21 Questions
What does the word 'stings' have in common with?
creep
Which word is most closely related to 'bargain' in meaning?
courtesy
What is the antonym of the word 'starved'?
steam
What does the word 'signature' have in common with?
invented
Which word is most closely related to 'wreck' in meaning?
starved
What is the name of the national park where Maya Bay is located?
Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park
What is the name of the actor who starred in the 2000 film The Beach, which featured Maya Bay as a location?
Leonardo DiCaprio
What is the reason for the decline in tourism in Thailand?
Beijing’s draconian COVID restrictions
What is the description of the beach in Maya Bay?
An exquisite, 250-meter white crescent strand
Why is the current crowd in Ton Sai Bay troubling to the Thai guide?
Because it is not even half of what it was before the pandemic
What is the current situation with Chinese tourists in Thailand?
They are not present due to Beijing’s COVID restrictions
What is the concern about the revival of tourism in Thailand?
That it will lead to overtourism
What led to the closure of Maya Bay to tourists in June 2018?
The damage caused by tourist boats and trampling of the sea floor
What is the significance of Maya Bay as a tourist attraction?
It is a location from a famous movie
What is the current maximum number of tourists allowed in Maya Bay per hour?
380
Why were tourist boats banned from approaching Maya Bay?
To protect the coral reefs from damage
According to Thon Thamrongnawasawat, what percentage of Maya Bay's coral reefs were alive when the bay was closed in 2018?
8%
What is happening to the coral reefs during the three-year closure of Maya Bay?
They are being replanted with new coral pieces
What percentage of the replanted coral pieces have survived during the three-year closure?
50%
What is the name of the lagoon where tourist boats are now taking tourists?
Pileh Lagoon
What is the problem with the water at Pileh Lagoon?
It is too polluted with plastic bottles and cigarette butts
Study Notes
Thai Tourism
- Ton Sai Bay in Phi Phi islands is a popular tourist destination, but the crowd size has decreased since the pandemic began in 2020.
- The absence of Chinese tourists, who were Thailand's biggest tourism market, has significantly impacted the industry.
- Despite the crowds, a local guide expressed concern that the current number of tourists is only half of what it was before the pandemic.
Maya Bay
- Maya Bay, a famous cove on Phi Phi Leh, is part of the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
- The bay was made famous by Danny Boyle's 2000 film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
- The influx of tourists after the movie's release damaged the coral and scared off the blacktip reef sharks that used the bay as a mating pool.
- Authorities closed Maya Bay to tourists in June 2018 and reopened it in January this year with limited visitors (380 per hour) and restricted activities (no swimming, no boat approaches).
Environmental Concerns
- Despite the new measures, Maya Bay was "inundated" during the Songkran holiday in April, prompting its closure again for two months.
- The bay's coral reefs have been severely damaged, with only 8% of the reefs alive when the bay was closed in 2018.
- Conservation efforts have replanted tens of thousands of new coral pieces, with about 50% of those surviving.
Overtourism
- The islands' small size and restricted infrastructure make it difficult to cope with large numbers of tourists.
- The negative impact of overtourism is evident in Pileh Lagoon, where party boats and careless daytrippers harm the environment.
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