Boycotting "The Beach"

On April 10 1999, E! Online ran an article about an American group named Native palm trees growing on Phi Phi LeWomen's Voices for the Earth (WVE) who were calling for a boycott of the movie The Beach. The petition, which has been circulating the internet by e-mail, is addressed to Andrew Macdonald and calls for him to "cease and desist from destroying Maya Bay". WVE say that he "bulldozed large portions of the beach to widen it for a football scene and in the process removed much of the natural vegetation. After removing the native vegetation, Fox planted 60 non-native coconut palms to create their 'paradise'." The copy of the petition that arrived on the desk of E! Online reporter Joal Ryan was signed by 69 people who in a matter of days became thousands. The information in this article, the petition and the boycotters' website was at that time out-of-date and contained many inaccuracies. We sent an e-mail to everyone involved and since then WVE updated their web site. The photograph to the right shows the "non-native" palm trees that WVE has accused Fox of planting on the beach. However, these so-called "non-native" palm trees have been growing for years on the island just metres away from where the production company planted their own! We were told that there used to be a lot more before they were cut down.

The following links are for the two independent web sites that are involved in this boycott.

Boycott The Beach | Support The Beach

The following links are for our own independent look at the issues involved and the pictures we took ourselves of Maya Beach after the film makers finished filming.

Environmental Issues | Maya Beach

Phi Phi Le or "Leo Island"? The film-makers have left Maya Beach and the restoration has progressed well. What is the future of this island? Will it sell itself out to tourism as Phi Phi Don has. Or will it remain protected as the Thai government has pledged? Take a look for yourself to see what the future may hold for Phi Phi Le [enter].

"From what I see with my own eyes, everything is OK. I have seen nothing that had been destroyed or damaged in any way. I cannot tell you the reasons why people have been saying the opposite. It is beyond me." Leonardo DiCaprio

Timeline for The Boycott Story

December 1998: A representative of Women's Voices for the Earth (WVE) visited Maya Bay on Phi Phi Le Island.

Saturday 10th April 1999: An internet magazine called E! Online published an article claiming that The Beach, has environmentally damaged Maya Beach on Phi Phi Le island. A petition written by WVE and signed by 69 people, called for a boycott of the movie and for Andrew Macdonald to "cease and desist from destroying Maya Bay".

Monday 12th April The "boycott" story was picked up by Empire Online and Mr Showbiz. It is interesting to note that Empire put the number of people signing the petition at "just under 70". They used E! Online as their source. However, Mr Showbiz took his quotes from Empire and forgot the "just" part. So 69 has now officially become 70! See Boycott Archives for the full articles. We sent an e-mail to the writer of the petition to ask her to clarify and up-date her position.

Tuesday 13th April: A web based version of the popular teen magazine Seventeen picked up the story. However, 69 has now become thousands.

Wednesday 14th April: An e-mail from WVE finally arrived. However, instead of calmly stating their objectives they have decided to threaten us with "legal action". First they asked for us to remove the WVE logo from the top of this page. We had used their logo as a promotional tool for their cause as we wanted to promote both sides to this argument. We had also given their web site several links. However, now that they have objected to this use of their logo we have, of course, removed it. Secondly, they want us to do a bit of censorship on the extracts of E! Online's article. They say that "any references to E! Online's unsubstantiated claims that there are only 69 names on the list be removed" from our web site. At least one good thing has come out of this so far. WVE have now updated their website altering some of the out-of-date and incorrect information that was on it a few days ago. Also they have admitted that the film-makers have now left the island. Obviously they have now taken the time to read our extensive archives on the "environmental" issue.

Thursday 15th April: Empire Online updated the story with references to our "neutral" site. (See Boycott Archives for the full article.) We have repeated our request to WVE and asked them to send us a press release. We also asked them for the names and addresses of the protestors they are "working with" here in Thailand so that we can speak to them. No response so far.

"The environment, and environmental issues, are the first and foremost charitable concerns I have focused on, and I consider myself an environmentalist. And I want to do a lot more for this cause in the future. I would never be part of a situation that would cause harm to an island, or waterfall, or any place." Leonardo DiCaprio

Should We Boycott?

[You can read all about the Environmental Issues on a special page we have prepared]

We have to remember that this call for a boycott of the Maya Baymovie comes from an American environmental group. We have to be slightly sceptical at this stage about their motives as there are some discrepancies in their letter and petition sent out on the internet. So far we have found no evidence that they are connected with any group based in Thailand despite their claims. The Thai "protestors" that we are in contact with want people to focus on the court battles regarding the legal issues involved and not with the "palm trees". We are presently looking into this and we will keep you informed.

At present we are awaiting a press release from WVE, so in the meantime we will use extracts from their letter sent out on the internet. As usual, to be fair, we will compare these with what the production company and independent witnesses have said. This will be slightly complicated by the fact that WVE have now updated their web site (14 April 1999) and changed some of their "facts".

What did the production company do?

Bryony Schwan (WVE) writing on April 14: "The company bulldozed large portions of the beach to widen it for a football scene and in the process removed much of the natural vegetation (Giant Milkweed, Sea Pandanus, Spider Lily and other beach grass)."

Andrew Macdonald (Producer): "Small plants like grass and lilys on the beach have been removed. They are being natured in the nursery at the back of Phi Phi Le island until after the filming when they will be replanted. The horticulturist expert brought in from England, Ross Palmer, has closely supervised the replanting of these plants jointly with the Thai Forestry officials." source

How many palm trees were there?

