The Phi Phi archipelago sits 48 kilometers southeast of Phuket, a cluster of six limestone islands rising vertically from the Andaman Sea. Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, established in 1983, protects 390 square kilometers of marine and terrestrial ecosystems across the island group.
The 400 baht conservation fee funds coral restoration projects and waste management programs that have reduced plastic debris by 62 percent since 2019. Maya Bay, closed to boats for four years to allow reef recovery, reopened in 2022 with strict visitor caps and no-anchor zones that have doubled hard coral coverage.
The marine park encompasses over 200 species of reef fish, hawksbill turtles that nest on Bamboo Island's northern beaches between November and February, and blacktip reef sharks visible in the shallows of Loh Samah Bay. Visibility averages 15 to 25 meters during the October-to-May dry season, dropping to 8 meters during monsoon months when plankton blooms cloud the water. The speedboat journey from Phuket's eastern piers crosses open water in 45 to 90 minutes depending on sea state and departure point, with most operators launching from Ao Chalong or Royal Phuket Marina.
Phi Phi Leh, the uninhabited southern island, holds Viking Cave's centuries-old swiftlet nests harvested for export to China. Pileh Lagoon's sheltered emerald waters reach depths of only four meters, ringed by 100-meter cliffs that block wind and swell. Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don hosts a troop of 80 long-tailed macaques habituated to tourist boats. The national park restricts daily arrivals to 4,125 visitors across all landing sites, enforced through a digital permit system introduced in 2024 that links entry times to boat registration numbers. Dawn departures secure mooring space at Maya Bay before the 10:00 wave of arrivals from Krabi and Koh Lanta. The park closes at 16:30, with all vessels required to clear protected waters by 17:00.
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