South Thailand Island Koh Tachai to be indefinitely closed to tourists

Thai government Sunday announced to close the south Thailand Similan islands to tourists for five months, yet Koh Tachai island, one of the Similan islands, will not be reopened after the annual closure.

Thanya Netithammakun, Director General of Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation disclosed that similar islands, a group of famous scenic islands in Adaman Sea, will be closed off to tourists from May 15 to Oct. 15 in order to allow its natural resources to recover. However, the reopening date of Koh Tachai Island stays unknown in response to massive destruction caused by visitors.

According to Thanya, Koh Tachai Island only has the capacity to cater to about 70 tourists at a time. However, it turns out to be almost 1,000 people descend on it daily. Rolling out the welcome mat to the island for hordes of visitors poses a serious threat to the environment and natural treasures.

"We've informed tour operators of the indefinite closure of Koh Tachai Island three months in advance. But only to find there are still 14 tour agencies keeping selling the tour package of Koh Tachai Island when I gave a lecture in Tourism Authority of Thailand here today", said Thanya.

Any tour operator violating the rules will face legal charges and lose their license.

Thanya warned visitors not to be misled by tour operators who promise to arrange them a trip to the island during the closure.