The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced today that they plan on closing 5 popular tourism islands in the Rayong province in the east of Thailand. The islands – Kham Island, Kruay Island, Ku Dee Island, Pla Teen Island, and Talu Island – are set to be closed for 4 months.
The announcement stated that the islands would be closed to all tourists beginning June 1, and continue until the end of September.
The islands are popular among domestic and international tourists, with Kham, Pla Teen and Talu all being ranked as top scuba diving sites in Thailand. Kham is known for its incredibly powdery white sands, with a sandbar stretching to neighbouring Kruay, a limestone island. Popular island hopping trips from Pattaya or Koh Samet frequent these 5 islands but will be suspended for the closing until September 30.