News Forum - Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay to temporarily close again

[Thaiger]

Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay – located on Koh Pi Pi Leh in Krabi province – will be off-limits to tourists for the duration of August and September for another period of environmental restoration. The bay, made famous by “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, reopened to tourists on January 1 after a three and a half year closure. All tourist activities will be temporarily suspended between August 1 until September 30 to give both onshore and offshore ecosystems at Maya Bay a chance to recover from a busy seven months of tourism since the bay’s reopening on January 1. Maya Bay […]

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[Pompies]

Such a precious natural resource should be made into a rare privilege to visit for both Thai and foreigners. The visitor limit should lower, the cost of entry much higher and the protection of the natural world must be never ending. No more trash tourism.

[Ramanathan.P]

Just ban all the motorized boats and speed boats entering the bay. These boats are the major hazards for any natural environment, especially in the shallow waters. 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Just ban all the motorized boats and speed boats entering the bay. These boats are the major hazards for any natural environment, especially in the shallow waters. 

I believe they no longer do

 

All tourists are dropped off in the back and walk to the bay now........

 

At least that's what I read..........

 

I am going in January and won't even bother going to such a tourist trap

[HolyCowCm]

I as just there a month ago or so and this article is wrong for some parts. The fee was reduced to 200 baht for foreigners, there was no swimming allowed what so ever, and literally pristine and no garbage on the beach. Now inside to walk there from the dock was not the nicest, the bathrooms sound make you almost throw up from the smell, and reason to say, if hey up it back to 400 baht, then it is not really worth it except to say yeah, been there, and if they up it past 400 - 500 or 600baht then it is a huge spit in tourists face. Not the thai because they pay very little. 
But the snorkeling and swimming prior to Maya is pretty nice, that is also is if not so many tourists and boats. 
Needs to be a limit on long tail and hull craft allowed to go out from the Phi Phi beach. Too many boats and too many people = zero quality 

[Marc26]

28 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

I as just there a month ago or so and this article is wrong for some parts. The fee was reduced to 200 baht for foreigners, there was no swimming allowed what so ever, and literally pristine and no garbage on the beach. Now inside to walk there from the dock was not the nicest, the bathrooms sound make you almost throw up from the smell, and reason to say, if hey up it back to 400 baht, then it is not really worth it except to say yeah, been there, and if they up it past 400 - 500 or 600baht then it is a huge spit in tourists face. Not the thai because they pay very little. 
But the snorkeling and swimming prior to Maya is pretty nice, that is also is if not so many tourists and boats. 
Needs to be a limit on long tail and hull craft allowed to go out from the Phi Phi beach. Too many boats and too many people = zero quality 

I plan on stopping in Phi Phi for 2 days on my way from Phuket to Koh Lanta

It was just an easy stop

 

But I was surprised how little Phi Phi actually appeals to me, maybe that will change once I am actually there

 

I saw a couple hikes and maybe a tour that would do me ok for 2 days, so decided to make the stop

 

But looks like an overcrowded mess

[Skip]

This is a regurgitated story... the Maya Bay was closed to all motor craft ages ago... the photo is really dated

[dirkzett]

15 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay – located on Koh Pi Pi Leh in Krabi province – will be off-limits to tourists for the duration of August and September for another period of environmental restoration. The bay, made famous by “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, reopened to tourists on January 1 after a three and a half year closure. All tourist activities will be temporarily suspended between August 1 until September 30 to give both onshore and offshore ecosystems at Maya Bay a chance to recover from a busy seven months of tourism since the bay’s reopening on January 1. Maya Bay […]

The story Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay to temporarily close again as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

The Maya Bay has the same disease as all other waterfront destinations. While in many countries from Indonesia to Australia it is common that only special licensed boats are allowed to enter and land in sensitive areas, in Thailand any Thai who can operate the throttle of a fish shredder (longtail boat) is allowed to do so.
A similar problem are the hundreds of diving and snorkeling boats. Where in comparable areas in other countries there are one or two licensed diving centers, which are also responsible for their diving area, in Thailand there are literally hundreds, which are not responsible for anything. And as long as it stays like this, nothing will change, thank tea money.
(Own insights as a diving instructor on Phuket.)

 

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by dirkzett

[HolyCowCm]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I plan on stopping in Phi Phi for 2 days on my way from Phuket to Koh Lanta

It was just an easy stop

But I was surprised how little Phi Phi actually appeals to me, maybe that will change once I am actually there

I saw a couple hikes and maybe a tour that would do me ok for 2 days, so decided to make the stop

But looks like an overcrowded mess

It's actually worth the stop and worth a boat ride to go snorkel and swim, and then if Maya is open by that time and you haven't seen it, then I guess knock it off the have been there list. For me being with my 2 kids 19 and 21 was well worth it with only max 30 people at Maya, and it was beautiful I have to say looking out from the beach. Zero boats inside the cove is the best decision the Government here has made on anything. It is actually just after the snorkeling and such about 10 more minutes long tail. When I went and stayed on June 11th and 12th it was not overcrowded and you might find some very nice things about it, but 2 days was enough for me and the kids, unless you planned another boat trip to visit another area close by there and then go back. For our thoughts, it is more of a point to expore out by boat rather than to stay there for weeks unless you book inoit one of the nicer upscale places. We also took the long tail later around 3:30pm which was nicer in my opinion avoiding the bulk of the earlier big groups of lookie loos.

BTW, take a can of beer or 2 out when you go out by longtail, and try to pick a non muslim operator like I had so there is no conflict. I asked him if it was ok to drink my beer and low and behold he pulled a can out for himself while he waited for us to swim in one of the first coves there. He was ACE. 

[Marc26]

8 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

It's actually worth the stop and worth a boat ride to go snorkel and swim, and then if Maya is open by that time and you haven't seen it, then I guess knock it off the have been there list. For me being with my 2 kids 19 and 21 was well worth it with only max 30 people at Maya, and it was beautiful I have to say looking out from the beach. Zero boats inside the cove is the best decision the Government here has made on anything. It is actually just after the snorkeling and such about 10 more minutes long tail. When I went and stayed on June 11th and 12th it was not overcrowded and you might find some very nice things about it, but 2 days was enough for me and the kids, unless you planned another boat trip to visit another area close by there and then go back. For our thoughts, it is more of a point to expore out by boat rather than to stay there for weeks unless you book inoit one of the nicer upscale places. We also took the long tail later around 3:30pm which was nicer in my opinion avoiding the bulk of the earlier big groups of lookie loos.

BTW, take a can of beer or 2 out when you go out by longtail, and try to pick a non muslim operator like I had so there is no conflict. I asked him if it was ok to drink my beer and low and behold he pulled a can out for himself while he waited for us to swim in one of the first coves there. He was ACE. 

My 1st trip to Thailand, before Maya Bay got so crowded, I actually rented a speedboat for just me and my now wife

 

So we got to see all of that sort of on our own

 

I think it was $300usd.........now that would be more than double

 

 

There is a cool beach that is a bit of a hike(you can longtail it but I'd like the challenge)

Nui Beach...........I plan on doing that one morning

[HolyCowCm]

23 hours ago, Marc26 said:

My 1st trip to Thailand, before Maya Bay got so crowded, I actually rented a speedboat for just me and my now wife

So we got to see all of that sort of on our own

I think it was $300usd.........now that would be more than double

There is a cool beach that is a bit of a hike(you can longtail it but I'd like the challenge)

Nui Beach...........I plan on doing that one morning

Looks fun. I’ll save it for another time possibly next year or if a friend comes from the USA