Heading to Maya Bay? You won’t be allowed in the water

 Tourists will not be allowed to play in the seawater in Maya Bay in Krabi’s Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park as it would affect blacktip reef sharks and coral reefs, Marine biologist Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
His post came after an official decision that the crescent-shaped Maya Bay – which became famous after it was featured in the 2000 Hollywood blockbuster “The Beach” – would be reopened from January 1. The beach has been closed to tourists since June 2018.

Thon said three proposals have been approved by provincial government agencies:

1. Boats carrying no more than 375 people will park at the pier located behind Maya Bay which is being constructed.

2. Tourists must make a reservation in advance to enter Maya Bay, while the number of boat trips depends on a decision by the national park.

3. Tourists will not be allowed to play in the Maya Bay seawater as the beach is considered a nursery for blacktip reef sharks, while coral reefs in the area are recovering.

“I would like to emphasise that the reopening of Maya Bay will not affect the coral reefs and creatures in the area,” Thon wrote.

He thanked the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Natural Resources as well as Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa for “taking good care of the environment”, which is considered a national treasure. – The Nation

Source  - BangkokJack

 

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Thailand’s Maya Bay set to reopen in January

Maya Bay. Remember that breathtakingly pretty beach on Koh Phi Phi Leh off Krabi?

Now, the beach that featured in “The Beach” is now poised to reopen. The iconic natural cove of limestone karsts, turquoise waters and THAT beach was one of Thailand’s most popular attractions for a decade with up to 6,000 visitors everyday. But in the end even the local marine national park officials realized that tourists were killing Maya Bay with love.

So they closed it.

“The Beach” was a 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio (and a great book) is now scheduled to reopen to tourists on January 1, 2022. This from Thailand’s Department of National Parks. The postcard attraction is sure to lure back some of the more reticent tourists who would be keen to see one of the world’s most favorite beaches, but without the mass tourism that closed it down in June 2018.

Since then the park has been devoid of tourists and allowed to rejuvenate, with a bit of help from officials and marine biologists at the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.

Replanting coral, re-vegetating the back of the beach and construction of some protective walkways, has taken most of the 3 year break.

Koh Phi Phi Ley is one of two islands that make up the Koh Phi Phi group. Even though it’s officially part of the Krabi province, most visitors travel by speedboat from Phuket for numerous day trips. The larger Koh Phi Phi Don is somewhat of a sun and snorkel backpacker haven and as famous for its parties as it is for stunning scenery.

But it’s Phi Phi Don’s smaller and more attractive sister that has attracted so many day trippers and Instagrammers.

After the release of “The Beach” Maya Bay (the scene only occupies a few minutes of the film) became a Mecca for visitors seeking out THAT beach and the crowds kept coming. At its peak hundreds of tourists and long tail boats would be anchoring off the shores each day, delivering 5-6,000 tourists, trampling over the vegetation. The boat’s anchors almost completely destroyed the coral in the Bay.

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 Covid, although it nothing to do with the closure of the Bay, just delayed the reopening, giving Maya Bay’s ecology an additional break before reopening.

But, as with much of Thailand post-Covid, there are new restrictions that will make the visitor experience to Maya Bay very different from the past.

Speedboats won’t even be able to enter into the actual bay anymore. A pier at the back of the island will now be the drop-off point where passengers will disembark and walk across protective boardwalks around the back of the beach.

Visits will be capped at one hour with only 8 boats allowed to tie up at the pier at any one time. The trips will all take place between 10am and 4pm daily.

At this stage the piers aren’t ready for boats and there’s now a mad dash to get everything completed before the reopening at the start of next year.

Whilst the best intentions to limit tourist traffic have been laid down – less than 2,000 tourists a day – the local tourist industry will be pushing hard for Maya Bay to accept more visitors if the demand is there. There are still lots of spare boats and crews out of work in Phuket and Krabi and they’ll be pressuring authorities to relax the restrictions. History shows, in the case of Thai tourism, market forces usually prevail.

Source - The Thaiger

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#Thailand - Maya Bay to be closed for up to five years

Maya Bay’s beach, closed last year to allow coral restoration and beach recovery, could remain closed to visitors for many years. Maya Bay is located in the Phi Phi islands between Krabi and Phuket.

