maya Bay to the public in 2018 – long before the outbreak – on the basis of that Coral reefs and beach areas have been damaged by continued tourism activities. But since the beginning of this year, some visitors have been allowed back.
“The sharks are back, the coral reefs are growing, and the water is clean again,” Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told Reuters. “These signs show that nature heals if we give it time – and we have to work to keep it that way.”
SOE ZEYA TUN / REUTERS
To ensure the beach remains protected, authorities confirm that only 375 visitors will be allowed to visit the beach at the same time and that swimming will be prohibited for the time being. Boats will only be allowed to dock in a certain area of the bay to avoid harming the reefs.
It should be noted that before the pandemic, tourism accounted for about 12% of Thailand’s economy and was one of the main drivers of growth, with the country attracting 40 million visitors in 2019, which also put a huge burden on the country’s environment.
For now, the beach will be a mirage for the vast majority of tourists, who are banned from entering Thailand due to strict health restrictions. Since December 2021, the allocation of the Thailand Pass has been suspended for all new registrations, with quarantine requirements when admission is allowed (except Rules Para Phuket).
