About Us

View of Tonsai Tower from Phi Phi Climbers

Suchard climbing overhang at Hin Taak beach

Magnus on a smooth wall at Hin Taak beach

Soley powered by Singha 

You'll find us on Koh Phi Phi Don Island, halfway between Krabi & Phuket in Southern Thailand  (a 2 hour ferry ride in either direction).  Our shop is a five minute walk from the ferry dock - when exiting the ferry take a right on the main street walkway & continue past The Apache bar - you'll see our sign on the left. You can email us at PhiPhi.Climbers@gmail.com.

How Phi Phi Climbers began . . .

The re-opening of Phi Phi Islands as a major climbing destination has long been on the agenda for climbing schools and climbers in the ever growing climbers paradise at Railey Beach.  Despite years of good intentions, nothing really happened at Phi Phi and rock climbing as an activity stood the risk of succumbing to the horrors of rusting bolts, overgrown trails, and monkey infested climbing areas.  Bolts dating as far back as 1987 made climbing here virtually life threatening and something desperately had to be done to avoid loosing these stunning islands to the package tourist.  

In February 2000, the two friends Suchard Sripoh and Soley Onbud - long time Railey Beach residents - brought their skills and drills to the islands and established Phi Phi Climbers.  Once climbing gained a foothold,  people soon realized the full potential of the area and materialized out of nowhere to help out or start their own business. To date 50 routes have been re-bolted or put up by Phi Phi Climbers with the helping hands of resident climbers or climbers passing through.

Safety has always been our premier priority.  To date state of the art A4 stainless steel glue-in staples and Hilti C 100 or HY 150 glue have been used.  However the sulfuric acid in the limestone can erode not only the bolts but also the glue.  So from September 2001 forward, Phi Phi Climbers will use titanium bolts which withstand the acid and a glue shown in recent studies to be the best technology - Hilti Hit Re-500.   This is not a cheap nor permanent solution, and we at Phi Phi Climbers gratefully accept and welcome all kinds of donations and assistance in this slow, everlasting process. . .

We wish to share Thai hospitality and philosophy with every customer:

What is the most important aspect of climbing?

*BALANCE*

Also the most important aspect of living, 

A way of focusing your attention,

Without balance in your life nothing else will work.

About Suchard . . .

Having climbed anything he could find since the age of 4, Suchard got hooked on rock climbing in 1987 while studying in the United States.  During that time also obtained a degree in visual communication from Colorado Institute of Art.  Before starting Phi Phi climbers he combined working as a dive master with climbing & guiding at Railey Beach.

About Magnus . . .

The former golf-playing law student is now spending his 9th season in Thailand (3rd on Phi Phi island).  He's been rock climbing for 11 years and instructing for 8 years.  He's also fooled around with paragliding (pilot A), bungee jumping (certified jumping instructor) and diving (CMAS).  He's also an unlicensed, world-class beer drinker and bum.

About Soley . . .

A former  Railey Beach local, Soley is known to be  among the best climbers in Thailand.  He has worked as a rock climbing instructor for 7 years.  He now shares his time between climbing, guiding, fire dancing, and spending time in the land of the blondes - Sweden.