Ko Phi Phi Don

Here is Why Ko Phi Phi is NOT Worth Visting | Nomadic Matt

"I hated Ko Phi Phi. I first visited after the deadly 2004 tsunami to help with rebuilding and initially thought that if development were limited the island wouldn’t be half bad, but over the years the government didn’t follow through and the place became horribly overdeveloped: hotels everywhere, boats ringing the island, bars lining the inner beach from end to end, the little street-stall food court near the dock gone, and resorts, tourists, and loud music inescapable. It turned into an overpriced party island filled with drunk tourists, booze cruises, pricey boat trips, more Western restaurants than Thai, a McDonald’s, terrible food, and unfriendly locals (though I don’t fault them for having to deal with obnoxious tourists). The island is crowded and dirty — mornings there’s more trash than beach, coral swept in by the sea litters the inner beach, trash and sewage are dumped into the water, and a thin film of fuel coats the water — and Ko Phi Phi even charges a 20 baht “conservation” fee that feels like conserving their bank balance. The town’s buildings are so tightly packed you lose any sense of being on an island; to me it’s an ugly, overpriced destination that has lost what little soul it had left, and I don’t see myself returning." - Matthew Kepnes