Koh Larn, a spectacular island located about 11 km off Pattaya City, faces serious environmental problems, according to a government committee comprised of marine resources specialists, ecologists, university researchers, and economists.
Excessive tourism has damaged the island, the committee determined. The island, developed to accommodate up to 6,400 visitors a day, has been seeing between 9,000 and 10,000 tourists daily.
The committee has evaluated 13 areas on the island, including roads, port facilities, the public transport system, the water supply, and rubbish collection and recycling to determine how best to mitigate issues caused by the island’s popularity. It has recommended that tourist traffic be restricted and the infrastructure be improved to handle increased demands.