Phi Phi Islands Personalities

The Phi Phi Islands form a magical place with its own unique charm. People who visit Phi Phi come from all over the world, young and old, singles and families, from all different walks of life.

The people who live and work on the biggest island, Phi Phi Don, are of a similar variety. Some are local islanders while others are long-term expatriates who, after arriving a decade or more ago, simply never left. Phuket.com talked to three of these residents.

Spirit medium (mah song) of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Angelo Rasami, Mama's Restaurant owner

Angelo Rasami (right)

Angelo Rasami is a Frenchman who has lived and worked on Phi Phi Don for some 20 years now. He owns Mama's restaurant near the pier in Tonsai Village.

Following the 2004 tsunami, Angelo worked tirelessly to help displaced victims and to direct funding and aid to survivors.

Why did you come to Phi Phi in the first place?
There was a tuk tuk driver at Phuket bus station who always used to ask me if I wanted to go to Phi Phi. Finally, to get some peace and quiet I got a ticket and boy, that was my lucky day.

Phi Phi Don, Loh Dalum

Can you describe Phi Phi Don of 20 years ago?
It was a paradise full of coconuts. The village was made up of few houses far from each other and the only noise-makers were the local ducks, chickens and roosters. Fisherman used to anchor in Tonsai Bay and the small market was made up of two very long tables. In the morning the locals would have their coffee with sweet milk in it and some banana-or-coconut-flavoured sticky rice and you could keep up with the local village gossip in front of the two wooden jetties.

There was only one tiny TV on the whole island and on Saturdays and Sundays we all used to gather round and cheer on the fighters in the Thai boxing bouts. The day started at 04:30 before the first call from the mosque and we would be visited perhaps once a week by maybe 10 to 15 tourists and sometimes less as the weather wasn't always conducive. I could talk for hours about those times.

Ferry jetty on Tonsai Bay

Which five expressions best describe daily life on Phi Phi Don?
- "Pai nai?"(Where are you going).
This always makes me laugh because there aren't too many places to go on this island! Still, it ranks high in the top 10 phrases here...
- "Rua ma leo!" (The boat's here!)
The arrival of the boat from Krabi or Phuket acts like an alarm clock for locals.
- "Rua pai leo!" (The boat's gone!)
Calm returns…
- "What about the weather?"
Visitors use this expression a lot because so much depends on outside activities here.
- "Hello, hello! Bamboo, Maya Bay?"
This is the favourite phrase of the boatmen. After all, Phi Phi is not just made up of the village; we're surrounded by beauty here.

Where do you go to 'get away from it all'?
The 90-minute trip to Phuket gives me time to contemplate life and relax. I love Karon Beach – the smell of the sea and waves is so different. I like going to Bangkok too and Issarn installs calm in me. Oh, I like Bali, too.

Is there a strong sense of community on the island?
A lot of new people coming here don't realise just where they are, but I know quite a few young islanders who care about the place and try to protect it. In 20 years here I know the difference between those who can face a situation with positive solutions and those who can't.

Loh Dalum beach

Could you please describe your daily routine?
At 07:30 I shower and have a coffee and chat with my neighbours, have a look at the nine o'clock boat(s) to see how many people are leaving this rock. Then I do my emails and do some reading and at one o'clock it's too hot to think so I check out the lunch service at Mama's.

After the 14:00 ferry leaves, it's siesta time or maybe I catch a DVD or read a little. Then it's time to head for the beach if friends are visiting and around 18:00 I Skype my loved ones in France. Then comes the 'big' part of the day as customers arrive to dine at the restaurant; I take care of them, make sure they're satisfied, make sure the atmosphere is right as well as the staff, too. This generally goes on until eleven or even midnight then I head back home except when friends are here. I like it but sometimes it gets too much and I have to escape. I may be a small boss but I'm my own boss.

by Sam Wilkinson

Pitchaya (Ming) Jancharo, hotelier

Pitchaya (Ming) Jancharo

Khun Ming is a member of the younger generation in her family. Though she was not born in the islands, her family owns the Phi Phi Hotel Group, which has three hotels on Phi Phi Don – the Phi Phi Hotel, the Phi Phi Banyan Villa and the P. P. Casita. She is in charge of marketing for the group, while her younger brother, Weerapat, is general manager of all three.

