Maya Bay to close for 4 months

KRABI, May 15 (TNA) – The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced the four-month closure of Maya Bay in the Nopparat Thara National Park of Krabi province for rehabilitation of onshore and offshore environment. The Department’s Director- General, Thanya Netithammakul said that about 2,000-4,000 tourists visit Maya Bay daily on average. Heavy tourism and tourist boat anchors caused damage to the bay. The four-month break is scheduled from June 1 to September 30 to give time for restoration of the environment, particular coral reefs and the beach. The period is the monsoon season or the low season, so it will not impact tourism businesses. The department has also imposed a measure to ban tourist boats from parking at the beachfront but they are allowed to park outside the blocked area. It plans to build a pontoon bridge at Loh Samah Bay, so the boats can drop off the tourists there and they can walk from the Loh Samah Bay to Maya Bay. In the future, the department will also limit the number of tourists at a maximum of six million people per year. Other tourist destinations in secondary towns will be developed to attract overwhelming numbers of tourists to visit other places. (TNA)