Short answer
Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai) is a tiny, flat island in the Phi Phi national park, about 0.27 square kilometres, with a white-sand beach, casuarina trees instead of bamboo and a ranger station, but no hotels or restaurants. It is not on the park's 2026 closure list, so it stays open when Maya Bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September. It is a swim-and-photo stop, not a destination of its own. It is one of the stops on our Phi Phi day, from $75 per person.
What Bamboo Island is: a small flat island with a beach
Bamboo Island is called Koh Mai Phai in Thai, and the English name is a mistake. Wikipedia says no bamboo grows there: groves of casuarina trees cover most of the island, and the name of that tree was wrongly translated as bamboo. The island has an area of 0.27 square kilometres and lies between the Krabi coast and the Phi Phi Islands, as part of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
Phuket 101 calls it tiny and completely flat, a walk of perhaps 20 minutes around the whole island, with no development, no restaurants and no hotels, just sand, trees and a national park ranger station. Sources differ on the distance: Bangkok Airways puts it about 3 kilometres from the tip of Phi Phi Don, while Phuket 101 says about 5 kilometres north of Phi Phi. Both agree you reach it by boat.
Is it open when Maya Bay is closed?
Yes. The Department of National Parks' closure list for 2026, published in the Royal Gazette on 9 January 2026, names Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Ko Bay, closed from 1 August to 30 September, and Koh Yung (Mosquito Island), closed with no end date. Bamboo Island is not on the list. On our Phi Phi day in those two months Maya Bay is seen from the boat only, and the swim at Bamboo Island stays in the programme.
There is one caution. When the Andaman marine parks opened their 2026 season on 15 October, the Department's director-general said that the opening of some sites can change with the weather and the situation, for the safety of visitors and staff. Thai National Parks says the park's attractions are open from 08:00 to 16:30 every day. Our August and September guide explains what the monsoon months are like on the water.
The beach and the water: where you can swim
The beach is the point. Wikivoyage describes a pointed beach with pristine white sand, turquoise water and some rock bands, where speedboats usually dock, and says it is the only bay where you can swim at Bamboo Island. Phuket 101 says the water is shallow enough to wade out quite far, and Thai National Parks says the island has a white sandy beach and is surrounded by coral reefs.
On our Phi Phi day the programme lists Bamboo Island for beach time, swimming and snorkelling over the reef. Because the water is shallow, it is also the easiest swimming stop for anyone who is a weak swimmer: see our guide for non-swimmers. Maya Bay, by contrast, allows no swimming at all, so Bamboo Island and Pileh Lagoon are where the swimming happens.
Snorkelling: mixed reports, so keep expectations modest
Accounts of the snorkelling disagree. Wikipedia calls Bamboo Island a popular snorkelling destination and says lionfish, leopard sharks and hawksbill turtles may be found in the surrounding waters, citing a 2012 news article. Phuket 101, writing in March 2026, says the snorkelling is okay but nothing special, with some coral around the edges of the island, and that visibility drops when many boats churn up the water.
Treat the Wikipedia list as what has been seen, not what you will see. If snorkelling is the main reason for your day, Phuket 101 says Pileh Lagoon and the areas around Maya Bay are usually better, and the Similan Islands are in another class. Thailand's marine parks also ban sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and butylparaben, with fines up to 100,000 baht, according to a 2021 report.
Crowds and timing: morning against midday
Phuket 101 says your experience depends on the hour. A tour that arrives around 9 or 10 am can find a few boats and space on the beach, while by midday 15 or 20 speedboats may line the shore with hundreds of day-trippers on the same stretch of sand. Thai National Parks also says the island is very crowded in the high seasons. These are descriptions by writers, not counts by the park.
On our tour the programme lists Bamboo Island as the first stop after the marina, but the guide changes the order with the tide and the other boats, so we cannot promise a morning visit. You can ask the guide on the day, and you can help by being ready at pickup, which is between about 7:00 and 8:30 am; the speedboat leaves Royal Phuket Marina at about 9:30.
What you pay and what to bring
On our tour the operator collects the national park fee in cash on the day: 400 baht per adult and 200 per child. We give this as what the operator collects, not as an official rate, because we could not confirm a 2026 official schedule. For comparison, Thai National Parks lists entrance fees of 200 baht for adults and 100 for children aged 3 to 14 as of June 2026, and Bangkok Airways lists an extra conservation fee of 400 and 200 baht for foreign visitors at fragile areas including Bamboo Island.
Because there are no restaurants on the island, bring water, a towel, sunscreen without the banned chemicals, a hat and a dry bag. Lunch on our tour is a buffet on Phi Phi Don, and light refreshments are served at the marina and on board. Towels are not included. If you are travelling with children, our family guide explains the child age rules and the sun.
Can you visit Bamboo Island without a tour?
Only with a private boat. Phuket 101 says you cannot get to Bamboo Island on your own unless you charter a longtail or speedboat from Phi Phi Don, at around 1,500 to 2,500 baht for the boat, depending on bargaining. That is a third-party price, not a quote from us. Almost every Phi Phi day tour from Phuket or Krabi includes it, so the usual way is to join one.
Phuket 101's verdict is fair: it is a fine stop on a Phi Phi day, but not worth a trip on its own. If you want to compare how the day is built and what it costs, read our price guide and the guide to choosing a boat. Our Phi Phi day is from $75 per person, with hotel pickup, lunch on Phi Phi Don, mask, snorkel and life jacket.
Practical checklist
- Check your dates against the Maya Bay closure from 1 August to 30 September; Bamboo Island stays on the route.
- Ask the guide at pickup whether Bamboo Island comes early in the day.
- Keep 400 baht per adult and 200 per child in cash for the park fee.
- Pack water, a towel, a hat and a dry bag: there are no restaurants on the island.
- Use a mineral sunscreen without oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC or butylparaben.
- Do not choose your tour only because it includes Bamboo Island.
Questions and answers
Is Bamboo Island open in August and September?
Yes. The park's 2026 closure list names Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay and Lo Ko Bay for 1 August to 30 September, and Koh Yung with no end date. Bamboo Island is not on it, though the park says openings can change with the weather.
Why is it called Bamboo Island if there is no bamboo?
According to Wikipedia, the name came from a mistranslation: casuarina trees cover most of the island, and the name of that tree was wrongly rendered as bamboo. In Thai the island is Koh Mai Phai.
Can you swim at Bamboo Island?
Yes. Wikivoyage says the beach is the only bay for swimming there, and Phuket 101 says the water is shallow enough to wade out quite far. Maya Bay, on the same day, does not allow swimming.
Is there food or accommodation on Bamboo Island?
No. Phuket 101 says the island has no development, no restaurants and no hotels, only sand, trees and a ranger station. Lunch on our tour is a buffet on Phi Phi Don.
How much is the national park fee for Bamboo Island?
On our tour the operator collects 400 baht per adult and 200 per child in cash. That is not an official rate: Thai National Parks lists 200 and 100 baht entrance fees as of June 2026, and Bangkok Airways an extra 400 and 200 baht fee.
How can you reach Bamboo Island on your own?
Phuket 101 says only by chartering a private longtail or speedboat from Phi Phi Don, at around 1,500 to 2,500 baht. Most visitors join a Phi Phi day tour instead.