Phi Phi Islands

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Thai archipelago in the Strait of Malacca

title: "Phi Phi Islands" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["geography-of-krabi-province", "archipelagoes-of-thailand", "islands-of-the-strait-of-malacca", "populated-places-in-krabi-province", "car-free-islands-of-asia"] description: "Thai archipelago in the Strait of Malacca" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Phi_Islands" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Thai archipelago in the Strait of Malacca ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox island"]

Field	Value
native_name	หมู่เกาะพีพี
native_name_lang	TH
motto
image	KohPhiPhi.JPG
image_caption	Beach surrounded by limestone cliffs, typical of the islands
location	Strait of Malacca
archipelago	Phi Phi Islands
total_islands	6
major_islands	Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le
area_km2	12.06
country	Thailand
country_admin_divisions_title	Province
country_admin_divisions	Krabi
country_admin_divisions_title_1	District
country_admin_divisions_1	Mueang Krabi
country_admin_divisions_title_2	Tambon
country_admin_divisions_2	Ao Nang
country_largest_city_type	village
country_largest_city	Ban Ko Phi Phi
population_as_of	2018
population	2,500
utc_offset	+7
coordinates
languages	Thai, Southern Thai, Urak Lawoi
ethnic_groups	Urak Lawoi
timezone	ICT
postal_code	81210
::

The Phi Phi Islands (, , ) are an island group in Thailand located in the Andaman Sea between the large island of Phuket and the Straits of Malacca coast of Krabi Province The islands are administratively part of Krabi Province. Ko Phi Phi Don (, ) (ko 'island') is the largest and most populated island of the group, although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Le (, ) are visited by many people as well. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Nai, and Ko Mai Phai, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea. The islands are reachable by ferries, speedboats or long-tail boats, most often from Krabi town or from ports in Phuket Province.

Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Thai Malay fishermen during the late-1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The resident Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80 percent Muslim. The current population however—if counting transient workers—is more Buddhist than Muslim. The resident population is between 2,000 and 3,000 people (2018).

The islands came to worldwide prominence when Ko Phi Phi Le was used as a location for the 2000 British-American film The Beach. This attracted criticism, with claims that the film company had damaged the island's environment—the producers supposedly bulldozed beach areas and planted palm trees to make it better resemble descriptions in the book, an accusation the filmmakers contest. An increase in tourism was attributed to the film's release, which resulted in increased environmental degradation. Phi Phi Le is home to the "Viking Cave", where there is a thriving industry harvesting edible bird's nests.

Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was destroyed.

Etymology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Sunset_over_a_gypsy_boat_on_Koh_Phi_Phi_Island.jpg" caption="Gypsy boat, Ko Phi Phi"] ::

The name Phi Phi (pronounced "phi-phi") originates from Malay. The original name for the islands was Pulau Api-Api ('the fiery isle'). The name refers to the Pokok Api-Api, or "fiery tree" (grey mangrove) which is found on the islands.

Geography

There are six islands in the group known as Phi Phi. They lie 46 km southeast of Phuket and are part of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The national park covers an area of 242,437 rai. which is home to an abundance of corals and marine life. There are limestone mountains with cliffs, caves, and long white sandy beaches.

Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le are the largest and best-known islands. Phi Phi Don is 10.27 km2: 8 km in length and 3.5 km wide. Phi Phi Le is 1.27 km2. In total, the islands occupy 12.06 km2.

| File:Isla Phi Phi Lay, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 22.JPG|| File:Ko Phi Phi Le 4.jpg|View of the northern part of Ko Phi Phi Le | File:Isla Phi Phi Lay, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 07.JPG|Phi Phi Le Island ::data[format=table]

Nr	Island	Area (km2)
1	Ko Phi Phi Don	10.273
2	Ko Phi Phi Le	1.275
3	Ko Mai Phai	0.265
4	Ko Yung	0.210
5	Ko Bida Nok	0.027
6	Ko Bida Nai	0.013
Total	12.063
::

Administration

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Phi_Phi_Map.svg" caption="Phi Phi Islands"] ::

There are two administrative villages on Ko Phi Phi under the administration of the Ao Nang sub-district, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi Province. There are nine settlements under these two villages.

