Visiting Maya Bay After Reopening: The 2026 Rulebook

Yes. Maya Bay reopened on 3 January 2022 after a three-and-a-half-year closure and remains open during the November-July high and shoulder seasons. It closes every year from 1 August to 30 September for monsoon recovery — this is fixed in the Department of National Parks regulations and is not subject to negotiation. Outside that window, the bay is open daily under a 375-visitor cap per timed slot. The reef and beach environment continue to recover; sightings of blacktip reef sharks in the shallows are common during the early morning slot, and the dunes have stabilised significantly compared to the pre-closure period.

No, swimming inside Maya Bay is prohibited and rangers actively patrol the high-water line. The rule was put in place to protect the regenerating reef and the blacktip reef sharks that returned during the 2018-2021 closure. You can swim at your tour boat's anchorage in Loh Samah Bay either before or after walking the boardwalk into Maya Bay, and many operators include a longer snorkel stop at neighbouring Pileh Lagoon. If swimming is your priority, choose a tour that explicitly includes Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island; visiting Maya Bay alone gives you only beach time and photography opportunities.

The Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park entrance fee is 400 THB per adult and 200 THB per child, payable in cash at the boardwalk entrance from Loh Samah Bay. Thai nationals pay 40 THB. Almost no tour operator includes this fee in the booking price, even on premium products — always confirm before booking and budget the cash separately. There are no ATMs or card machines on Phi Phi Leh, so withdraw enough THB in Phuket beforehand. The fee funds ranger salaries, boardwalk maintenance and the marine reserve management programme.

The 06:30 sunrise slot is the best experience by a wide margin: the slot caps at 50 boats versus 150+ during peak daytime, the light is dramatically better for photographs, and water clarity in adjacent Loh Samah Bay is highest before the afternoon wind chops the surface. Tours depart Phuket piers at 04:30, so you trade sleep for quality. Sunset slots at 16:30 are second-best. Standard mid-morning slots at 08:00-09:30 are the busiest and align with most regular Phi Phi day tours. Visit between November and April for calm seas and 10-15-metre visibility.

Maya Bay sits on Phi Phi Leh, 47 kilometres south-east of Phuket, with no public ferry service to the island itself. The only way to visit is by tour boat from Phuket or Phi Phi Don. From Phuket, dedicated Maya Bay speedboat tours depart Chalong Pier, Royal Marina or Rassada Pier between 04:30 (sunrise slot) and 08:30 (standard) and reach Loh Samah Bay in roughly 50 minutes. Standard Phi Phi day trips also include the Maya Bay boardwalk as one stop among five. Independent travellers staying on Phi Phi Don can charter a longtail at Tonsai Pier for around 2,500 THB.