Ko Phi Phi Le [EN]
Ko Phi Phi Le or Ko Phi Phi Leh is an island of the Phi Phi Archipelago, Andaman Sea. It is in the Krabi province of Thailand and is part of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
Ko Phi Phi Le, 6.6 square kilometres (2.5 sq mi) in area, is the second largest island of the archipelago, the largest being Ko Phi Phi Don. The island consists of a ring of steep limestone hills surrounding two shallow bays, Maya Bay and Loh Samah. During low tide, Maya Bay cannot be accessed directly from the sea via boat, due to shallow waters and coral. Boats must anchor at the deeper Loh Samah, requiring people to walk through a short section of rocks and jungle to reach Maya Bay itself. There is also one large shallow fjord-like inlet called Pi Ley with a small coral reef at the entrance. Maya Bay harbors bioluminescent plankton.
Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park as a whole, from October 2015 to May 2016, generated revenues of 362 million baht from 1.2 million tourists, 77 percent foreign. In 2018, the Maya Bay cove and beach closed temporarily, and then indefinitely to visitors because of environmental issues caused by overtourism. The cove reopened to tourists in early 2022, after nearly four years of closure.
