Key Points
- Thailand National Park authorities closed Maya Bay – one of the country’s most iconic tourism destinations – for four years to allow for ecological restoration.
- Despite successes, a leading Thai marine expert warns against ineffective short-term solutions.
- The world is currently experiencing its fourth global coral bleaching event.
In Thailand, it has been six years since authorities decided to close a world-renowned tourist destination to allow for ecological restoration.
At its peak, Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island, the iconic setting for the 2000 film The Beach, received approximately 3,000 to 4,000 visitors daily and was littered with rubbish from tour boats.
After significant recovery, parts of Noparat Tara-Phi Phi national parks reopened to the public in January 2022.
Environmentally sensitive areas and habitats for endangered species, however, have remained closed.
Tourists flock to Thailand's popular beach destination Maya Bay in the Andaman Sea. Source: AAP, AP / AAP/AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
As the architect of the Phi Phi Model, an extensive road map to rejuvenate marine ecology around the Phi Phi Islands, he is credited with convincing authorities to originally close Maya Bay.
Thumrongnawasawat told SBS Thai that the closure contributed to re-growing coral communities, apex predators returning and restoring the reputation of the bay as a premium tourist destination.
The 'Phi Phi Model'
"We were able to restore coral reefs damaged by boat anchoring, bringing about ecological rejuvenation around Maya Bay and resulting in more than 200 black tip reef sharks returning," he said.
"This showcases the Phi Phi Model success story. Therefore, the restoration plan will remain in place as long as needed on Maya Bay and other areas."
In 2018, the DNP announced tour boat regulations to prevent activities that harm the island.
These measures included reducing the number of visitors, designing a suitable entrance area, and prohibiting activities such as swimming and snorkelling that damage coral reefs and marine biology systems.
After significant recovery, some parts of the Noparat Tara-Phi Phi national parks reopened to the public just after the end of the pandemic. Credit: Supplied/Thon Thumrongnawasawat
Thumrongnawasawat said the reefs in Thailand suffered significantly from global bleaching.
"We didn't expect [coral bleaching] would happen so soon and cover such a vast area. It's especially prevalent on the eastern Gulf of Thailand coast, including Rayong, Chon Buri, or Chumphon," Thumrongnawasawat said.
Coral reefs and tourism
The world is currently experiencing its fourth global coral bleaching event, which is when coral systems expel the algae that provide their nutrients and colour, indicating they are under extreme stress.
In March, Australia's Great Barrier Reef experienced its fifth mass bleaching in the last eight years, according to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Thumrongnawasawat said global bleaching impacted economies, marine ecology and coastal communities around the world.
"The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most famous destinations in Australia. Without coral reefs, there will be no more tourists, which will affect the tourism industry," he said.
This is a problem shared by Thailand, where tourism accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the GDP prior to the pandemic in 2019, according to Export and Finance Australia.
"If Surin, Similan National Park, and other attractions in Thailand are gone, the nation will lose billions of dollars in income. Other problems will be ecosystem imbalance and coastal erosion," Thumrongnawasawat said.
According to Tourism and Events Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef is Australia's top tourist attraction and a national income contributor. The reef generates approximately $6.4 billion for the Australian economy.
It is also known for the strong legislative protection provided by the Australian and Queensland governments.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority regulates tourism access through a permitting system, a multi-user zoning plan, and limited activities to improve the environment's long-term resilience.
It is also governed under the Reef 2050 Sustainability Plan, through which the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water aims to protect and restore the World Heritage Site.
Global bleaching impacts economies, marine ecology and coastal communities around the world, Thon Thumrongnawasawat said. Credit: Supplied/SBS Thai
Coral restoration, including heat-tolerant corals and cryopreservation technologies are common strategies to adapt to global warming.
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation also urges worldwide collaboration and partnership to respond to climate change.
Does conservation offer a long-term solution?
Already, climate change has decimated half of the world's coral reefs. With more than 50 countries affected across three oceans impacted by the latest event, it is projected to be the most significant global bleaching crisis.
Dr Simon Bradshaw, research director at the Climate Council, warned mass bleaching was a wake-up call to "cut down emissions".
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Climate change bites Australia
"Science shows that if we allow this to continue without resolution, we may see this bleaching every year after 2044. In other words, we could lose the Great Barrier Reef and nearly all tropical reefs worldwide," he told SBS in April.
Despite worldwide efforts to conserve and develop technology to help relieve the underwater world's crisis caused by human activities and local threats, Thumrongnawasawat warned there was no quick fix to this problem.
It doesn't matter how hard we try to lock the door after the horse (has bolted); it is not a sustainable solution. We need to target the root cause of the problem.Thon Thumrongnawasawat, marine scientist
"The Phi Phi Model might experience great success, resulting in more than 200 sharks coming back to the area. However, during rising sea temperatures, not only coral bleaching but sea grass browning also occurred," Thumrongnawasawat said.
"Many dugongs have been migrating to busy tourist areas where they can find food, resulting in many deaths in speedboat accidents."
Thailand and Australia, who placed 42 and 55 in the global Climate Change Performance Index 2023, have a long road ahead with little time.