“My family initially had no experience of the hotel business – we were from a tin-mining background. But when I was just a little girl, my mom took us to Phi Phi for a holiday. We liked it very much. Not long after that, someone offered to sell her a piece of land there. Our first hotel opened its doors about 14 years ago.”

Phi Phi Hotel

Khun Ming has been working on Phi Phi Don since 2004 and is still, she says, falling in love with the islands. Reinforcing that love is her personal memory of the tsunami on December 26 that year. It was a horror she will never forget. But, she says, the good thing she learned from that tragedy was just how many people out there truly love the Phi Phi islands. “And it is not just Thai people,” she says.

“It was such a thrill to see everyone helping each other to get Phi Phi back on its feet again. Many locals thought it would take a couple years or so, but this was not the case. We manage it within a year, I would say.

P. P. Casita

“Part of this was because many foreigners helped by physically cleaning the place up. Others donated money, while others urged their friends to visit Phi Phi right after the tsunami, and are still doing so right up to today, which helps to generate income for the islanders.”

Khun Ming has harsh words, though, for the Thai government. “The government should be ashamed. They did very little but make a lot of promises with no action.”

Despite government inaction, Phi Phi has recovered well. It’s a charming place that is well worth a visit by anyone travelling to the area. “If you don’t have much time, a three-day, two-night trip will do. You can start the first day with a tour that will introduce you to interesting spots such as Maya bay, Koh Pai and Loh Sa Ma bay. Then, the next day, you can simply rent a long-tail boat and go back to any place that took your fancy. Or, if you want a more adventurous stay, you must try cliff jumping, rock climbing and trekking. And for those who love diving and fishing, Phi Phi has a lot to offer,” says Khun Ming.

Manob Kaowgongreab, Head of Village No 7, Phi Phi Don

Manob Kaowgongreab

Khun Manob is a true islander, born and raised on Phi Phi Don. His family operates the small Natasha guest-house and has a business providing food and groceries to shops and restaurants in Phi Phi.

But the job that keeps him close to home is his position as Chief of Village No 7, one of Phi Phi Don’s two villages. He started off working as assistant to the then-village chief for five years. He was then himself elected Chief of Village 7, a post he has now held for 20 years. He says it is not an onerous job because Phi Phi island has a pleasant community. About 1,200 people are officially registered as living on Phi Phi Don, but in reality, he estimates, there are more than 4,000 people living on the island full-time.

“My main job is to look after the community, to make sure that people stay away from problems such as drugs. I also make sure that business operators follow the law – closing times for night life venues, for example. That’s recently been extended from 1 am to 2 am,” Khun Manob notes.

Maya Bay: 'The Beach'

“Thanks to the Hollywood movie, The Beach, Phi Phi’s tourism business has been getting better and better. Many tourists come to see Maya Bay [on Phi Phi Leh Island], which was used as a location for the film.”

I haven’t been to Phi Phi for a long time, and am astonished to learn from Khun Manob that there is now a hospital on Phi Phi Don – I recall that, before, there was just a clinic. Things have changed.

There are also two banks, two schools (up to junior high-school level) and a mosque, and a three-storey police station is under construction. Currently there are about 2,000 hotel rooms on the island.

Before I leave, Khun Manob expresses his concern about one result of growing tourism: the increasing garbage problem. The island ships 10 tons of garbage a day out to the Krabi mainland.

“I want to welcome everyone to Phi Phi. But please, try to generate as little garbage as possible while you’re here. It would also be nice if you would take your garbage with you when you leave. This will help to preserve the beauty of Phi Phi,” he says.

by Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen

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