James Bond Island Travel Guide

Q: What is special about James Bond Island?

Highlights of Visiting James Bond Island James Bond Island stands out with its towering limestone karst, rising dramatically from the sea. Unlike the larger islands in Phang Nga Bay, it features a slender, vertical shape that makes it unique. Its striking formation resembles the dramatic landscapes of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, making it a must-see for those seeking iconic natural beauty in southern Thailand.

Take me to ...

My Interests ...

2 Adult (>12)

0 Child (4-12)

Create My Trip Now

James Bond Island: Should You Visit it in 2025?

If Eden had an ocean, it would look a little like James Bond Island. Ko Phing Kan, as it name by Thais, located off the Phang Nga, a turquoise bay, peppered with craggy limestone rock towers, soda-white beaches and tumbledown fishing villages, the famous island is one of the region’s most spectacular great escapes and full of picture-postcard flavour.

It’s pretty easy to see why James Bond choose this locale to set up a location for the 1974’s movie, among towering cliffs and swifts’ nests, to build his lair in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Much of the bay, along with portions of the coastline, have now been incorporated into the Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park and can be explored by speed-boat tours. The area is desperately in lack of quality accommodation, so it may be best to visit on a day trip – there are heaps of tours out of Phuket.

Immerse yourself in the best experiences Thailand has to offer with our carefully designed trip that caters to the needs of most discerning travelers, check out Thailand Private Tours

Is James Bond Island Worth Going To?

Yes! the day trip to visit James Bond Island on long tail boat, is well worth the visit.

In addition, the boat trips off the islands taking tourists along to the Ao Phang Nga National park to see the photo-snapping rocky formation along with the several dotted islands around.

The speedboats then take you through the turquoise waved waters to see James Bond Island that was a setting location for the famous movie I mentioned above.

The trip is suitable for families and kids too and it offers with most stunning and majestic sceneries. There are countless small islands around the bay and some other villages off Koh Khai Nok island with its sandy beach and beautiful sandy beach to stop and get drenched or swim.

Just remember, it’s illegal to feed the fishes – so, be a cool tourist and Don’t Do It!

Map of James Bond Island

How to Visit Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island?

Transfer to the pier

The day tours from to Sea Caves Canoeing & James Bond Island by Big Boat all starts from Pracharat Pier, just in the Phang Nga. In addition, if you’re heading from Phuket, Krabi, surin or even Khao Lak National Park, you’ll first need to present in the pier in Phang Nga.

Upon departure, there will be a transfer with long tail boat through the large areas of mangrove forests, to be honest, the transfer and the first leg of the boat trips doesn’t really seems to be interesting since the long-tail boat just taking you to the islands now. My wife was like “James Bond Island doesn’t worth a trip” as soon as she hop on a long tail boat – but hey, that’s not all, wait for it.

Start with Canoeing through Sea & Caves

Top ways to experience James Bond Island & Phang Nga would start with a canoeing and kayaking to which, it takes tourists through caves and mangroves at Koh Panak and surreal rock karst at Hong Island. This is a great time for instagram snap photos and soak up views of James Bond Island then lounge on the beach at Lawa Island. The tours are usually offering a BBQ lunch or anything that is set before departure.

Visiting the actual James Bond Island

Once you done with kayaking and all the fun things, it’s now time to head toward the actual part of the trip, the visit to Koh Khao Phing Kan – the local name of the James Bond Island will last about 2 hours or less.

Remember, the James Bond Island is surrounded by over 100 other smaller islands that are dotted around the protected marine bay. So, no matter what tour are you booking, the boats aren’t allowed to get close to the limestone towers. You can take photos of the James Bond Island from a boat or a little beautiful beach on Koh Ping Ghan (If your tour boat would stop for it).

Is James Bond Island Worth the Hype? I still say yes, and now wife too.

However, all those boat tours are packed with 50-60 or more tourists (depending the boat size), now, if you want to have more vistas and freedom, there would be an option to go with private tour and or charter a long tail small boat right from the pier in Phang Nga and the whole trip last about 5 hours or a bit less.

In addition, if you’re on a group fo 10 friends, this is absolutely worth the money. book a smaller boat and control the time and places to visit.