The famous Koh Phi Phi Ley beach needs time for its ecology to fully recover years of tourist abuse, this according to the Phi Phi national park chief Vorapot Lomlim as reported in Khaosod English.

“Maya Bay must continue to be closed until nature has fully recovered. We expect it will take four to five years.”

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“Since Maya was closed off nearly a year ago, sea creatures like reef sharks and ghost crabs have returned to the island.”

He also reported that 23,000 corals have been planted by marine officials since the closure last year.

Maya Bay was closed to tourist on June 1 last year. The Bay first became famous as part of the setting for the 2000 film ‘The Beach’ starring Leonardo Di Caprio. That fame would lead to a surge in tourists and a rapacious local tourist industry that ramped up the numbers of tours to cater for the international popularity.

At its peak Maya Bay, the south’s most popular attraction, was receiving up to 5-6,000 tourists a day. Unwittingly, the tourists were trampling the beach and surrounding areas whilst the boats delivering them to the famous beach were throwing anchors over the side, destroying the natural coral.

Initially the national park chiefs closed off Maya Bay access for a period of three months  but it soon became apparent that the fragile bay was going to need a lot longer to recover. Officials reported that up to 50 percent of the Bay’s coral was dead.

SOURCE: The Thaiger /  Khaosod English

#Thailand - Maya Bay from 'The Beach' to be shuttered for 4 months

The once-idyllic Thai bay that became a must-see on the tourist trail after the 2000 movie "The Beach" will be closed to visitors for four months, an official said Thursday, as Thailand looks to stem the impact from crowds.

The announcement bolsters an order last month blocking boats from mooring on Maya Bay in a bid to prevent further damage to its coral reefs. 

    Up to 4,000 tourists and hundreds of boats have been flocking daily to the white-sand beach on Ko Phi Phi Ley, an island whose towering limestone cliffs and azure waters were made famous by the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

    But the bay will now be off limits to travellers for four months from June and September, which falls during Thailand's monsoon season, said National Park Office Director Songtham Suksawang. 

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 "We reached a resolution to close Maya for four months to allow the ecological system to rehabilitate," he told AFP. 

    The beach's land entrance will be shuttered while boats will be barred from dropping off passengers, he added.

    During the shutdown four universities will conduct a study on how to develop more sustainable forms of tourism, he said.

    The closure is the latest effort to mitigate the environmental damage wrought by Thailand's mammoth tourism industry, a crucial pillar of the economy that brought a record 35 million travelers to the kingdom last year. 

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 Environmental experts and officials have warned that mass tourism is causing irreversible damage to beautiful beaches, with litter and unchecked development disrupting local ecosystems.

      Smoking has already been banned on 20 of the country's most famous beaches this high season, with a fine or even jail for those who flout the new rule.

    Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead in "The Beach", a Danny Boyle-directed adaptation of Alex Garland's classic backpacker novel of the same name.
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Source - TheNation

Thailand - Bay Regatta returns to Phang Nga Bay

The 21st Bay Regatta will be held from January 31 to February 4, 2018 in and around the waters of beautiful Phang Nga Bay

The Bay Regatta is often referred to as ‘Asia’s fun regatta’, attracting both serious racing yachts and casual cruisers out to enjoy the picturesque maritime scenery. The hallmark of this popular sailing event is its fun-filled and welcoming atmosphere. 

The 21^st Bay Regatta features four days of sailing, from January 31 to February 4, with the start and finish in Phuket and the route making its way across the three provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. Over 40 sailing yachts and some 250 competitors are set to take part.

This regatta offers a different sailing experience to the famous Phuket King’s Cup Regatta that takes place in December, as the race fleet spends each evening in a new anchorage and parties are held at nearby resorts. 

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 The competition starts on January 31 with registration and the regatta’s opening party at Chandara Resort & Spa overlooking Ao Po on Phuket’s northeast coast. The first day of racing will see the fleet head north from Ao Po Beach Bay to the top of Phang Nga Bay, with day two then travelling past the islands of Ko Pak Bia and east to Krabi. Day three’s racing is around Ko Dam before concluding at Ao Nang Beach, with a party that evening at the luxury resort The Shell Sea Krabi. Day four sees an early start from Ao Nang Beach for a final race around the islands, to be followed by the regatta’s closing party at Kan Eang II restaurant on Ao Chalong Beach complete with buffet dinner, live music and presentation of prizes.  

