The Phi Phi Islands (, , ) are an island group in Thailand located in the Strait of Malacca between the large island of Phuket and the Straitscoast in the 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, and are part of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The national park covers an area of . 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 : in length and wide. Phi Phi Le is . In total, the islands occupy .
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!style="background: #CCC;"| Nr!! style="background: #CCC;" class="unsortable"|Island !!style="background: #CCC;"| Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|1 || Ko Phi Phi Don ||align="right"|10.273
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|2 || Ko Phi Phi Le||align="right"|1.275
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|3 || Ko Mai Phai || align="right"|0.265
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|4 ||Ko Yung || align="right"|0.210
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|5 ||Ko Bida Nok ||align="right"|0.027
|-style="background:#FFFFFF;"
|6 ||Ko Bida Nai|| align="right"|0.013
|-style="background:#F2E0CE;" | class="sortbottom"
| colspan=2|Total ||align="right"|12.063
|}
Administration
thumb|170px|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 . Average rainfall per year is about , with wettest month being July and the driest February.
Post-tsunami reconstruction
thumb|[[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
thumb|[[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
<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</gallery>
See also
- List of islands of Thailand
- Setjetting