One of Thailand's most beautiful islands is closing after tourists have destroyed it

 A beautiful island in the south of Thailand is set to close due to impact of heavy tourism on its environment.

The stunning Koh Tachai, the northernmost of the Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea, has been bombarded with visitors over the last few years but the result hasn't been positive.

In fact, the small island, with its dreamy white sand beaches and turquoise waters, can really only accommodate 70 visitors a day.

But crowds of up to 1,000 have been arriving almost every day, damaging its fragile ecosystem.

And with the crowds it's no surprise that there's been excess traffic on the waters, and a rise of street vendors and food stalls, all contributing to the damage.

"We have to close [the island] to allow the rehabilitation of the environment, both on the island and in the sea, without being disturbed by tourism activities [and] before the damage is beyond repair," Tunya Netithammakul, head of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, told the Bangkok Post.

Koh Tachai is part of a national park that is closed off annually to tourists from May to October 15 for the duration of the monsoon season. But now it will be closed indefinitely.