Thailand bans smoking, littering at popular tourist beaches

Tourists are seen on a beach of Maiton Island in Phuket, Thailand March 18, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand banned smoking and littering at 24 beachside locations that are popular with tourists over environmental concerns on Thursday, the ministry of natural resources and environment said.

The Southeast Asian country has been a tourist magnet for decades, from its backpacker heyday in the early 1990s to its current popularity with tourists from mainland China. It expects to welcome a record 37.55 million tourists in 2018.