The villages are:

Laem Thong (บ้านแหลมตง, Mu 8, between 300 and 500 people) :* Ban Ko Mai Phai :* Ban Laem Tong :* Ao Loh Bakhao :* Ao Lana
Ko Phi Phi (บ้านเกาะพีพี, Mu 7, between 1,500 - 2,000 people) :* Ao Maya (about 10 people, mostly in the ranger station) :* Ton Sai, the capital and largest settlement :* Hat Yao :* Ao Lodalum :* Laem Pho

Climate

Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park is influenced by tropical monsoon winds. There are two seasons: the rainy season from May till December and the hot season from January till April. Average temperature ranges between 17 –. Average rainfall per year is about 2,231 mm, with wettest month being July and the driest February.

Transportation and communication

Roads

Since the re-building of Ko Phi Phi after the 2004 tsunami, paved roads now cover the vast majority of Ton Sai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay. All roads are for pedestrian use only with push carts used to transport goods and bags. The only permitted motor vehicles are reserved for emergency services. Bicycling is the most popular form of transport in Ton Sai.

Air

The nearest airport is Krabi which is in the same province as the Phi Phi Islands. Phuket and Trang airports are also nearby. Phuket has a direct connection by road and boat. There is a road and boat connection from Trang to Phi Phi via Koh Lanta but services only operate between November and March.

Ferry

There are frequent ferry boats to Ko Phi Phi from Phuket, Ko Lanta, and Krabi.

There is a large modern deep water government pier on Tonsai Bay, Phi Phi Don Village, completed in late-2009.

Tourism

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Ko_Phi_Phi_after_sunset,_preparing_for_the_night.JPG" caption="Sunset, Ko Phi Phi Don"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Phi_Phi_party.jpg" caption="Phi Phi party"] ::

The islands feature beaches and clear water, and the natural environment is protected by national park status. At the beginning of the year 1992, the government began imposing a 5 baht fee on each visitor to the islands, in order to pay the laborers who collect and burn refuse and who also help "to provide waterway transportation and security for tourists". Since the release of the movie The Beach in 2000, which was partly filmed on Ko Phi Phi Le, tourism to the islands has exploded.

Phi Phi Le's Maya Bay was closed to tourists from June 2018 until January 2022, to enable the ecosystem to recover.

Medical

There is a small government hospital on Phi Phi Island, for emergencies. Its primary purpose is to stabilize emergencies and evacuate to a Krabi hospital by sea. It is between the Phi Phi Cabana Hotel and the Ton Sai Towers, about a 5–7 minute walk from the main pier. There are two Private Hospitals, The World Med Center is on Tonsai Bay, and a second smaller branch is near Loh Dalum Beach.

2004 tsunami

On 26 December 2004, much of the inhabited part of Phi Phi Don was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The island's main village, Ton Sai (Banyan Tree, ), is built on a sandy isthmus between the island's two long, tall limestone ridges. On both sides of Ton Sai are semicircular bays lined with beaches. The isthmus rises less than 2 m above sea level.

Shortly after 10:00 on 26 December, the water from both bays receded. When the tsunami hit, at 10:37, it did so from both bays, and met in the middle of the isthmus. The wave that came into Ton Sai Bay was 3 m high. The wave that came into Loh Dalum Bay was 6.5 m high. The force of the larger wave from Loh Dalum Bay pushed the tsunami and also breached low-lying areas in the limestone karsts, passing from Laa Naa Bay to Bakhao Bay, and at Laem Thong (Sea Gypsy Village), where 11 people died. Apart from these breaches, the east side of the island experienced only flooding and strong currents. A tsunami memorial was built to honor the deceased but has since been removed for the building of a new hotel in 2015.

At the time of the tsunami, the island had an estimated 10,000 occupants, including tourists.

Post-tsunami reconstruction

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/PhiPhiAftermath.jpg" caption="[[Ko Phi Phi Don]], March 2005 in the aftermath of the tsunami."] ::

After the tsunami, approximately 70% of the buildings on the island had been destroyed. By the end of July 2005, an estimated 850 bodies had been recovered, and an estimated 1,200 people were still missing. The total number of fatalities is unlikely to be known. Local tour guides cite the figure 4,000. Of Phi Phi Don residents, 104 surviving children had lost one or both parents.

