Thai beach made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio to remain closed

Ko Phi Phi Ley beach. (AFP Relaxnews pic) AFP Relaxnews The Thai beach made famous for starring in the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach” wi...

Ko Phi Phi Ley beach. (AFP Relaxnews pic)

AFP Relaxnews

The Thai beach made famous for starring in the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach” will remain closed indefinitely.

In June, officials announced that the Ko Phi Phi beach in Maya Bay would be closed for four to six months both for monsoon season and to allow the local marine life and ecosystem – destroyed by overcrowding and pollution – to rehabilitate.

But late last week, officials signed an announcement extending the closure indefinitely, as the coral reefs and local environment have yet to make a full recovery, reports The Bangkok Post.

It’s been estimated that up to 4,000 tourists and hundreds of boats have been making visits to the white-sand beach, which became a tourist hotspot thanks to the 2000 DiCaprio thriller.

Officials say the beach won’t be reopened until it makes a full environmental recovery.