ABSTRACT
Tourism is a key industry and heavily promoted in Thailand; however, social and environmental costs are not always considered alongside the economic and monetary gains. International arrivals to the Kingdom of Thailand have been growing steadily since 2006 and are projected to continue growing positively in the next few years. In 2006, tourism contributed 14.3 per cent of Thailand's GDP (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2006) with estimated target revenues of 547.5 billion baht, or the equivalent of US$17.29 billion (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 2007). Although indigenous and city tourism is offered, the majority of tourism comes from sun, sea, sand and sex tourism. According to Cushman, Barry, Field et al (2004), the earnings from tourism have come disproportionately from the beach resorts on Thailand's southern islands. In 2000, roughly 45 per cent of visitors stayed on the southern islands, including Koh Phi Phi. Many small islands such as Koh Phi Phi are dependent on tourism for a major portion of their income as they are often remote, small in size and have limited alternative livelihoods. Islands, particularly those with warm climates, depend heavily on sun, sea and sand as their main attractions and it is these resources their industries have traditionally been based upon. As a result of lack of planning, over-dependence on limited resources and insufficient infrastructure, the island of Koh Phi Phi has experienced substantial overbuilding, congestion and resource degradation.
