Closing the ‘world’s best beach’: Balancing tourism and sustainability on Thailand’s Koh Kradan

Nearly the entire 2.4 square-kilometre island falls under Hat Chao Mai National Park, meaning authorities have a mandate to enforce an annual, seasonal closure period.

This began in Koh Kradan more than five years ago, and similar closures of national park areas happen right across Thailand during this time of year.

There is no permanent local community on the island, and all of the small resorts on the island are meant to cease operations during the seasonal closure and not bring in any tourists. When CNA visited, one resort remained open despite the decree, amid an ongoing land dispute.

As the island breathes, local officials from the Department of National Parks are making preparations for when it can reopen on Oct 1. A modern tourist centre has been constructed and management plans are being put in place to better organise increased arrivals and deal with waste.

“After it was selected (as the best beach), the number of tourists has increased a lot, which is a good opportunity to start over,” said Pharit Narasaridkul, the chief of Hat Chao Mai National Park.

“The increased number of tourists means that Trang province’s economy is better. There’s more spending in the economic sector, social sector and also in local areas. So, we consider this as a good opportunity for the local people to upgrade their quality of lives,” he said. 

Closing the “world’s best beach” seems like a difficult decision to make, when the economic benefits of staying open could be lucrative for local communities.