 The 21^st Bay Regatta fleet features six classes of yacht – ‘Racing’ including a number of new entries this year; ‘Bareboat Charter’; two ‘Cruising’ divisions; and ‘Multihull’ racing and cruising divisions in which current King’s Cup Regatta champions Henry Kaye’s Thor and John Newnham’s Twin Sharks will renew their battle from 2017.

Source - TheNation

 

Smoking to be stubbed out on Thai beaches

Smokers who flout a smoking ban on 20 of Thailand's most famous tourist beaches will face a $3,000 fine or up to a year in prison, Thai authorities have said.      

The ban, which comes into force in November, follows a clean-up of nearly 140,000 cigarette butts from a 2.5 kilometre (1.5 mile) stretch of the famed Patong beach in Phuket island province.

    Its introduction coincides with Thailand's peak tourist season and will be enforced in visitor hotspots including Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Phang Nga.

    "These beaches are among the most beautiful in Southeast Asia, and the aim is to keep them that way," Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said in a statement on Monday.

    Smokers will have to use designated areas with proper waste disposal for cigarette butts, he added.

    Those caught lighting up on the beach could face jail or a 100,000 baht ($3,000) fine, according to TAT. 

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    The edict is the latest effort to rein in Thailand's free-wheeling tourism industry. 

    The sector is a crucial pillar of Thailand's economy, catering to more than 30 million travellers per year.

    But the huge numbers of arrivals have also threatened to spoil some of the kingdom's idyllic beaches, with litter and unchecked development damaging local ecosystems.

    Thailand is also trying to crack down on lax safety standards that riddle the tourism industry, after waves of complaints that visitors are overcharged or not adequately protected on boats and jet-skis.

                  

#Thailand - Krabi beaches generate most entry fees for national parks

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Nopparat Thara Beach and Phi Phi Islands in Krabi generated the most revenue from entry fees for the national park agency over the past nine months.

Following the renovation of facilities and restoration of natural resources, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has collected Bt1.7 billion in revenue from nationwide national park admission fees from October 2016 until June 2017, DNP spokesman Sompot Maneerat said on Wednesday.

Most of the revenue was collected from the admission fees of Bt428 million at Krabi’s Nopparat Thara Beach and Phi Phi Islands National Park, followed by Bt299 million at Phang Nga's Mu Koh Similan National Park. 

The DNP is aiming to generate more revenue from tourism at the national parks and will allocate the money for the restoration and development of natural attractions, as the budget from the government is not sufficient.

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Troops of monkeys go swimming during heatwave.

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At least a hundred monkeys climbed down a hill to cool off in a pool of water at Wat Tham Sue in Krabi on Sunday.

Krabi has not seen rain for about two months and this particular area has experienced a severe rise in temperature.
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“The monkeys climbed down into the pool, close to where tourists had come down for refreshments. Everyone was delighted to be able to enjoy a surprise appearance by the ‘guests’,” Jamras Sornsuvann, the temple keeper, told the Phuket Gazette.
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The monkeys playfully splashed around in the water and smiled at tourists as they took pictures.
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Jamras warned people to be careful, adding that monkeys become aggressive in hot weather and could end up biting someone.
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“Do not feed them, as they are naturally able to procure food for themselves,” he warned.

He also noted that tourists should only take photos, and not touch, play with or provoke the monkeys in any way.

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Source - TheNation 

Severe coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots

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Coral bleaching is rife in Phi Phi national park - the worst ever recorded in Thailand - alarmed conservation officials reported Thursday.

Many varieties of coral have been affected by the bleaching, which is due to the sea temperature rising to between 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, said an official from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

Staghorn coral, lesser coral, mushroom coral, cauliflower coral, and hump coral are all being affected by the bleaching, which is far worse than observed in 2010, said Tikamporn Wongtawatchai, a specialist from Marine National Park and Protected Areas Innovation Center (MNIPC).

"Coral bleaching has been recorded all over the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi marine national park, but the bleaching is worse at Koh Kai," said Tikamporn.

This is the first time hump coral has been affected by bleaching, indicating that the bleaching is far worse than ever before. The bleaching has occurred in several popular dive spots, including Pileh Bay, Loh Samah Bay, Koh Yoong, Monkey Beach, Koh Pai and Koh Gai.

Conservationists earlier this week proposed closing off Maya Bay to tourists to help restore the bleached coral and other endangered marine life there (story here).