Bryony Schwan writing in January: "Fox plans to replace the native vegetation with 100 non-native coconut palms to create their "paradise." Local Thai activists feared that removing the natural vegetation would create serious erosion, and they were right. The beach has already been eroded and now locals are very worried about how much of the beach and bay will remain after the monsoons."

Bryony Schwan writing on April 14: "After removing the native vegetation, Fox planted 60 non-native coconut palms to create their "paradise." Why is this a problem? Local Thai activists feared that removing the natural vegetation would create serious erosion, and they were right. When I visited the beach with the Thai people who were protesting the film after the alterations but before filming had began, portions of the beach had already been eroded. The Thai activists told me they were very worried that without the extensive root system from the vegetation in place, much of the sand could be washed away during the monsoons."

Anne Miller and Robert Cogen (independent experts): "The beach itself now had a forest of 60 coconut palms planted in the sand. Each was still in its burlap sack, watered by buried plastic lines, and could be easily removed. No new brush had been removed. Two areas of access from Maya Cove to this area had been widened, the sand pushed to one side, easily replaced." source

Who were the protestors?

Bryony Schwan: "locals"

Andrew Macdonald: "Phi Phi Le [is] uninhabited...The protestors were not local people but from Bangkok." source

Who were they angry with?

Bryony Schwan writing on April 14: "While Thai activists are upset with 20th Century Fox, they are equally angry at their own government for allowing this to happen."

"Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai stepped into the environmental row, saying the project will do more good than harm. ''Filming here will create more jobs and enhance our image which is what every country wants,'' he said. ''Thailand should offer opportunities to foreign film-makers to come here, but at the same time of course our duty is to protect our nature and environment. Every province has a duty to protect its environment.'' (Source: The Nation 13/Jan/99)

"Krabi Governor Sira Chaovanavirat submitted a letter to the interior permanent secretary to reaffirm the province's decision to allow the shooting of The Beach in Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Lay. (Source: Bangkok Post 21/Nov/98)

"Members of the Krabi joint public and private sectors consultative committee agreed unanimously to support the production of the movie in Krabi, saying the panel was confident that the location would be well restored and would return to normal condition. (Source: Bangkok Post 21/Nov/98)

"Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn dismissed claims made by Krabi environmental groups that filming of the movie The Beach will destroy Maya Bay on Phi Phi island. He said the statements were "shameful" and "unreasonable". Mr Pongpol said the groups are embarrassing themselves by making a mountain out of a molehill and added that they had ignored pleas to clean up the garbage-infested beach for years. The minister also lashed out at the groups' method of protest, by dragging Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio into the matter, although the teen heartthrob had nothing to do with the controversy at all. (Source: Bangkok Post 12/Nov/98)

Why were they angry?

Bryony Schwan writing on April 14: "They claim that Thailand's Royal Forestry Department violated their own regulations and were bought off by 20th Century Fox, who paid the government Baht 4 million."

"The written agreement the Royal Forestry Department signed with Fox's Thai representative Santa International Film Production Co states that 'the authorised [Santa Co] will be pleased to hand over money to the amount of Bt4 million to the authorised party [RFD], for use in government projects to restore marine environment when the authorised party has finished filming the aforementioned motion picture.'" (source The Nation 15/Feb/99)

The director-general of the Royal Forestry Department, Plodprasop Suraswadi: "...everything I have done has been in accordance with the official rules... the [Bt4 million] contribution is for protecting Phi Phi Leh which is part of the national park.... He argued that the court is now in the process of making a decision as to whether he is guilty or not and he wants the opponents to await the outcome of the legal process. (source The Nation 1/Feb/99)

What else did they complain about?

Bryony Schwan writing on April 14: "Another complaint about the film was that Phi Phi Leh is key to the local tourist economy. Local boatsman etc. are now almost entirely dependent upon tourism for their income. Many felt that having the island off limits at the height of the tourist season was unfair and while the Thai government was receiving compensation from Fox, they were not."

Boat drivers to get compensation: The Beach film crew has pledged to compensate the long-tail boat drivers who are expected to lose income as Maya Bay is to be sealed off for the shooting of the movie. The crew told some 300 affected boat drivers the 300,000 baht compensation money has been passed on to the Ow Nang Tambon administration organisation for distribution. (source Bangkok Post 2/Jan/99)

"I've seen Fox taking meticulous care, and their utmost respect for the island. If I had seen any evidence that anything was being done wrong, I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't endorse this project." Leonardo DiCaprio

Distorting the Truth

Regular visitors to this web site have already seen for themselves how a story changes over time. The "boycott" story is no exception to this. Read how 69 becomes thousands in just a few days.

Links for Further Information:

If you wish to comment on anything that you have read on these pages then please visit our Main Message Board. Also, check out the Beach Watch page for the latest news.

If you want to support Beach Productions then visit The Beach Support Page which has been set up by a regular visitor to this site.

Web Poll The following are the results of the poll that we held at our web site:

The Beach  
Would you boycott "The Beach"?
No, I would not boycott. (692) 96%
   
Yes, I would boycott. (20) 3%
   
I am not sure. (10) 1%
   

722 Total Votes
FINAL RESULTS  

"In my two weeks here, I have seen extraordinary measures being taken to protect the island, and I pledge to remain vigilant and tolerate nothing less than these maximum efforts." Leonardo DiCaprio

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