KO PHI PHI, THAILAND – A YouTuber’s return after 22 years reveals a transformed island.
Stefan Chang first visited Koh Phi Phi in 2004, sleeping in a bamboo hut for 100 Baht a night. He returned in 2026 and documented the journey for his YouTube channel. The video has drawn widespread attention from Thailand fans.
Chang found that the iconic views and blue waters remain, but everything around them has changed. The once free, sandy path to the viewpoint now costs 50 Baht entry. Along the way, restaurants, tattoo studios, and massage salons line the route – commercial development as far as the eye can see.
Koh Phi Phi 2026: What Remains of the Old Island
For those who knew Koh Phi Phi from earlier years, the video evokes a sense of loss. Chang described a specific afternoon, a specific bar, a specific version of oneself that no longer exists. The island was never meant to last forever, but it was once real.
Tourists visiting for the first time may wonder why they do not feel the magic others describe. The feeling is still possible, but it costs more, takes longer, and requires knowing where to look.
The Tsunami as the Zero Point of Commercialization
On December 26, 2004, six-meter-high waves hit Koh Phi Phi from two directions simultaneously. The island, built on a narrow spit of land, was almost completely flooded. Nearly all tourism infrastructure was destroyed.
Chang stayed at the Maphra Resort then – simple bamboo huts on the beach. The resort is gone now. He found its collapsed, overgrown reception hidden behind a bamboo wall, silent and still.
Rebuilding after the tsunami did not restore the old Koh Phi Phi. Instead, developers built something bigger, more expensive, and louder. Concrete roads with drainage replaced dirt paths. Hotels replaced huts. Where three small beach bars once stood, there are now cafes, souvenir shops, and offers for Botox and false eyelashes. Chang showed this in his video, sign by sign.
100 Baht per Night – and What That Means Today
In 2004, Chang shared a bamboo hut for 100 Baht per night – about one euro per person. Today, Koh Phi Phi is one of the most expensive islands in Thailand. Finding accommodation under 100 euros per night is difficult, and what you get is not an authentic bamboo hut but an air-conditioned design resort that uses bamboo aesthetics as decoration.
The difference between then and now is the difference between an old letter and a replica.
Koh Phi Phi in High Season 2026: Less Crowded Than Expected
On his way back to the pier, Chang noticed that despite high season, the island was not full. Restaurants had empty displays because food would otherwise spoil. A vendor explained that the global situation – reduced air travel, economic uncertainty – has pushed 2026 tourism to a level that feels like low season. The infrastructure is built for mass tourism, but the masses are missing.
For travelers visiting now, this is not bad news. Those who know Koh Phi Phi when speedboats pile up and paths to the viewpoint are jammed understand that a quiet high season is a rare opportunity.
What the Video Tells About Thailand – and Not Just About Koh Phi Phi
At the end of his video, Chang made a remark that extends beyond the island:
“What we perceive as lost today will be considered the good old times in twenty years.”
said Stefan Chang, YouTuber.
This may sound like a cliché, but it is structurally accurate. Thailand is changing quickly, uniformly, and often without regard for what came before. Koh Phi Phi is the clearest example, but Phuket, Koh Samui, and parts of Chiang Mai follow the same pattern.
Chang’s strength is that he does not present this as an accusation. He describes what he sees. He searches for what remains – and finds it behind a bamboo wall, in a collapsed foundation, in the view from above over the bay. The island is not gone. It has simply become something else.