Authorities in Thailand have ordered the temporary closing of the beach made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach to halt environmental damage caused by too many tourists.
Areas with a bleak sea life environment and coral bleaching were now teeming with robust and colorful sea life and coral, he said.
More than 35 million tourists visited Thailand last year, compared with about 10 million when The Beach premiered in 2000.
The decision to keep visitors away was made on Wednesday by Thailand’s national parks and wildlife department.