KRABI, THAILAND – Two French tourists were fined at Maya Bay after entering a designated no-swim zone, according to Thailand’s national park authorities.
Incident at Maya Bay: Swimming despite the ban
The Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park reported that a French man and woman entered an area where swimming was explicitly prohibited. The agency issued a statement on the matter on 18 April.
An investigation found that the incident took place on 26 February around noon at protection station PP.5 in Maya Bay. Officials said both tourists breached park regulations by entering the restricted zone.
Legal basis: National Park Act 2019
Park officers stated that the behaviour violated an order issued under Section 20 of the National Park Act 2019. Under this provision, visitors were required to follow rules set by authorised officers within the park.
According to the statement, these rules were implemented under guidelines determined by the director-general of the responsible agency. The aim was to ensure that protection measures in the national park were strictly enforced.
Possible penalties: Up to 100,000 baht
Those who ignored the regulations could be punished under Section 47 of the law, including a fine of up to 100,000 baht. The national park explicitly highlighted this in its announcement.
The two French tourists had already been dealt with under a settlement procedure (Settlement case No. 64/2569) dated 26 February 2026. The statement did not disclose further details on the exact amount of the fine.
Why Maya Bay received special protection
The park authority stressed that Maya Bay was seen as one of Thailand’s clearest examples of successful rehabilitation of marine resources. The bay had long been the focus of conservation and management measures.
Maya Bay was closed in 2018 for more than three years to allow nature to recover and reopened in 2022. Since then, stricter tourism rules had applied, including visitor limits and clearly marked non-swimming zones.
Consequences for visitors: Rules as part of the protection concept
The restrictions were intended to prevent sensitive coastal and marine areas from becoming overloaded again. The park administration made it clear that violations would not be treated as minor offences.
For travellers, this meant that on-site notices and instructions from rangers were binding, even if the water looked inviting. In protected areas in particular, individual breaches of the rules could undermine both acceptance and effectiveness of the conservation measures.
Similar case in Phuket: Rescue despite red flags
Separately, a tourist at Karon Beach in Phuket was rescued after entering the sea despite red warning flags. The flags had been raised due to dangerous conditions caused by strong waves and currents.
Witnesses reported that the foreign man was pulled out by a large wave and struggled in the surf zone while friends called for help. A lifeguard rushed into the water and brought him safely back to shore within a few minutes.
Your opinion
The original report raised questions on how strictly Thailand’s national parks should respond to violations such as swimming in restricted zones. It also asked how to balance tourism and nature conservation in places like Maya Bay.
The article further questioned whether stricter controls or greater personal responsibility by holidaymakers were needed when red flags at beaches such as Phuket’s Karon Beach were ignored.