Destinations known | Maya Bay, the Thai beach spoiled by too many tourists, is almost ready to reopen. Maybe

A recent report announced that the currently closed cove would be ready to welcome visitors ahead of schedule

The development of a new pier and boardwalk has been announced, but is construction counter to rehabilitation?

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Thai beach Maya Bay as it exists in the minds of those who have not been there. Photo: Shutterstock

Mercedes Hutton

Published: 8:30am, 26 Feb 2020Updated: 8:30am, 26 Feb 2020

Maya Bay shot to fame in the 2000 film The Beach, based on a book of the same name by British author Alex Garland and in which Leonardo DiCaprio goes in search of a mythical stretch of Thai sand unspoilt by tourists. Ironic, then, that the very beach selected to star in the movie was thereafter so ravaged by travellers in search of their piece of paradise that it was forced to close, in June 2018.

According to the Bangkok Post, at peak popularity, the cove attracted 5,000 visitors per day, most of whom arrived on speedboats, the propellers and anchors of which wrecked the cove’s coral, as did the chemical content of the sun creams applied to those thousands of bodies. It was initially shuttered for just four months, but that was extended to allow the natural environment to more fully recover. Last May, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced that the closure would last until the middle of 2021.

However, on February 12, British newspaper The Telegraph ran an exclusive suggesting Maya Bay was being readied to welcome returnees six months ahead of schedule. Is that now the case?

When Destinations Known contacted Sirirat Rattanakosin, who, according to The Telegraph, had “confirmed” the November reopening, the owner of tour operator Five Star Thailand Tours was quick to clarify that “at this time, any dates for the beach to reopen are speculation, no official statement has been given as of yet”.

The proposed boardwalk linking the Loh Samah Bay pier with Maya Bay.

What have been approved are a new pier, boardwalk and treetop viewing platforms, with contracts awarded and construction set to begin in the coming weeks. According to Sirirat, “The plans are focusing on sustainability with the belief that when the bay is to reopen, limiting tourists access to the boardwalk areas will aid the ongoing restoration and preservation.”

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Destinations known | Maya Bay, the Thai beach spoiled by too many tourists, is almost ready to reopen. Maybe

Destinations known | Maya Bay, the Thai beach spoiled by too many tourists, is almost ready to reopen. Maybe