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The Beach was released in February 2000. It follows a young traveller who finds a secret beach in Thailand, cut off from the world by cliffs. Maya Bay, on the uninhabited island of Ko Phi Phi Le, played that beach.
The film was a hit with backpackers, and the bay stopped being a secret. Within two decades it was taking thousands of visitors a day, and the reef paid for it. The bay closed in 2018 and reopened in 2022 under strict rules.
The quick answer
The Beach (2000), directed by Danny Boyle and with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, was filmed at Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le in 1999. The studio reshaped the beach for filming, and in 2006 Thailand's Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the filming harmed the environment. The film turned Maya Bay into one of Thailand's best-known beaches. Mass tourism led to the 2018 closure; the bay reopened in 2022 with no swimming and a cap on visitors.
What film was filmed on Maya Bay?
The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead. It was shot at Maya Bay in 1999 and released in February 2000.
The film is based on a novel about a hidden beach community. Maya Bay suited the story: a short curve of white sand inside a ring of steep limestone hills, open to the sea on one side. On screen it looks like a place nobody could find.
Today you reach it on a day trip with a short walk from the pier. Compare the boats in the best Maya Bay tour.
Where did Leonardo DiCaprio film in Thailand?
The main beach scenes were shot at Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le, in Krabi province, in 1999.
Ko Phi Phi Le is a small uninhabited island of about 2 square kilometres, inside the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Besides Maya Bay it has Loh Samah, a second bay behind the cliffs, and Pileh Lagoon, a shallow, fjord-like inlet.
Many tours now pass all three. Boats dock at Loh Samah, and visitors walk across to the beach the film made famous.
How did the filming change the beach?
20th Century Fox reshaped the beach for the film, altering dunes and changing the plants. In 2006 Thailand's Supreme Court upheld a ruling that the filming harmed the environment.
The studio wanted the beach to look like the one in the story, so the sand and dunes were reworked and palms were planted and cleared. Environmental groups took the case to court, and the ruling against the filming was upheld years later.
The bigger change came after release. A beach seen by millions became a place everyone on a Thailand trip wanted to stand. For today's rules, read Maya Bay rules.
Bamboo Island first, lunch at a Phi Phi resort and Maya Bay last, when the beach is quieter.
Book thisWhy is Maya Bay so famous?
The film made it famous, and the setting kept it famous: white sand, clear water and cliffs that close the bay in.
Before 2018, the bay took about 5,000 visitors a day on average, up to 7,000 or 8,000 at peak. A drone count found almost 100 boats in the bay at once. Reef cover fell from most of the reef intact to less than a tenth.
That fame is still the reason most Phi Phi day trips put Maya Bay on their route. Between October 2023 and July 2024 about 1.68 million people visited, under the new limits.
What happened on Phi Phi Island?
Phi Phi Don, the main inhabited island, was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. The island rebuilt in the years that followed.
The tsunami struck on 26 December 2004 and hit the low strip of land between the two bays of Phi Phi Don hardest, where much of the island's life was. It remains part of the island's story, and visitors are right to treat it with respect.
Today Phi Phi Don is again the hub of the archipelago, with hotels, the pier at Tonsai and boats to Maya Bay. To stay there and reach the bay early, see Maya Bay from Phi Phi Don.
Why did Maya Bay close in 2018?
To save the reef. The national park closed the bay in June 2018, kept it closed for more than three years and reopened it on 1 January 2022.
The closure was announced as four months and made indefinite on 1 October 2018. Over 30,000 coral fragments were replanted, and about half survived. Blacktip reef sharks returned about three months after the closure; a survey cited at the reopening counted 161.
The bay reopened with new rules: no boats in the bay, no swimming, about an hour per visitor and a cap on numbers. It also closes each year from 1 August to 30 September.
Why is Phi Phi Island so famous?
For Maya Bay and the film, and for the scenery around it: Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, white beaches and clear water for snorkelling.
The Phi Phi archipelago packs limestone cliffs, lagoons and reefs into a small area. Pileh Lagoon is an emerald inlet walled by cliffs. Bamboo Island is a flat white-sand island for swimming. Viking Cave is seen from the boat on several trips.
The Phuket buffet-lunch day covers the classic list: Maya Bay first for 50 minutes, Pileh, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, a snorkel, lunch on Phi Phi Don, Nui Bay and 1.5 hours on Bamboo Island.
The film beach first, then Pileh, snorkelling, lunch and Bamboo Island in one Phuket day.
Book thisHow can I see Maya Bay today?
On a boat trip in the open months, with an hour on the sand and no swimming. Land early or late for a quieter beach.
From Phuket, the premium day saves Maya Bay for last, 40 minutes before the ride home. From Phi Phi Don, the sunset trip lands for an hour in the afternoon, then watches the sun go down off Phi Phi Le. For seasons and dates, see is Maya Bay closed.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen, water and a hat. Take nothing from the beach; collecting shells and coral is banned.
An hour on the film beach in the afternoon, then sunset at sea off Phi Phi Le.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Is The Beach filmed at Maya Bay?
Yes. The Beach was shot at Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le in 1999 and released in February 2000.
Can you visit the beach from The Beach?
Yes, on a boat trip, from October to July. It closes each year from 1 August to 30 September.
Can you swim where The Beach was filmed?
No. Swimming is banned in the Maya Bay area; wading at the waterline is tolerated.
Who directed The Beach?
Danny Boyle, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role.
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Phi Phi & Bamboo Premium Day with Seaview Lunch
Bamboo Island first and Maya Bay at the end of the day, with a resort lunch on Phi Phi in between
Maya Bay, Phi Phi & Bamboo Island by Speedboat
- Maya Bay as the first stop, with about 50 minutes on the beach
- Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach and a snorkel stop off Phi Phi Le
- Buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don, then about an hour and a half on Bamboo Island
Maya Bay Sunset & Plankton by Speedboat
An afternoon from Tonsai Pier: Pileh, an hour on Maya Bay, then sunset at Phi Phi Le and glowing plankton
