What's phi Phi like now - is it crowded and dirty like before the tsunami?

I was there in April of this year and thought it was great, but I hadnt seen it before then, so maybe I am not the best to answer, also the company I was with and the whole trip in general was such a great time, I may not have noticed too much bad stuff.

It was busy but certainly not 'heaving'. The only thing I recall was how heavily polluted with oil and debris the water was as we approached the speedboat harbour.

thx Cobalt

I wouldn't say that the island is dirty...but the rubbish is definitely a problem sometimes on such small island heavily frequented by tourists and boats. During the high season there is only one boat carrying the rubbish out to Krabi and of course that is sometimes not enough, so they stock it somewhere and that often results in awfull smells not far from the pier. I know that the poo yay and the Obotor are trying to resolve this problem but in this country it is always slower...

Since the tsunami, everything has been rebuilt pretty fast and more building is still going on.O f course if you like natural places then I wouldn't advise you to stay in the village as it is busy and not always "clean" as you might want it but not worst than any other islands in Thailand. I personally find Koh Phi Phi one of the most beautifull island in Thailand and that still comes with the occasional rubbish that you sometimes come accross...