THAILAND

Back to ‘The Beach’

Thailand’s Department of National Parks announced that the breathtakingly beautiful Maya Bay is scheduled to reopen to tourists on January 1, 2022.

The iconic natural bay which is framed by limestone karsts and features clear and turquoise waters is located on Koh Phi Phi Leh off Krabi.

Since the 2000 film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay became one of Thailand’s most popular beach destinations with up to 6,000 visitors a day. But the onslaught of the masses was not doing the tiny bay any good and park officials closed it in June 2018.

In the meantime, the maritime world has recovered. Corals were actively planted, the back of the beach was revegetated and a few protective walkways were constructed. 

New restrictions have been put in place which will make the visitor experience to Maya Bay very different from the past. As such, speedboats won’t be allowed to enter the actual bay. A jetty on the other side of the island will be the drop-off point where passengers will disembark and walk across protective boardwalks around the back of the beach. Only eight boats are allowed at one time.

Trips will only take place between 10am and 4pm daily and every visit is limited to a maximum of an hour.