End the visit at Koh Panyee Muslim Village

Koh Panyee Floating Muslim Village on Stilt: Time to say goodbye to the James Bond Island – the sailing, canoeing and photo snapping would never allow you to leave. Moreover, on most organized boat tours, you’ll visit some other renowned islands in the Andaman coast, such as Koh Panyee, a a fishing Muslim minority village on stilts where a delicious seafood lunch is served.

There are few souvenir shops here, before depart, you may buy something small to help and support the community whom lives on the water.

How to get to Koh Panyi?

There are several long tail boats departing Surakul pier in Krasom to Koh Panyi with 170 Baht for a 20 minutes journey. The boat however won’t depart until it gets full capacity of 10 people.

How to Get to James Bond Island

To reach James Bond Island, located in the uninhabited Phang Nga Bay, you’ll need to arrange transportation. Book a group tour from popular departure points like Phuket or Krabi, which are the most convenient options. Alternatively, hire a private speedboat or longtail boat from a pier in Phang Nga province for a more flexible experience.

Getting to James Bond Island requires planning and intention, as it isn’t located along common travel routes like Koh Phi Phi or Railay Beach to Koh Lanta. The island lies in Phang Nga Bay, so visitors must arrange a specific trip, either through a group tour from Phuket or Krabi, or by hiring a private speedboat or longtail boat. So, i hope i could answer part of the why James Bond Island worth going to

FAQ About Visiting James Bond Island

Is it worth going to James Bond Island?

For travelers skeptical about “top tourist attractions,” James Bond Island island worth the money and you should definitely plan to visit it on a day trip. Even without being a die-hard James Bond 007 fan, the island’s stunning natural beauty makes it a must-see. Beyond the iconic scenery, the surrounding Phang Nga Bay offers plenty of activities like kayaking through limestone caves or exploring nearby islands, making the day trip well worth the money you pay for. So yes, it is worth going to James Bond Island.

Can i get to James Bond Island without a tour?

Simply NOT possible since the beautiful island and its towering limestone karst are part of the Phang Nga marine and they all are national protected areas. So, to get to the “Koh Phing Kan”, or the James Bond Island, you only need to book a group tour, or pay more and go private with a smelt boat.

Most of the boat tours heading to visit James Bond Island are departing from Phuket & Krabi or if you take a private boat, then take one from Phang Nga.

Which is better: Phi Phi or James Bond Island?

Koh Phi Phi and James Bond Island serve entirely different experience. Phi Phi offers a full destination travel experience with hotels, restaurants, and the freedom to relax, explore, or take day trips to nearby islands. In contrast, James Bond Island is a single attraction where visitors typically spend about an hour before moving on. Choose Phi Phi for an extended stay or James Bond Island for a day trip, scenic stop in Phang Nga Bay.

What is special about James Bond Island?

Highlights of Visiting James Bond Island

James Bond Island stands out with its towering limestone karst, rising dramatically from the sea. Unlike the larger islands in Phang Nga Bay, it features a slender, vertical shape that makes it unique. Its striking formation resembles the dramatic landscapes of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, making it a must-see for those seeking iconic natural beauty in southern Thailand.

Why is James Bond Island that Famous?

Famous for few things. More than anywhere else in Thailand, the Phang-Nga coastline including James Bond Island was reeling from the devastation of the 2004 tsunami (Not sure if you guys remember it). In fact about 6, 000 of the deaths – well over half the national count – occurred along this section of the Andaman coast, particularly in the Thai Muang, Khao Lak, Bang Niang and Bang Sak regions.

However, if you’re into action packed movies, you definitely heard about the 007, the James Bond & now you’re curious how is it to be in the same location. Whatever, you will feel the majestic beauty and the karst landscapes in and around the Phong Nga.

The little limestone tower island of Ko Phing Kan, Renamed as James Bond Island since the movie location filmed here.

The more touristy side of the Phang Nga is the locations between James Bond Island and the muslim minority villages with their stilt buses around Koh Panyi.

It seems more tours are only taking visitors to this part of the bay, whereas some other tours, specially private trips including canoeing BBQ party swimming and more will take tourists to visit more islands as well as the mangroves along the beautiful coast.

I spoke with a Thai friend and he admitted that while Koh Phing Kan, the “official” name of what tourist call it James Bond island, may not rank as the most stunning area in Thailand’s Andaman Sea, its easily recognizable name, particularly associated with a legendary film character, has significantly influenced visitor numbers over the decades.