SeaTV · Thailand · Andaman Coast · Phuket Region · Ko Phi Phi Le
Ko Phi Phi Le — Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon & Viking Cave (2026 Regulations)
~2 NM S of Phi Phi Don · the uninhabited island of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park · home to the most regulated anchorage in the Andaman: Maya Bay, the swimmable Pileh Lagoon, and the swiftlet-protected Viking Cave · no overnight anchoring · mooring buoys only · annual closure August-October.
Ko Phi Phi Le is the smaller, southern, uninhabited member of the Phi Phi archipelago. Three sites pull every charter and tour boat in the Andaman Sea: Maya Bay on the W side (the beach from The Beach), Pileh Lagoon on the E side (the swimmable horseshoe of emerald water enclosed by 100 m cliffs), and Viking Cave on the NE side (where licensed harvesters collect edible-nest swiftlet nests). The island is 100% within the National Park · regulations are tight, enforcement is active, and they have changed substantially since 2022. Read this page before you sail south from Phi Phi Don — what you can and can’t do has been rewritten by the park authority three times in four years.
⚠ The 2026 Reality:
→ Maya Bay closes 1 Aug – 1 Oct 2026 · annual reef-recovery closure · Loh Samah Bay also closed
→ No anchoring at Maya Bay · ever. Boats moor outside · enter via floating pier at Loh Samah
→ No swimming at Maya Bay · knee-deep wading only · 1-hour visitor slots · 300 people max
→ Pileh Lagoon: 3-knot speed limit · DNP permit required · park-buoy mooring only (March 2024 rule)
→ Park fee 400 THB / 200 THB child · pre-register via DNP e-ticket from Jan 2025
→ Reef-safe sunscreen only · regular sunscreen banned · fines up to 5,000 THB
→ No drones without prior DNP permission · no overnight anywhere on Phi Phi Le
⚓ Phi Phi Le at a Glance
Position
~7°41’N · 098°45’E
From Phi Phi Don
~2 NM S
Status
Uninhabited · National Park
Park fee
400 THB / 200 THB child · DNP e-ticket
Maya Bay closure 2026
1 Aug – 1 Oct
Anchoring
⚠ Park mooring buoys only
Maya Bay swim
⚠ Banned · knee-deep only
Pileh speed limit
3 knots · since March 2024
Visitor cap
300 people / 50 boats (each site)
The Three Sites
1 · Maya Bay (W coast) — The Most Regulated Beach in Thailand
The reality 2026. Maya Bay is the W-side beach surrounded by 100 m limestone cliffs. After the 2018 closure for reef damage (80% coral cover lost), the site was rebuilt with a completely new visitor system. Boats no longer anchor in the bay · they moor at a designated area outside or at Loh Samah Bay on the back (E) side of the island. Visitors disembark on a floating pier and walk a 200 m boardwalk through the jungle to reach the beach.
⚠ No anchoring inside Maya Bay. The bay is closed to all anchoring · period. Use the designated park mooring buoys outside the bay or inside Loh Samah.
⚠ No swimming inside Maya Bay. Visitors may walk in the water to knee depth only · this rule is strictly enforced by rangers · the rule was introduced in 2022 to protect recovering coral.
⚠ Time slot 45-60 minutes. Maximum 300 people on the beach at any time · most operators get 1-hour windows.
⚠ Annual closure. 1 Aug – 1 Oct 2026 (dates vary slightly each year · check DNP announcement). Loh Samah Bay also closed in this period.
Best time to visit: arrive 06:30-09:00 to beat the day-trip fleet that pours in 10:00-14:00. Late afternoon (after 16:00) is also calmer.
2 · Pileh Lagoon (E coast) — The Swimmable Alternative
A horseshoe-shaped lagoon carved into the W cliffs of Phi Phi Le, accessed by a narrow passage in the limestone wall · enclosed on three sides by 100 m cliffs · emerald-green water with depths of 5-15 m · the only swimmable bay on Phi Phi Le now that Maya Bay is restricted. Often called the “lagoon of rejuvenation” by Thai sailors.
⚠ March 2024 regulations: all vessels must carry a DNP permit · 3-knot speed limit inside · anchor only on park-installed mooring buoys.
⚠ Visitor cap: 300 people / 50 boats max at any time · 45-minute window per group · book early or arrive at sunrise.
⚠ Effectively closed during SW monsoon (mid-May to mid-October most years) · most operators suspend Phi Phi Le day trips · entrance can be impassable in swell.
⚠ No designated swimming zone · stay clear of boat propellers · dive boats moor at the southern entrance.
Best time to visit: 06:30-09:00 before the day-trip fleet · or after 16:00. The fenced south-wall snorkel patch reopened recently after coral regrowth.
3 · Viking Cave (NE coast) — View Only · No Entry
A massive limestone cave in the NE cliff of Phi Phi Le · named for the prehistoric drawings on its inner walls (boats, elephants, fish · estimated 400-2000 years old). The cave is now home to thousands of edible-nest swiftlets (Aerodramus fuciphagus) whose nests are harvested under licence for bird’s nest soup · nests worth thousands of dollars per kilogram on the export market.
⚠ No entry. The cave is closed to tourists · view only from the boat. Heavy fines apply for disturbing nests or attempting to land.
