‘The Beach’ to stay closed for two more years

Popular spot: Maya Bay inundated by swarms of tourists and numerous boats dropping anchor into its pristine waters before it was closed near Phi Phi Island, Thailand. — dpa

BANGKOK: Thailand’s popular Maya Bay will remain closed to tourists for at least two more years, a prominent marine ecologist overseeing coral rehabilitation efforts at the beach said.

The pristine beach on the southern island of Koh Phi Phi, popularised by the 2000 movie The Beach, was closed for the first time in June after it was discovered that most of its coral had been damaged by boat anchors.