The Beach (novel) The Beach (novel) The Beach is a 1996 novel by English author Alex Garland. Set in Thailand, it is the story of a young backpacker's search for a legendary, idyllic and isolated beach untouched by tourism, and his time there in its small, international community of backpackers. In 2000, it was adapted into a film directed by Danny Boyle and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2003, the novel was listed on the BBC's survey The Big Read. In a cheap hotel on the Khao San Road in Bangkok, Richard, a young American backpacker, meets a mentally disturbed Scotsman going by the
1996 Beach Soccer World Championship robin format. The top two teams progressed straight to the semi-finals from which point on the championship was played as a knock-out tournament until a winner was crowned with an additional match to determine third place. The capacity of the arena used for this edition of the World Championships remained the same as in 1995, at 12,000 seats available for spectators. Africa, Asia and Oceania were unrepresented. European Zone (3): North American Zone (2): South American Zone (2): Hosts: 1996 Beach Soccer World Championship The 1996 Beach Soccer World Championship was the second edition of the "Beach Soccer World Championships",