Similan Islands will be closed for five months for natural rehabilitation and management elevation, with e-tickets required for all tourists upon reopening.
The closure to the public and tourists will begin on Friday and will last until Oct 14, said Warawut Saengthong, acting chief of Mu Ko Similan National Park, located in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga province.
He said this measure follows the announcement by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for natural rehabilitation and tourist safety during the rainy season which officially began on Thursday.
The marine national park will also undertake improvements in each section, including buildings on the islands. There will be meetings with tour operators regarding management, services and rules, he added.
"Problems were still found during the opening period," Mr Warawut said. "For example, some ferry operators did not provide guidelines to tourists about travel rules on the islands, including those who caused environmental damage."
Illegal fishing within the national park was also reported, the official noted.
As Similan Islands are among the national parks adopting the department's e-ticket system, visitors will be required to purchase tickets online starting Oct 15, using their identification number if Thai or passport number if foreign.
Visitors can buy tickets either before their trip or before 8am on the day of their arrival.
If tour operators provide tourists' details that do not match the system records, they will face a fine of 5,000 baht, with penalties of 20,000 baht for a second offence and 100,000 baht for a third.
Repeated violations could lead to reconsideration of work permits, Mr Warawut warned.
The 140-square-kilometre park was temporarily closed to tourists on Monday and Tuesday due to severe summer storms and strong winds affecting the area.