"We cannot control nature. However, we can stop people from disturbing the marine life in these spots. Hopefully, this latest report of the extensive damage will persuade the DNP to take quick action by closing off Maya bay and other spots in Phi Phi national park affected by the bleaching," said Tikamporn.

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South Thailand worst haze

Health of locals threatened as particulate matter far exceeds safe level; Flight to Trang and Krabi hit ; Indonesia apologetic.

 THE WORST haze crisis in 17 years hit Songkhla’s Hat Yai district hard yesterday, with the amount of PM10 particles far exceeding the safe level.

As of yesterday, the amount of particulate matter (PM) of up to 10 microns in size (PM10) reached 369.0 micrograms per cubic metre of air in Hat Yai, the economic hub of Thailand's South.

People are considered safe only when the PM10 does not rise above 120 micrograms.

In 1998, the PM10 in Songkhla skyrocketed to 459.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air. Locals had hoped that such a seriously hazy situation would never recur.

But yesterday, although the PM10 did not yet beat the previous record, air pollutants were clearly visible in Hat Yai, even to the naked eye. The problem is widely blamed on Indonesia's forest fires.

Officials in Songkhla province were busy handing out facial masks to help locals cope with the health impacts.

Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha had already instructed family-medicine teams to visit affected people.

"People need to get proper healthcare," he said, "They also need to get advice. For example, they should avoid staying outdoors with the haze raging on. If they develop tightness in the chest or have difficulty breathing, they should immediately seek medical help".

According to Sansern, the prime minister is very concerned about the haze, which has blanketed Thailand's South. All relevant authorities are now ordered to closely monitor the situation and extend help to people.

"Local administrative bodies, on their part, can help ease the pollution by spraying water in the air," the government spokesman said.

Sansern said the government has already contacted Indonesia about the haze, and Indonesia said it was sorry about the pollution caused.

Yesterday, haze was also a major problem in at least five other southern provinces: Satun struggled with a PM10 of 276 micrograms; Pattani with PM10 211 micrograms; Surat Thani with PM10 of 187 micrograms; Yala with PM10 of 172 micrograms; and Narathiwat with PM10 of 123 micrograms.

As haze significantly reduced visibility, flight services to and from Thailand's South have been affected.

Executives of schools in Songkhla are now allowed to decide whether temporary closure is necessary should the PM10 rise above 350 micrograms.

So far, Songkhla has not been declared a disaster-hit zone as authorities are worried that such a declaration may affect local tourism.

Halem J Marigan, director of the Regional Environmental Office 16 (Songkhla), yesterday evening said there were signs of improvement.

"The average PM10 amount during the past 24 hours has finally reduced. It dropped from 369 to 365 micrograms per cubic metre of air if we concluded the measurement at 4pm Thursday," he said.

He believed stronger winds had benefited Thailand, as the haze was pushed away faster.

In Surat Thani, several flights to Samui Airport were delayed yesterday because of the haze.

"Many flights could not land in the morning. They had to wait until the afternoon," said Surat Thani Governor Wongsiri Promchana.

He said he had also advised locals to turn on the headlights of their vehicles when driving in hazy areas.

Wongsiri said all tourist attractions were still open as normal as of now.

Flight services in the southern provinces of Trang and Krabi are also affected.

In Trang, locals yesterday urged relevant authorities to help tackle the haze problem that had recurred every now and then.

"It has affected us adversely. I feel uncomfortable because the haze has made it hard for me to breathe," Areerat Boonprasert, 52, said. 

Source: The Nation

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Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang Beach

Located on the coast of Thailand, Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Aonang Beach is a spectacular boutique resort situated on the white sands of Ao Nang Beach. It has rooms which open up to a large freeform pool.

 

 Set amidst breathtaking tropical landscaped grounds, Holiday Inn Resort Krabi offers luxurious rooms with private terraces. Rooms are also fitted with a DVD player, elegant bathroom and Wi-Fi access.

Enjoy a peaceful day at sea by renting a yacht or cool off with a swim in the swimming pool. Guests can also recharge with a work-out in the fitness centre or head to the spa. The hotel has has kids and teen zones.

In Asia, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, serves fresh seafood and authentic Thai cuisine. A selection of refreshing beverages and spectacular beach views are enjoyed at the Wave Bar.

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