.
In a renewed commitment to the environment, Thailand will not let
tourists access several of its 61 national parks for at least five
months.
During the annual monsoon period, which is when the largest numbers
of tourists head for Thailand’s beaches, 61 out of the country’s 154
national parks will be closed. This closure applies to some very
well-known sites around Phuket, such as the Koh Phi Phi islands. Maya
Bay, made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach, will remain open this year despite damage to the reefs, AsiaOne reported.
The Koh Ha islets to the west of Koh Lanta Island will be
inaccessible to tourists until Oct 15. And in the Andaman Sea, the
remote Similan Islands that tourists generally reach from Khao Lak, will
also be out of bounds.
This means that numerous locations that are popular with divers will
be closed. This drastic decision, which has been taken for the fourth
consecutive year, aims to give marine wildlife time to recover from the
effects of mass tourism. Between May and October, nine million tourists
visit Thailand’s national parks. The wet season is the ideal time for
marine wildlife to regenerate.
This drastic decision aims to give marine wildlife time to recover from the effects of mass tourism.
Source - TheJakartaPost
