The filmmakers pledged to restore the beach to its original state and set stakes in the sand to prevent erosion. But by the time the monsoon season ended in November, it became clear the stakes didn't work nearly as well as native vegetation. More sand than anyone could remember was washed away by the annual storms. There is no beautiful beach anymore. They just want to cash in on the movie, with no concern about environmental impact.
Some tourists agree.
We decided to come by and see with our own eyes what had happened. Still, Thai theater owners say they are not worried and have plastered cinemas with posters of DiCaprio emerging from the sea ahead of the film's release next month in Thailand. It opens Friday in U.S. theaters. A lawyer for 20th Century Fox defended the filmmakers, saying they took every precaution and the erosion was caused by unusually severe storms, not the filmmakers' actions. I'm confident the claim about the erosion is groundless.