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The Beach

Richard, a young American backpacker seeking adventure in Bangkok, stays in a drab travellers' hotel on Khao San Road where he meets a young French couple, Françoise and Étienne, and he immediately becomes attracted to Françoise. He also meets the mentally unstable Scottish traveller Daffy, who tells him of a pristine, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Thailand with a beautiful hidden beach. Daffy explains that he settled there in secret several years earlier, but difficulties arose and he left. The next day, Richard finds out that Daffy died by suicide and left him a map to the island. Richard persuades Françoise and Étienne to accompany him to the island, and the three travel to Ko Samui. Richard meets two American surfers, Zeph and Sammie, who have heard rumors of the island, and he gives them a copy of the map.

En route to the island, Richard's infatuation with Françoise grows. After swimming to the island from a neighbouring one, they find a cannabis plantation guarded by armed Thai farmers. Avoiding detection, they make their way across the island, jumping off a large waterfall and meeting Keaty, who brings them to a community of travellers living on the island in secret. Sal, the community's English leader, explains that the farmers allow them to stay so long as they keep to themselves and do not allow any more travellers to come to the island. Richard lies about not having shown the map to anyone else, and the trio becomes integrated into the community.

One night, Françoise invites Richard to the beach, where she tells him she is falling in love with him, and they start an affair. Although they hoped to keep it secret, the community finds out and, while he is angry, Étienne says he will not stand in their way if Françoise is happier with Richard.

Sal selects Richard to accompany her on a supply run to Ko Pha Ngan. They encounter the American surfers who are preparing to search for the island and mention Richard's map. Sal is upset but believes Richard when he says they have no copy of the map. To ensure Sal's confidentiality, Richard has sex with her at her order. On their return to the island, Richard lies to Françoise about having sex with Sal.

One day, three of the community fishermen are attacked by a shark while spearfishing. One is killed and another, Christo, is severely injured. He pleads for medical attention, but Sal will allow him to leave only if he promises not to disclose the location of the beach. However, now terrified of the water, Christo refuses to be taken to the mainland for medical treatment, but Sal refuses to allow any doctors to be brought to the island to treat him. As Christo's condition worsens, the islanders simply leave him in the jungle to die, but Étienne refuses to abandon him.

When the surfers turn up on the neighbouring island, Sal orders Richard to send them away and destroy their map. Later that night, an angry and hearbroken Françoise confronts Richard after Sal tells everyone she and Richard had sex, causing her to return to Étienne. Isolated from the group, Richard begins to lose his sanity, imagining he is in a video game and conversing with the deceased Daffy. He sets booby traps in the jungle and gets teasingly close to the farmers without being caught.

The surfers reach the island but are discovered and killed by the farmers. Shocked at witnessing their deaths and escaping back to camp, Richard smothers Christo to put him out of his misery and gathers Françoise and Étienne to leave the island.

Richard, Françoise and Étienne are captured by the farmers. The farmers are furious with the community for breaking their deal not to allow any more newcomers. The lead farmer gives Sal a gun loaded with a single bullet and orders her to make a choice: kill Richard and the group will be allowed to stay or they all must leave immediately. Sal pulls the trigger, but the chamber is empty. Shocked by Sal's willingness to commit murder, the other members of the community abandon Sal, leave the island, and go their separate ways.

Sometime later in an internet café, Richard receives an email from Françoise with a nostalgic group photograph of the beach community in happier times.