Foreign tourists did not have time to fully return to Thailand, as local natural attractions began to close en masse one after another. In early May, Krabi authorities said Maya Bay in Krabi would be closed from August to September to help restore its wildlife.
After that, other tourist attractions of the national park in the province began to announce plans to temporarily close for restoration – and even faster.
For example, Mu Ko Lanta National Park announced in an official statement that several islands under its control will be closed from May 16 to October 14. The islands that need to be closed from the park’s point of view are Rock Nai Island, Rock Nok Island, Hngai Island, Ha Island, Hin Daeng Hin Muang and Kao Mai Keo Cave. A legal statement from Mu Ko Lanta said the closure would help manage tourism and give time to restore the island’s environment and ecosystems.
“Although the ministry has taken strict measures to limit the number of visitors to Maya Bay, Songkran has more than 3,000 visitors a day. The ministry allows 380 tourists per hour to visit the island and requires them to book in advance. The number of tourists visiting Songkran , many times exceeded these limits”, – the Thai ecologists complained.
At the same time, the Ministry officially banned swimming in the bay. And tourist boats can no longer enter the Bay of Maya and must enter through a new pier and a bridge at the back of the Bay of Maya.
“The closure of Maya Bay for 3 years has been successful in recovering species of plants and animals that disappeared due to flooding of the beach and surrounding areas by tourists. Boats that entered the bay and dropped anchor also destroyed most of the natural coral,” experts said. The two-year pandemic vacation, in their view, has benefited nature. But judging by recent statements – apparently, nature has not recovered enough…