Maya Bay

  • Thailand News

    How conservation efforts saved the ecosystem at Maya Bay

    In 2016, Maya Bay welcomed a staggering 1.73 million visitors, but its popularity devastated its delicate ecosystem. Fast forward to 2024, and the once-threatened bay stands as a testament to the power of environmental stewardship. Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a leading marine biologist explains that the target point for Maya Bay was to set up a system that would help us,…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay: From Hollywood glamour to environmental struggle

    Maya Bay, nestled in Thailand’s Phang-Nga province, clinched third place in the world’s beaches, according to the Lonely Planet travel guide. Dubbed “a slip of a beach hidden by limestone cliffs,” Maya Bay skyrocketed to international fame when acclaimed director Danny Boyle handpicked it as the backdrop for his blockbuster hit The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite its cinematic allure,…

  • Guides

    Experience Koh Phi Phi’s best itinerary in just 3 days

    The picturesque Koh Phi Phi is an archipelago located off the southwest coast of Thailand, nestled in the Andaman Sea. This tropical paradise, well-known for its glistening blue waters, soaring limestone cliffs, and exciting nightlife, is the ideal retreat for both beachgoers and thrill-seekers and families. Settle in for an adventure through Koh Phi Phi’s must-see attractions and hidden jewels.…

  • Thailand News

    Maya Bay closed until September 30 for nature restoration and tourist safety

    Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi Nationa Park authorities, located in the southern province of Krabi, announced they will close Maya Bay and Loh Sama Bay from August 1 to September 30. The move aims to preserve nature and prioritise tourist safety during the monsoon season. Ratchanok Parenoi, the national park director, pointed out that Thailand experiences the monsoon season…

  • Environment News

    Managing blacktip reef sharks in Maya Bay, Thailand

    The National Parks Department of Thailand aims to enhance the management of the country’s popular tourist conservation areas following the return of blacktip reef sharks to Maya Bay. Maya Bay was closed for four years, from 2018 to 2022, to facilitate the recovery of the island’s wildlife. The bay’s popularity surged after the release of the 2000 movie The Beach,…

  • Environment News

    Restoration of Maya Bay balances tourism, sustainability

    The restoration of Maya Bay, Thailand, balances tourism with sustainability. Phi Phi Islands’ tropical paradise, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie The Beach, has drastically reduced visitor numbers, and sea life is flourishing. The beach was closed in 2018 and before the pandemic hit, and in many respects, the past two years without pressure from great numbers of visitors have…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Foreigners anger Chiang Mai locals for kissing in temple

      Maya Bay on Koh พีพีเล in Krabi province has reopened to the public. The iconic bay had been closed to tourists to allow for environmental recovery. … The closure will be an annual occurrence to try to protect the ecology and wildlife living or visiting the iconic bay. Maya Bay exploded in popularity after serving as the picturesque backdrop to the 2000 film “The Beach” starring…

  • Tourism News

    Maya Bay reopens once again to the public

    After a two-month hiatus, Maya Bay on Koh Pi Pi Leh in Krabi province has reopened to the public. The iconic bay had been closed to tourists to allow for environmental recovery. The closure will be an annual occurrence to try to protect the ecology and wildlife living or visiting the iconic bay. Maya Bay exploded in popularity after serving…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Court fines “The Beach” producers 10m baht to restore Maya Bay

      Court fines “The Beach” producers 10m baht to restore Maya Bay Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled that Hollywood movie company 20th Century Fox – now renamed 20th Century Studios – is required to pay 10 million baht in environmental damages caused by the movie “The Beach” back in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Filming for “The Beach” began at Maya Bay…

  • Crime News

    Thailand orders 20th Century Fox to pay 10 million baht to restore Maya Bay

    Today, Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled that Hollywood movie company 20th Century Fox – now renamed 20th Century Studios – is required to pay 10 million baht in environmental damages caused by the movie “The Beach” (2000) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Filming for “The Beach” began at Maya Bay at the Phi Phi Islands in Krabi province, southern Thailand, in 1998. The…

  • Krabi News

    With Maya Bay closed to tourists, a group of dolphins shows up

    Krabi’s iconic Maya Bay has been closed for the past few months to help its wildlife recover, and it appears to be working. On Friday, a group of about 10 bottlenose dolphins were spotted in the south of the Maya Bay by Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park staff. Maya Bay has been closed since August…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Thailand admits to spying on its citizens

