Yahoo News Thailand's bay from Danny Boyle's The Beach closes
The breathtaking bay made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Carlyle in Danny Boyle's film adaptation of The Beach is to close to tourists for the first time in June.
Thai authorities will be giving the small, unspoiled strip of sand on the island of Ko Phi Phi a chance to recover from the strain of thousands of daily visitors, according to the BBC.
The closure will be a temporary measure to protect the area after environmentalists said that years of increasing tourism have caused damage to the bay and its surroundings.
Thon Thamrongnawasawat, an advisor to Thailand's national parks department, explained: "We are a beautiful country but we have to protect our natural resources.
"We have significant information that all the boats that come in and out really impact the coral reef. We won't close it to tourism forever but have to do something to save our sea, and we have to start at Maya Bay."
Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation recently issued a notice saying it realised "the deterioration of the ecosystem in the area of Maya Bay".
The bay became a popular destination after it featured in the 1998 thriller based on Alex Garland's novel of the same title.
The country also continues to be a popular hotspot for tourists with 467,000 visits from UK holidaymakers and gap year students in 2016.
The bay will reopen in September, although it's being predicted that the number of people allowed to visit the beach will be reduced.
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