Maya Bay is one of Thailand’s most famous beaches, located within Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Surrounded by dramatic limestone cliffs and turquoise waters in the Andaman Sea, the bay gained worldwide recognition after being featured in the 2000 film The Beach.
For years, Maya Bay attracted thousands of tourists daily, turning it into one of Southeast Asia’s most visited coastal destinations. However, the surge in tourism led to severe environmental damage, including coral reef destruction, pollution, and ecosystem stress. In response, Thai authorities closed the bay to visitors in 2018 to allow marine ecosystems to recover and later reopened it with strict visitor limits and conservation measures.