⚠ Bamboo scaffolding visible inside belongs to the licensed concessionaires · do not approach.
Use it for: photo stop from the boat as you transit between Pileh Lagoon and Maya Bay.
Bida Nok & Bida Nai — The S Rocks (Ko Phraya Nak Group)
Two limestone pinnacles rising vertically from deep water about 1 NM SW of Phi Phi Le · among the best dive and snorkel sites in the Andaman Sea. Bida Nok (the larger N rock) and Bida Nai (the smaller S rock) drop to 18-25 m on sand and have soft coral, sea fans, and abundant reef fish along the walls. Blacktip reef sharks are commonly seen patrolling the deeper sections.
⚠ No anchoring on the rocks. Use mooring buoys on the lee side or stay offshore in deep water.
⚠ Currents around the pinnacles can be strong · brief crew on tide and current direction before snorkelling.
Use it for: snorkel/dive stop on the way S to Lanta or Phuket · 30-45 minutes is enough.
When You Can & Cannot Visit
NE Monsoon · Nov-Apr (Charter High Season)
All sites accessible. Maya Bay open all day (with quotas), Pileh Lagoon swimmable, Viking Cave viewable from boat, Bida Nok/Nai dive-able. Book Maya Bay slot in advance · arrive at dawn for the best light and least crowds.
SW Monsoon · May-Oct
Maya Bay closed entirely 1 Aug – 1 Oct. Pileh Lagoon effectively unreachable due to monsoon swell · most charter operators suspend Phi Phi Le programs from mid-May to mid-October. Limited private charters run in calm windows · conditions unpredictable. Bida Nok/Nai dive-able on calm days only.
The 400 THB Park Fee — How It Works in 2026
Fee: 400 THB foreign adult · 200 THB foreign child under 120 cm · Thai citizens pay reduced fee. The fee covers Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park including Phi Phi Le, Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Viking Cave, Bamboo Island, and Mosquito Island.
Pre-register since Jan 2025. Foreign visitors must pre-register and pay via the DNP e-ticket system, or through your tour operator (always handled for you on tours).
Bring cash anyway. Card readers are not reliable at the Phi Phi Le checkpoint · always carry the receipt with you.
Valid for the day. One ticket = one day · keep it accessible for ranger inspection.
Pro Tips for Phi Phi Le
Sail at dawn from Phi Phi Don · 30 minutes from Tonsai or Loh Bagao. Be at Pileh by 07:00, at Maya by 08:00, and you’ll have both sites mostly to yourself. The day-trip armada arrives 10:00-14:00.
Pre-book Maya Bay through DNP or your charter base. Quotas fill in peak season · turning up without a slot wastes the trip.
Reef-safe sunscreen only. Standard chemical sunscreens are banned in the National Park · fines apply · bring zinc-oxide based products from Phuket town.
No drones without DNP permission. Apply in advance through the park office · drones flown without permit will be confiscated and the operator fined.
No overnight on Phi Phi Le. All anchoring is daytime only · sail back to Phi Phi Don, Lanta, or Phuket for the night. Park rangers patrol at dusk.
Take all rubbish back to Phi Phi Don. No bins on Phi Phi Le · pack everything out · the park is strict on litter.
If Maya Bay is closed (Aug-Oct or weather) · Pileh Lagoon, Loh Samah, Bida Nok/Nai, and Bamboo Island still operate (with weather permitting). The Phi Phi Le experience is more than just one beach.
Emergency Numbers — Phi Phi National Park
Tourist Police (24/7, English): 1155
Marine Emergency & SAR: 1196
Coastguard Distress: VHF Ch. 16
National Park Office (Phi Phi): +66 75 661 145
Phi Phi Hospital: +66 75 622 151 (small clinic on Phi Phi Don, minor cases only)
Useful Links
→ DNP Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi NP (official)
→ DNP National Park e-Ticket System
Related SeaTV Pages
Routes To & From Phi Phi Le
→ Phuket Yacht Haven Marina (charter base)
→ Krabi Coast · Ao Nang & Railay
Hub & Routes
Sailing to Phi Phi Le?
Maya Bay closes 1 Aug – 1 Oct 2026 · the rest of the year quotas apply. Pre-register the park fee via DNP e-ticket. No anchoring · no swimming at Maya · 3-knot speed limit at Pileh. Reef-safe sunscreen only · no drones without permit · no overnight.
→ Phi Phi Don N · Lanta S · DNP e-Ticket
“Three sites on one uninhabited island, all of them rewritten by the park authority since 2018. Maya Bay was the beach from the movie · now it is the most regulated beach in Thailand · no boat in the bay, no swim past the knees, no slot without a quota, two months of closure every year while the coral grows back. Pileh Lagoon is what Maya used to be — three knots, one buoy, forty-five minutes, and the limestone cliffs reflecting in the emerald water before the day-trip fleet arrives. Viking Cave is for the swallows, not for us · view from the water, never land. Bida Nok and Bida Nai for the divers. Sail at dawn from Phi Phi Don, pay the four hundred Thai baht in advance, bring zinc-oxide sunscreen, and remember that the park rangers know every charter captain in the Andaman Sea by name.”
— SeaTV Visual Pilot · Andaman Coast Edition
