The Thai government is planning to adopt drastic measures against increasing environmental damage caused by tourism on three popular islands in southern Thailand. Starting in July, the government will ban fishing, fish feeding, anchoring on coral reefs, construction on the beach, and walking on the seabed on the islands. Last month, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued a ban on smoking and littering at 24 popular tourist beaches to tackle environmental concerns. Environmental rights groups have urged successive governments to protect Thailand’s palm-fringed beaches, which are frequently voted among the world’s most beautiful, from unregulated development and littering, among other things.