Thai court demands P15.5M from 20th Century Fox as filming of DiCaprio-led 'The Beach' ruined Maya Bay
More than two decades after Hollywood film The Beach was shot at Thailand's glittering Maya Bay, the kingdom's Supreme Court on Sept. 13 ordered producer 20th Century Fox to pay 10 million baht (P15.5 million) for environmental damage during filming.
The 2000 adventure drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, drew criticism for the impact of the shoot on the pristine sands of the bay, located on the island of Ko Phi Phi Ley in southern Thailand.
Filmmakers planted dozens of coconut trees to give a more "tropical" feel to the glimmering Maya Bay and were also accused of ripping up vegetation growing on sand dunes.
20th Century Fox, however, insisted that it left the beach exactly how it had found it and had removed tonnes of garbage.
Local authorities filed a civil lawsuit in late 1999 against Thai government agencies, 20th Century Fox, and a Thai film coordinator, seeking 100 million baht (P155.4 million) in compensation for environmental damage.
But the Supreme Court in Bangkok on Sept. 13 upheld a previous ruling by a Civil Court that the Royal Forest Department was liable for rehabilitating Maya Bay.
In a final ruling, the high court ordered the department to set up a committee to formulate a rehabilitation plan within 30 days—based on the 10 million baht it's demanding from 20th Century Fox.
Environmental campaigners launched two unsuccessful legal challenges to stop filming of the movie based on Alex Garland's cult novel, over concerns about ecological damage.
The film put Maya Bay on the map and it became a victim of mass tourism.
It was closed in October 2018 to allow it to recover from the impact of a daily influx of some 6,000 visitors.
The entire Phi Phi archipelago was forced into a convalescence when the global pandemic hit and visitor numbers dwindled to virtually nil as Thailand imposed tough travel rules.
Maya Bay reopened to tourists at the start of 2022, but visitor numbers are capped to try to limit the ecological damage. It was closed again last August for natural rehabiitation and is planning to reopen in October. (AFP)
(Editor's note: Minor changes were made in this republished article.)