      Less than a day after police denied using spyware to track Thai democracy activists, a government minister admitted Thailand does use surveillance to monitor its citizens. Successive Thai governments have been accused by Human rights groups of using broad definitions of national security as an excuse to prosecute or suppress the activities of their main rivals. This past Monday,…

  • Environment News

    Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay to temporarily close again

    Thailand’s iconic Maya Bay – located on Koh Pi Pi Leh in Krabi province – will be off-limits to tourists for the duration of August and September for another period of environmental restoration. The bay, made famous by “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, reopened to tourists on January 1 after a three and a half year closure. All tourist activities…

  • Environment News

    More Thai national parks to close to allow for recovery during monsoon season

    The national parks at Mu Koh Similan and Mu Koh Surin have joined Mu Koh Lanta in Krabi province in closing for the monsoon season. The famous tourist attraction of Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, kicked things off recently, when officials announced that it would once again close to allow the bay’s fragile eco-system to recover. Maya Bay re-opened…

  • Thailand News

    Monkeys party in hot tub at luxury resort in Krabi, Thailand

    A couple were excited for a two night getaway to a luxury resort in Krabi with a sea view room and a private hot tub. But when they arrived, it turned out the hot tub was more communal than they thought. In a video posted on Facebook, a group of monkeys can be seen having the time of their lives,…

  • Krabi News

    After big reopening, Krabi’s Maya Bay to temporarily close again

    Just four months after its epic reopening in January, officials are announcing that Thailand’s Maya Bay, located on Koh Phi Phi Leh in Krabi, is planning to temporarily close again from August to September this year. The bay had reopened in January after closing in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, because of how much tourism had damaged the ecosystem.…

  • Thailand video news

    Changes to the Thailand Pass | GMT

    A few minor changes to the current Thailand Pass and last week tourism officials announced that they plan to present a proposal to cancel Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme at the next meeting of the CCSA. Songkran, full moon party, Maya bay and Caviar. All these stories and more coming up on todays Good Morning Thailand.  

  • Environment News

    Wildlife at Krabi beach from Leonardo DiCaprio film recovers from tourist overrun

    A famous beach in Krabi, featured in Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach, is now recovering its wildlife after having been overrun by tourists in the past. The beach, the focus of visiting Maya Bay, closed in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, because of how much tourism had damaged the ecosystem. Now, plant and animal species that disappeared are returning. The bay…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Omicron surge warning, Pfizer reveals pill results

    The Department of Medical Services says Thailand could end up dealing with a surge of Omicron infections after the end-of-year celebrations. The tourist hotspot of Maya Bay, in the southern province of Krabi, will re-open as scheduled on New Year’s Day. Japan has donated 17 second-hand diesel trains to Thailand which will be refurbished and ready to be in service…

  • Krabi News

    Maya Bay re-opening to go ahead with strict conditions attached

    The tourist hotspot of Maya Bay, in the southern province of Krabi, will re-open as scheduled on New Year’s Day. However, the re-opening comes with some strict conditions attached. There had been some doubt about whether the re-opening of the beauty spot would go ahead, but Thailand’s prominent marine ecologist, Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat from Kasetsart University, says it’s happening. According…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Booster wait time cut to 3 month in Thailand

    The Thai government shortens the wait period for getting a booster dose from 6 months to 3 months. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s shadow government turns to cryptocurrencies to fund its resistance against the military junta. The world famous Maya Bay is expected to reopen from January the 1st, but officials are now uncertain whether they could fulfil their promise. Here are the…

  • Krabi News

    No confirmation on whether January 1 re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead

    The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says it’s still waiting to hear from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister if the re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead. The hugely popular tourist draw was expected to re-open from January 1 and Damras Phoprasit from the DNP says he’s already reassured Minister Varawut Silpa-archa that the newly-constructed pier…

  • Thailand video news

    The “Dislike: button, Serving alcohol, Thai longtail boats | Thaiger Bites | Ep.75

    Jay and Tim go through your video messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Thaiger Talk forum on the website.

