Ko Phi Phi Ley Beach Thailand

Phi Phi Ley Beach Thailand, originally uploaded by IMP1.

Ko Phi Phi Lee is an island of the Phi Phi archipelago, in the Andaman Sea. It belongs to the Krabi province of Thailand. Mahya Bay (or Maya Bay) is popular for diving, and has become even more popular after the 2000 movie The Beach was filmed there. According to the Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook, the 2004 tsunami dramatically improved the look of Maya Bay. This was due to the fact that the high waves had cleaned up the beach and removed all the landscaping the Fox production team had added.


Koh Phi Phi, originally uploaded by IMP1.

Prior to 2004 the island had avoided development. However, it is now a part of Phi Phi National Park and has since begun to see the beginnings of development and some clearing of natural plant life. There are current plans to build bungalows on the island and as of 2004 an entry-fee of 40 Baht has been charged; as of February 2007 the charge for private visitors has been raised to Bt200 per person. There are now permanent basic facilities on the island - toilets, a snack bar and camping sites.