Millions of tourists flocked to Maya Bay on Thailand’s Phi Phi Leh Island. It was picturesque, stunning and full of pristine, white sand. But all those tourists started to create some real concern for the government, as funny as that sounds. Sure, Thailand relies on tourism as a major industry. But there are limits to everything, and the traffic was starting to do some serious damage to the environment.
Thai officials were concerned about the coral reefs, 50% of which had been destroyed by boats. The heavenly sand was also getting pretty filthy from the trash. It's been closed, for years! And although it's scheduled to open in 2022 with new rules, don't be surprised if this doesn't last.