Overnight stays banned on Thailand’s Similan Island from October

Similan Island not suitable for overnight stays due to lack of fresh water

Tourists will no longer be allowed to stay overnight on Similan Island in Thailand’s Phang Nga province, a move made to protect the marine resources in the area, the Bangkok Post reports.

The ban will kick in this October, when the island reopens to tourists after a rainy season closure beginning last month. Only day trips will be allowed on this island.

Tourists will only be allowed to visit the island on day-trips

According to the Bangkok Post article, the island is the only one of the Moo Koh Similan National Park’s nine islands that provides bungalows and camping grounds for visitors.

Most of these overnight stay facilities, which are operated by the state, have already been dismantled by the National Park Office of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, department director Songtam Suksawang was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

The article also reported that Songtam cited “concerns over the impact of wastewater from houses on the park’s environment” as a chief motivating factor behind the ban.

As more natural attractions come under strain from visitor influx, the Thai government has in recent months taken a more active approach to regulate numbers at popular islands in the south. Maya Bay is now temporarily closed for four months for rehabilitation.

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