Thai authorities are set to close one of its paradise islands, Koh Tachai, blaming heavy tourism for damaging natural resources and the environment.
Almost all Thai marine national parks close for the monsoon season from mid-May to mid-October, but Tachai will not reopen, the Bangkok Post reported.
The island, off Phang Nga province, is part of the Similan National Park and is popular with tourists and divers.
Tunya Netithammakul, director general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, told the Bangkok Post: “Thanks to its beauty, Koh Tachai has become a popular tourist site for both Thai and foreign tourists.
“This has resulted in overcrowding and the degradation of natural resources and the environment.
“We have to close it to allow the rehabilitation of the environment both on the island and in the sea without being disturbed by tourism activities before the damage is beyond repair.”
Tourism experts said a beach on Koh Tachai could hold up to 70 people but sometimes the number of tourists exceeded well over 1,000 crowded with food stalls and tour boats.
Assistant Professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat, of Kasetsart University, said the beach was at risk of being lost altogether unless action is taken to close it.