In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the permanent residents were housed in a refugee camp at Nong Kok in Krabi Province.

On 6 January 2005, a former Dutch resident of Phi Phi, Emiel Kok, set up a voluntary organization, Help International Phi Phi ("HI Phi Phi"). HI Phi Phi recruited 68 Thai staff from the refugee camp, as well as transient backpacker volunteers (of whom more than 3,500 offered their assistance), and returned to the island to undertake clearing and rebuilding work. On 18 February 2005, a second organization, Phi Phi Dive Camp, was set up to remove the debris from the bays and coral reef, most of which was in Ton Sai Bay.

By the end of July 2005, 23,000 tonnes of debris had been removed from the island, of which 7,000 tonnes had been cleared by hand. "We try and do as much as possible by hand," said Kok, "that way we can search for passports and identification." The majority of buildings that were deemed fit for repair by government surveyors had been repaired, and 300 businesses had been restored. HI Phi Phi was nominated for a Time Magazine Heroes of Asia award.

As of 6 December 2005, nearly 1,500 hotel rooms were open, and a tsunami early-warning alarm system had been installed by the Thai government with the help of volunteers.

Impact of mass tourism

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Bryde´s_whale.jpg" caption="[[Bryde's whale]] swims off the islands"] ::

Since the tsunami, Phi Phi has come under greater threat from mass tourism. Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, an environmental activist and member of Thailand's National Reform Council, is campaigning to have Phi Phi tourist numbers capped before its natural beauty is completely destroyed. With southern Thailand attracting thousands more tourists every day, marine biology lecturer Dr Thon makes the point that the ecosystem is under threat and disappearing rapidly.

In 2014, tourists paid a 20-baht fee to fund waste removal, with 600,000 baht spent monthly on transporting trash to the mainland. However, Phi Phi lacked a wastewater treatment plant, and officials expressed doubt over businesses properly managing sewage. Budget constraints persisted as funding was based on residents, not visitors.

As of 2016, Phi Phi Island received over 1,000 tourists daily, generating 25–40 tonnes of waste, much of it untreated. 83% of wastewater was released into the ocean without treatment.

In June 2018, Maya Beach, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio's 2000 film The Beach, was closed indefinitely to allow it to recover. The beach used to receive up to 5,000 tourists and 200 boats a day. It reopened January 1, 2022.

Gallery

File:Ko Phi Phi Leh definitive vertical limestone cliff as seen from the water, Thailand.jpg|Vertical limestone cliffs of Ko Phi Phi Le File:Maya beach tropical paradise, Koh Phi Phi Leh, Thailand.jpg|Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Le File:Gypsies.jpg|"Sea gypsy" boats, Ko Phi Phi File: Phiphi islands beach.jpg|Ko Phi Phi Don beach File:Isla Phi Phi Lay, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 04.JPG|Long-tail boat on the shore of Ko Phi Phi Le Playa Maya, Ko Phi Phi, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 15.JPG|Longtail boats, Maya Beach

References

Notes

Sources

References

WEEKLY, TTR. (2022-11-09). "Conde Nest ranks Asia's top islands".
(12 December 2018). "Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands face drinking water crisis, and too many tourists are to blame". [[South China Morning Post]].
(11 February 2020). "Leonardo DiCaprio's 'The Beach' Predicted the Worst of Influencer Culture". Vox.
"How to Get From Phuket to Koh Phi Phi in 2023".
"Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park".
"Koh Phi Phi".
(2022-11-06). "‘Wildlife is coming back’ – Maya Bay’s recovery 2 decades on from The Beach".
"PhiPhiDiveCamp.com". Phiphidivecamp.com.
Marshall, Andrew. (2005-10-03). "Help International Phi Phi".
(2015-03-21). "Mass Tourism Makes 'a Slum' of Phi Phi". Phuket Wan Tourism News.
(2014-10-25). "Special Report: Phi Phi cries for help". The Taiger.
Gazette, Legacy Phuket. (2016-03-03). "Phi Phi Island releases 83% wastewater untreated".
Ellis-Petersen, Hannah. (2018-10-03). "Thailand bay made famous by The Beach closed indefinitely". The Guardian.
Cripps, Karla. (2021-11-15). "Thailand bay made famous by ‘The Beach’ finally reopens".

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