  • Tourism News

    Maya Bay reopening likely to be postponed | VIDEO

    Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, in between Krabi and Phuket, was slated for a reopening on January 1. But now there’s a building swell of local support to keep the famous Bay closed, for a while anyway. A Line group used by the Marine National Park, along with tour operators and other stakeholders, has revealed a groundswell of…

  • Tourism News

    The future of Thailand’s Maya Bay – Report #1 | VIDEO

    Should Maya Bay reopen? Of course it probably will, at the start of 2022. But there are fears that, despite the best intentions, it will be back to mass tourism and ‘market forces rule’. Maya Bay is the Andaman region’s most popular tourist destination, based on interest generated from the 2000 Hollywood movie “The Beach” from the Alex Garland novel…

  • Thailand video news

    Thai Airways Scammers, Closing Maya bay, Thailand Tourists Boom | Thaiger Bites | Ep.62

    Jay and Tim go through your video messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Thaiger Talk forum on the website.

  • Thailand video news

    Thai Airways generates profits, Maya bay re-opens | Good Morning Thailand LIVE | Ep.132

    In today’s episode Jay, Tim and Arina discuss about the re-opening of Maya Bay, Thailand’s electric vehicle ecosystem and Thai Airways making a profit.

  • Tourism News

    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…

  • Krabi News

    Work on Maya Bay jetty nearly complete, but officials say, “not yet” to re-opening

    The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has responded to pleas for Maya Bay to re-open by telling local officials to wait. Krabi authorities are anxious for the famed beauty spot to re-open as they desperately try to revive tourism in the province. The bay has been closed since 2018 after conservationists determined that a break from visitors…

  • Thai Life

    Tracking down “The Beach” – the inspiration for the 2000 Hollywood movie

    Tourists flocked to Maya Bay, you know ‘The Beach’ featured in the 2000 movie starring Leonardo de Caprio and directed by Danny Boyle. Since 2000, the tourist magnet on Koh Phi Phi Ley became a Mecca for the back-packer crowd followed by a mass tourist flock, bringing some 5,000+ tourists to the small bay every day at its peak. In…

  • Tourism News

    Maya Bay may re-open next year, under strict conditions

    The government is considering re-opening Maya Bay in 2021, although things are not expected to return to how they once were, with the famous beach overrun by out-of-control tourist numbers each day. Nation Thailand reports that a panel of environmental experts will be consulted on a possible re-opening of the bay, made famous in 2000 with the release of the…

  • Environment News

    National parks may close annually to recover wildlife

    Environmentalist think Thailand’s national parks need to take a break. They’re considering closing the parks once a year to give wildlife time to rehabilitate. Since many parks have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic, wildlife has returned to areas, according to Environment and Natural resources Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. By closing the parks for a 2 to 4 months out of…

  • Environment News

    Tourist and environment groups share concerns for new access piers for Maya Bay

    The Chairman of Krabi Tourism Industry Council has shared his concerns about new piers and landing facilities on Koh Phi Phi Ley after being made aware that the Department of National Parks had the initiative to build a pier so tourist can travel by foot to Loh Samah Bay area behind Maya Bay, Ao Nang Subdistrict, Muang District, Krabi. Maya…

  • Environment News

    Phi Phi’s Maya Bay won’t reopen until fully rehabilitated

    Maya Bay, Krabi’s main tourist attraction since it was featured in the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio film ‘The Beach’, will remain closed as natural rehabilitation of the beach and bay continues, after vast areas of coral were destroyed by excess tourism and boat traffic. Indefinitely. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment says that in future boats will not be allowed…

  • Krabi News

    Countdown to reopening – contracts awards for new Maya Bay infrastructure

    by Sawat, Five Star Thailand Tours New plans are now being enacted which will lead to the re-opening of Maya Bay to tourism again. With a new development project in the works, it won’t be long until visitors will once again be able to visit ‘The Beach’, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Maya Bay was shut down to…

  • Environment News

    Thailand’s Maya Bay to remain closed for another two years

    So that’s going to be almost the end of 2021. The Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced that Maya Bay is going to be closed for another two years to provide a better opportunity for the ecological system to recover, whilst also completing and implementing plans for management of tourists at the famous tourist attraction. Maya…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket King’s Cup regatta organisers deny allegations of coral destruction at Kata

    SCREENSHOT: Part of the post from the Kata Beach Shore Diving The 2019 King’s Cup Regatta in Phuket has been run and won, packed up and gone home. The annual event, run for the 33rd time this year, is one Thailand’s most prestigious yachting regattas and traditionally allows its vessels to anchor in the natural Kata harbour, using the Beyond…