thumb|Phi Phi Don looking west
thumb|right|Sunset, Lohdalum Bay
Ko Phi Phi Don (, , ) is the largest of the islands in the Phi Phi archipelago, in Thailand. Phi Phi Don is 10.27 km<sup>2</sup> (3.76 mi<sup>2</sup>): 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) in length and 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) wide. Part of the islands are administratively part of Ao Nang in Krabi Province. It is the only island in the group with permanent inhabitants, although most are temporary workers servicing the tourist trade.
Like the other islands in the archipelago, Phi Phi Don is a non-volcanic island primarily made of limestone. It is almost split into two islands, but a narrow strip of flat land connects them. On this strand lies the largest settlement on the island, as well as most of the resorts.
Villages
- Ban Laem Tong
- Laem Tong
- Ban Ton Sai
- Hat Yao
2004 tsunami
thumb|left|upright|Phi Phi Don in the aftermath of the tsunami, March 2005
More than 1,000 people died on 26 December 2004, when a tsunami struck the island.
Lohdalum Bay was hit the hardest, with the majority of the bungalows and restaurants along the beach destroyed. There is a memorial for those killed in the tsunami on the beach facing Lohdalum Bay. Every year, there is a small memorial service where family members and friends come to pay their respects and share memories of those they lost. A moment of silence is observed at the time the tsunami hit.
There were three waves: the first flooded Lohdalum Bay, the second destroyed all the wooden buildings, and the third, and largest, ruined stone buildings as if they were made of sand. The tsunami lasted only three minutes (from 10:29 to 10:32), but it nearly destroyed the entire island.
Environment
thumb|upright|Long-tail boat on beach, Phi Phi Don
right|thumb|Nui Bay, Phi Phi Don
Most of the Phi Phi Islands are in a protected marine reserve, part of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. But parts of Phi Phi Don are outside the park's jurisdiction and are under the jurisdiction of and funded by the Ao Nang Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO). Its budget is based on the number of permanent, registered residents and does not account for visitors. The island has very few documented residents. Most who service the tourist trade are registered residents elsewhere in Thailand. The number of residents, permanent and temporary, is dwarfed by the number of visitors. Thus, the Ao Nang TAO allocates only about 170 million baht per year to the Phi Phis. Underfunding has contributed to serious environmental issues.
Solid waste
The Phi Phi Islands in 2014 produced an average of 25 tonnes of solid waste a day, jumping to 40 tonnes during the high season that runs roughly from November to April. All tourists arriving on the island pay a 20 baht fee at Ton Sai Pier to assist in "keeping Ko Phi Phi clean". The money, up to 20,000 baht per day (2014), is then paid to a private company to haul roughly 20 tonnes of rubbish from the island to Krabi for disposal. In 2014, the Ao Nang TAO paid 600,000 baht per month for this service. Collections from visitors amount to only about a third of the sum needed to effectively handle the solid waste generated.
See also
- List of islands of Thailand