I discovered paradise in Thailand, drew a map, and within 14 years it was totally destroyed

The self-proclaimed “first tourist” to visit Thailand’s Koh Phangan spoke of his guilt after sharing details about the pristine island that led to its eventual demise and notoriety as a garbage-strewn party spot.

In 1979, Costas Christ – much like Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Richard in the 2000 hit film The Beach – was a backpacker in his twenties from the US, and eager to get off the beaten track, persuaded a fisherman to take him to a secret place only locals knew about. That place was Koh Phangan.

Describing what he found when he stepped off the ramshackle ship, he told DailyMail.com: ‘Tourism had not yet made its way to Koh Phangan. The fisherman warned me that he would not return for several weeks and that I would be left to my own devices. To my younger self, Koh Phangan was pristine.

‘After walking for hours along the coastline and some bush walking, past scattered Thai fishing huts, I finally arrived at Hat Rin beach and thought I had found paradise. I stayed with a Thai couple Somboon and Chom in their makeshift hut. I was the first Western tourist they had ever seen.’

However, in a new documentary called The last tourist focusing on the problems of mass tourism, Costas reveals how he shared the location of Hat Rin beach with a girl he met by drawing a map and it was a mistake he later regretted.

Costas had briefly met the girl in Bangkok, and after she broke up with her boyfriend, they reunited on the island of Koh Samui. They went to visit Koh Phangan together, and they even stay with Somboon and Chom.

But after their relationship ended on Koh Samui, Costas never saw the girl or his card again.

From there, it became apparent that more and more people heard of Costas’ ‘secret’ paradise spot and the fishermen’s huts were gradually converted into beachside bars, while the sandy, weed-strewn paths developed into paved roads.

In 1981, the adventurer returned to Koh Phangan and saw things begin to change. Somboon and Chom had been evicted from their home and there was more boat traffic.

The worst was yet to come, however a group of travelers who organized the first Full Moon Party in the late 1980s.

While the celebratory event started as a small affair, it gradually turned into a regular extravaganza that attracted hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world to the shores of Hat Rin.

Costas was unaware of the spark he had lit until he opened a copy of the New York Times Magazine in 1993 and was left “stunned.”

The explorer, who now lives in New England, recalled, “I saw a picture of the beach with thousands upon thousands of people celebrating something called the Full Moon Party.

“It got out of hand. Loads of junk, development out of control… it tore me apart from the inside.

“To think that from the moment I got there in 1979, within the space of 14 years, this place was totally destroyed.”

Costas was also later shocked when he watched the 2000 hit film The Beach and saw striking parallels.

He told DailyMail.com: ‘When I saw the film, I was struck by how its content matched my own story as a young traveler in Thailand.

This was because Richard, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, became increasingly disillusioned with the overland backpacker trail and tried to get away from it all.

“Then he met a young European couple and ended up sharing his map with them to locate The Beach.”

The Leonardo DiCaprio film caused further environmental damage in Thailand and Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh Island was closed for three and a half years after millions of tourists flocked to see the far-flung film set.

At one point it was receiving an average of 200 boats and 4,000 visitors a day.

The trail of breadcrumbs Costas left to Hat Rin beach inspired him to become a global advocate for responsible travel and he helped draft the UN Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

In the documentary Last Tourism he explains to the viewers: ‘We have to get tourism in order because if we don’t, we will see Koh Phangan being reproduced all over the world.’

The film reveals that Thailand now receives 39.8 million tourists annually.

When asked what the biggest problems are with tourism, Costas told DailyMail.com that “the goal is not to stop traveling, it’s to do it right.”

He added: ‘I believe tourism can also be an important way to understand the world and experience natural and cultural wonders, inspiring more people to protect the planet for future generations.

“But for that to happen, the travel and tourism industry – which is exactly what it is, a huge global industry – needs to change its development and business model.

“The majority of corporate-level tourism companies have operated on the principle of privatizing their profits and socializing their environmental damage – meaning others have to clean up the mess.”

Costas has never returned to Koh Phangan since his last trip in 1981, as he is still wracked with guilt that he was the one responsible for the transition from paradise to ‘party center’.

He concludes, “This isn’t a case of travelers’ lamentation, as in “gosh, this place has changed since I was here.” Places change, of course. That is understandable and to be expected.

“But there is a difference between change and destruction. Unfortunately, tourism around the world has been more negative than positive for locals and the planet.

“What gives me hope is that there is now a clear way and a better understanding of how tourism can become a positive force that can help conserve nature, fight poverty and protect cultural heritage.

“Now we just need the entire global travel and tourism industry to come on board, for the good of the planet. But travelers also have to take their responsibility for future generations.’

The Last Tourist is now available on Amazon and Apple TV, Sky, Vubiquity, Google, Microsoft and Rakuten. It also currently plays on Delta Airlines and Emirates Airlines. For more information on the movie, visit www.thelasttouristfilm.com