Therese Sta. MariaJet setters who have been wanting to make the best out of their Thailand holiday — from its malls and temples to its beautiful beaches — can finally add Maya Bay into their itinerary once again. The island, which was thrust into the spotlight thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach movie, had been closed to tourists since 2018.
Located in Krabi province, Maya Bay suffered from overtourism that had been destroying the destination’s coral reef since The Beach was released in 2000. Hence, the rehabilitation included the restoration of these natural resources plus the improvement of the cove’s infrastructure. Now that the time has come for Maya Bay to reopen, new rules have been set in place to avoid overtourism.
Maya Bay is reopening with new guidelines
Image credit: Humphrey Muleba
Starting 1 Jan 2022, only eight speed boats and 300 tourists will be allowed to dock by the cove at any time. Each visit is also limited to an hour. Maya Bay’s operating hours are set every day from 10am to 4pm. In an effort to control foot traffic, the boats won’t be dropping their passengers at the actual cove but at a nearby pier instead.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa rejoiced in the reopening of Maya Bay saying, “Maya Bay has been continuously receiving interest from tourists around the world. But this has also caused (the natural area) to deteriorate, especially the corals. After shutting down Maya Bay to revive and restore it, up until the present, it has returned to a good condition.”
Image credit: suyashdixit
Also read: Thailand Has Added Indonesia and the Philippines to Its Quarantine-Free List
Thailand recently reopened to foreign tourists and even removed the mandatory quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers. As of writing, Thailand has fully vaccinated more than half of its population. However, do note that the country is currently logging around 6,000 COVID-19 cases a day. With Maya Bay reopening, your Land of Smiles bucket list just got longer, but be sure to read about the requirements and safety protocols here.
Featured image credit: Humphrey Muleba | Unsplash
