Maya Bay Rules for Boat Visitors: Access, Swimming and Seasonal Closures

If you are planning a boat trip to Phi Phi and Maya Bay is on your list, the short answer is this: the bay is closed every year in August and September, and its reopening was set for 1 October 2026. When it is open, you can come ashore and see the famous beach, but you cannot swim in the bay. Boats do not run up onto the beach either. They drop visitors at the pier in Loh Sama Bay and then wait at designated buoys.

This guide is for anyone visiting Maya Bay by boat, and especially for groups on a private charter. It covers when the bay is closed, what you can and cannot do there, how boats land, and what to ask your operator so the day matches what you expect.

When Maya Bay is closed

Maya Bay is on Phi Phi Leh, inside Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province. The park closes it every year from 1 August to 30 September. According to Time Out Bangkok, which reported on 29 September 2026, the bay was set to reopen on 1 October 2026 after this year's closure, which falls during the southwest monsoon.

The closure is not limited to Maya Bay itself. In 2024 and 2025, the closure notices covered neighbouring Loh Sama Bay as well, and the 2024 notices also named Lo Ko (Lor Kor) Bay, according to Thailand's Government Public Relations Department, the Bangkok Post and Thaiger. The reasons given are the same each year: to let coral reefs, shorelines and marine life recover from heavy tourist use, and to keep visitors safe when strong winds and waves make the area hazardous. The government notice also reported that 92 blacktip reef sharks were found in the area in June 2024.

During the closure, tour boats cannot dock at the Loh Samah Bay pier, which the Bangkok Post described as the entrance to Maya Bay. The rest of the national park stays open. Thaiger reported that Phi Phi Don, Ton Sai Bay, Monkey Beach and certified dive sites remained open during the 2025 closure.

Even outside the closure, Time Out Bangkok notes that access can depend on conditions at sea. A booked visit is not a guarantee if the weather turns.

Can you swim at Maya Bay?

No. Swimming in Maya Bay is prohibited under the park's conservation rules to protect the coral reefs, as Time Out Bangkok reported ahead of the October 2026 reopening. Khaosod English reported the same ban when the bay reopened in 2024.

That matters for planning. If your group pictures a swim off the famous beach, Maya Bay is a place to look at, not a place to swim. Plan your swimming and snorkelling at other stops on the route.

Elsewhere around Phi Phi Leh, the park zones the water. In April 2026, The Phuket News reported that red buoys and rope barriers divide the water near Maya Bay and Viking Cave: outer areas allow snorkelling, while inner shallow reef sections are strictly off-limits. Rangers monitor visitors, and the park was pursuing action after a tourist was filmed standing on coral. The park's statement was that ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.

How boats land: Loh Sama Bay pier

Boats do not drop visitors on the Maya Bay beach. When the bay reopened in 2024, Khaosod English reported the park's arrangements:

• Boats must dock at the Loh Sama Bay pier to drop off visitors.
• After unloading, boats must move to designated buoys and follow officials' instructions.
• Anchoring in coral areas is not allowed.

For a private boat, this means your captain cannot simply anchor off the beach and let you swim ashore. Your group goes ashore at the pier, and the boat waits at a buoy. Ask your operator how they handle the pick-up and how long the wait is likely to be.

Visitor limits and time slots

Maya Bay has had controls on visitor numbers since it reopened in 2022 after its long closure from 2018, according to Time Out Bangkok. The most detailed published figures come from Khaosod English's report on the 2024 reopening, which quoted the park's head:

• A daily cap of 4,125 visitors.
• Visits in 11 rounds, each admitting up to 375 people and lasting no more than one hour.
• Visiting hours from 07:00 to 18:00.

These are the 2024 figures. No official update for the 2026–27 season was available when this was checked, so treat them as a guide and ask your operator what applies on your date. The one-hour limit is the part most likely to shape your day: plan Maya Bay as a short, timed stop.

Other park rules to know

The same 2024 report listed the ecotourism rules visitors must follow. These apply to private groups as much as to group tours:

• Do not collect coral, sea fans, shells or marine animals.
• Do not use sunscreen containing chemicals harmful to coral.
• Do not bring foam containers.
• Do not litter or feed the fish.
• Do not fly a drone without permission.
• Do not anchor in coral areas.

If you plan to bring a drone or want photos from the air, ask your operator well ahead whether permission is realistic. Otherwise leave it in the bag.

What a private boat can and cannot do at Maya Bay

A private charter gives you control over the order of your stops and how long you spend at each. It does not change the park's rules. In practice:

• It can fit Maya Bay into a Phi Phi route while the bay is open, time the stop around your group, and drop you at the Loh Sama Bay pier.
• It cannot land you on the beach, let you swim in the bay, anchor in coral areas, or visit during the August–September closure.
• It may not be able to stop at all if sea conditions or park arrangements on the day do not allow it.

The Phi Phi Islands charter guide from the charter service behind this site puts it plainly: Maya Bay has managed access, and a route past it is not a promise to swim or land there. The same page notes that stops can change on the day at the captain's discretion, and that the quote should say which park fees are included. Park fee amounts are not covered here because no current official figure was available when this was checked; ask for them in writing.

Phi Phi is a long day from Phuket, and how much of it you spend at the islands depends on the boat. The comparison of catamarans and speedboats explains how boat choice affects a longer route. For the costs that tend to change a Phi Phi quote, such as fuel for the route and park fees, see what a private charter in Phuket costs. Blue Andaman's private day charter planning notes and its charter FAQ are also worth a read before you request a quote.

If your dates fall in August or September

You can still visit the Phi Phi Islands in August and September. Only Maya Bay and the neighbouring bays named in the closure notice are shut. But the closure coincides with the monsoon, so ask your operator how they decide whether a crossing is safe, and what happens if the weather cancels the trip. If seeing Maya Bay is the main reason for your trip, choose a date from October onwards.

Questions to ask before you book

• Is a stop at Maya Bay actually planned on this route, or does the boat only pass by?
• Is Maya Bay open on our date, and how will you confirm that closer to the day?
• Will we land at the Loh Sama Bay pier, and how does pick-up work afterwards?
• How long will we have ashore, and are there time slots or visitor limits on our date?
• Are national park fees included in the quote, and how much are they per person?
• Where on this route can we swim and snorkel, since swimming in Maya Bay is not allowed?
• Do you provide reef-safe sunscreen, or should we bring our own?
• What happens to the Maya Bay stop, and to the trip, if sea conditions are poor?