Over-development on Ko Phi Phi is starving the coral reefs of sunlight and smothering the surface in pollutants: the destruction of the reef is a micro-example of the problems occuring on a national scale, with the finger being pointed in the direction of tourism. In May 1999, protestors packed the beach where the filming of 'The Beach' was taking place: environmentalists were concerned that filming would destroy the delicate eco-balance of the beach. Ironically, the film was about the destruction of native cultures and environments by hordes of dropped-out, alternative lifestyle-seeking backpackers (curiously, the filmmakers were silent on the issue of hordes of filmmakers destroying delicate eco-balances). One of the main culprits according to Alex Garland, author of the best selling novel, is Lonely Planet.

Thailand is particularly rich in bird life, with over 1000 recorded resident and migrating species - approximately 10% of the world's bird species. Insect species number some 6000, and the country's rich marine environment counts tens of thousands of species. Indigenous mammals, mostly found in dwindling numbers within Thailand's national parks or wildlife sanctuaries, include tigers, leopards, elephants and Asiatic black bears.