How to visit Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh and what is allowed there

What you will see at Maya Bay

Maya Bay (Ao Maya) is a bay on Phi Phi Leh, the uninhabited island of the Phi Phi group. The island is in Krabi province and part of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The bay is small: about 250 m long and 15 m wide, according to the Bangkok Post of 19.12.2021. It is known from the film “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio, shot here in 1999.

The bay was closed in June 2018 because tourists were destroying the reefs: in 2017 almost 5,000 people a day came here (TAT Newsroom, 16.11.2021). To help it recover, the park planted a new area of coral and trees on the beach. A jetty was built in Loh Samah Bay on the opposite side of the island, and today visits start there.

What you see on the spot:

• The beach. A narrow strip of white sand ringed by cliffs. Tisland Travel puts the walk from the jetty to the beach at 5-10 minutes on a boardwalk
• Loh Samah. The neighbouring bay with the jetty and a rock in the middle. Boats moor here while guests are on the beach
• Reef sharks. A 2021 DNP survey counted 161 blacktip reef sharks around the beach, which is why swimming is not allowed
• Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave. The next stops on the same side of the island, Maya Bay normally comes in the same programme

Rules for visiting Maya Bay

The bay reopened on 1 January 2022. We could not find the park’s official regulations in open sources, but the DNP, TAT and the government’s press office have spoken about the main rules.

• No swimming. The DNP director-general said so at the reopening, the PRD repeated it in October 2023 and Time Out Bangkok reminded readers on 29.09.2026. Operators describe wading “knee-deep”, but that is their wording, not the park’s text
• Visitor cap. The DNP director-general quoted 375 people per hour. We could not confirm the current cap for October 2026
• Boats do not enter the bay. Landing only at the jetty in Loh Samah Bay
• Sunscreen with banned ingredients. Since 4 August 2021 national parks ban sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4MBC and butylparaben, with a fine of up to THB 100,000
• Wildlife. The PRD mentions a ban on collecting sea creatures

Opening hours and how to spend your time

We found no official opening hours for the beach in the park’s open sources, so go by operator timetables on 18.10.2026. Tisland Travel’s catamaran lands guests at Loh Samah at about 7:45, Phuket Tour’s premium catamaran programmes reach the islands at about 10:15, and Love Andaman schedules Maya Bay at 9:45. An early boat meets fewer groups: Wikivoyage says speedboats with tourists reach the bay from 9:00.

How to spend your time there:

• Walk the boardwalk to the beach and find a spot with a view of the whole bay
• Wade at the water’s edge: Tisland Travel describes access “knee-deep”, while the park bans swimming
• Photograph the bay from the beach before your group moves on
• Be back at the boat on time, you get about an hour ashore

Seasonal closure and when to go

Every year from 1 August to 30 September Maya Bay and Loh Samah are closed to landings. Time Out describes it as a break for the shoreline and marine life and adds that in these months rough seas make it hard to approach the shore. In 2026 the bay reopened on 1 October. Tours to Phi Phi keep running in the closed months: the bay is shown from the water and the stops move to Pileh Lagoon and other places.

Rain in Phuket is covered in climate by month.

Getting there and how long it takes

There are three ways to reach Maya Bay:

• A tour from Phuket. A speedboat takes 45-75 minutes in the Phuket Tour and Love Andaman programmes, a catamaran about 75 minutes (Phuket Tour leaves at 9:00 and reaches the islands at 10:15). In a straight line from Rassada Pier to Loh Samah is about 44 km, from Chalong about 48 km (Thaipedia calculation from OpenStreetMap)
• A longtail from Phi Phi Don. About 7 km in a straight line from Tonsai Pier. You hire the boat on the spot, so agree the price and time in advance
• A ferry to Phi Phi Don, then a longtail. Ferries leave from Rassada Pier, more in the overview of the Phi Phi day

To choose a boat, see the Phi Phi catamaran or a private boat.

National park fee and what is included

Source: DNP table of entrance fees for individuals, revision of 02.06.2023, checked 18.10.2026. The table has no separate line for Maya Bay. Keep the ticket on you all day.

What to do in rain and rough seas

Landing at Loh Samah depends on the sea: Time Out says access depends on sea conditions and advises checking the park’s latest notice and your operator’s itinerary. The TMD forecast for the Andaman Sea on 18.10.2026 reads: waves about 1 m, above 2 m in thundershowers (TMD page). According to Tisland Travel, at 2-3 m waves speedboats are cancelled first and large stable boats keep running. If a landing is cancelled, operators usually show the bay from the water, and the stops at Pileh and Viking Cave remain. Ask about rescheduling or refunds before you pay.

Safety

• Water. Swimming is banned: reef sharks live in the shallows by the beach, and the 2021 DNP survey counted 161
• Heat. There is little shade on the beach, so bring water and a hat
• Life jackets. Under the 2018 rules everyone on a Phuket tourist boat must wear a life jacket (TAT Newsroom, 17.07.2018); check that you are given one before you set off
• Children. Operators’ child fares start at age 4, and Tisland Travel carries children up to 3 without a separate minivan seat; other operators have their own rules

Who it suits and who should skip it

• Suits. People who come for the view of the bay and photos, are ready to walk a boardwalk and accept the no-swimming rule
• Skip it. Anyone who wants to swim in the bay, likes empty beaches in high season, or does not cope well with a long speedboat ride
• Pregnant women and people with back problems. Love Andaman marks its speedboat as unsuitable for pregnant travellers, and Tisland Travel does not accept pregnant women, children under 1 and people with back or neck problems on its catamaran; check the rules of your operator

What is nearby

• Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave in the same Phi Phi day
• Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don
• Bamboo Island for a beach and swimming when you cannot swim at Maya Bay
• Khai Islands closer to Phuket

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