---
node: spot_phi_phi_maya_bay
type: spot
slug: maya_bay
destination: dest_phi_phi
title: "Maya Bay"
lead: "Maya Bay is the cove on Ko Phi Phi Le that the film The Beach made famous in 2000 and that Thailand closed in 2018 because the reef was dying. It reopened in 2022 with rules: no boats in the bay, no swimming, and a cap on visitors."
published: 2026-08-12
updated: 2026-08-12
image_file: spot_phi_phi_maya_bay.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pla%C5%BCa_Maya_Bay.jpg"
image_author: "AramilFeraxa"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## Overview

At its worst the bay took five thousand people and two hundred boats a day, and coral cover fell by more than half. During the closure the authorities replanted coral and blacktip reef sharks returned to the shallows, which is why swimming is still not allowed. Boats now moor at a pier on the other side of the island and visitors walk through to the beach on a boardwalk.

## Highlights

Go on the first boat of the day from Phi Phi Don or Krabi; the bay has a time-slot system and the early slots are the quiet ones. You cannot swim here — plan the snorkelling for the other stops on the same trip. The park fee is separate from the boat fare and is collected on arrival.