Thai and
foreign tourists will not be able to access Koh Tachai, located in the Similan
National Park in the Andaman Sea.
Every year
Thai marine national parks are closed to visitors from May to October
during the monsoon season, but Koh Tachai will not reopen with the others. It
will be closed to visitors indefinitely to protect the environment.
“Thanks to
its beauty, Koh Tachai is 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. But, anyway, two dive
sites in the area will remain open, ” Tunya Netithammakul, director of the
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation told the Bangkok
Post.
Thon
Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart
University, told the newspaper that there were sometimes well over 1,000
tourists on a beach on Koh Tachai that could hold up to 70 people, as well as
tour boats and food stalls.
“This
caused the island to quickly deteriorate. If it's not closed now, we'll lose
Koh Tachai permanently," he said.
edited from USA Today
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edited from USA Today
