Supreme Court Orders Restoration of ‘The Beach’ Bay

KRABI, Sept 14 (TNA) – The Supreme Court’s Environmental Case Division ordered the Royal Forest Department to restore the Maya bay to its original condition after being affected by the shooting of The Beach movie.

Nineteen plaintiffs including the Krabi provincial administrative organization, the Ao Nang sub-district administrative organization and the Muang Krabi district office earlier filed a complaint with a court against the minister of agriculture and cooperatives, the Royal Forest Department, the director-general of the department at the time, Santa International Film Production Co and 20^th Century Fox Co. They were accused of violating the National Park Act and the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act.

The lawsuit concerned approval in 1998 for the shooting of The Beach on the beach of the Maya bay on Phi Phi island in the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province. The shooting required the modification of natural conditions at the scene.

The Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance ordering the Royal Forest Department to restore the original conditions of the beach and ordered Santa International Film Production Co and 20^th Century Fox Co to honor their compensation agreement, under which 20^th Century Fox would pay 10 million baht for the purpose.

The Court upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance to acquit the agriculture minister and the director-general of the Royal Forest Department. (TNA)