# James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan), Phuket > James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan) is a limestone island in Phang Nga Bay north-east of Phuket, beside the 20 m Ko Tapu 'nail' rock from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). It's a national park: the fee is about 300 baht (unofficial). Visitors land only on Khao Phing Kan. A trip from Phuket takes a full day. Web page: https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/james-bond-island - City: [Phuket](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket), Thailand - YesGo score: 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 4 h - Entry: park fee ≈ 300 baht - Opening hours: A day trip; park ≈ 8:30–16:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - National park fee: About 300 baht for foreign adults; often included in the tour price - Park hours: Roughly 8:30–16:30 - Ko Tapu: Seen only from the water and from Khao Phing Kan — no landing - Also on the tour: Usually sea-kayaking in the hongs and the Ko Panyi stilt village - Best time: November–April; the bay is sheltered and tours run all year - Where: Phang Nga Bay, Phang Nga province, north-east of Phuket - Coordinates: 8.27444, 98.50083 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1974** — The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed here — the villain's hideout (source: English Wikipedia) - **20 m** — the height of Ko Tapu, which stands 40 m off Khao Phing Kan (source: English Wikipedia) - **'Nail'** — is what Ko Tapu means; Khao Phing Kan is 'hills leaning against each other' (source: English Wikipedia) - **1981** — Ao Phang Nga National Park was founded (source: English Wikipedia) - **400 km²** — the park's area — mostly sea dotted with limestone islands (source: English Wikipedia) - **Mangroves** — the park protects Thailand's largest remaining native mangrove forest (source: English Wikipedia) - **1,600** — people live in the Ko Panyi stilt village, founded in 1880 (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 300 baht** — the national park fee per foreign adult (source: Thai National Parks; 2026 guides) ## What is James Bond Island? **James Bond Island** is what visitors call **Khao Phing Kan** ('hills leaning against each other') and the neighbouring **Ko Tapu** rock in **Phang Nga Bay**, north-east of Phuket. Ko Tapu is a slender limestone needle **20 m** tall, 40 m offshore; its name means 'nail'. The islands became world-famous in **1974**, when **The Man with the Golden Gun** was filmed here: Khao Phing Kan was the villain Scaramanga's hideout. They're part of **Ao Phang Nga National Park** (founded 1981, about 400 km²) — a sea of sheer limestone islands with Thailand's largest native mangrove forests. ## Fees, rules and season The park charges a **fee** of about **300 baht** per foreign adult (per the Thai National Parks site and 2026 guides; some sites say 400, without a source). Pay in **cash**; many tours already include it — check when you book. The park is open roughly **8:30 to 16:30**. Visitors land only on **Khao Phing Kan**, via a small beach and a path between the rocks. You can't get close to or land on **Ko Tapu**. The bay is sheltered from ocean swells, so tours run **all year**, but the calmest sea and clearest skies are **November to April**. ## What to see in Phang Nga Bay - **Ko Tapu** — the trip's signature shot, from the shore of Khao Phing Kan. - **Khao Phing Kan** — a beach, caves and leaning rocks. - **Kayaking in the hongs** — caves and lagoons inside the islands. - **Ko Panyi stilt village** — a Muslim fishing village on the water, often with lunch. - **Mangrove forests** along the bay's shores. - **Dozens of limestone tower islands** along the way. ## How to get to James Bond Island 1. **On a tour from Phuket** — hotel pick-up, then a speedboat, longtail or big boat from piers on Phuket's east coast; about an hour on the water each way. 2. **By speedboat** — faster, with more stops in a day. 3. **By big boat** — slower but calmer, often with kayaking and lunch on board. 4. **Via the mainland** — by car to Phang Nga town, then longtails across the bay. 5. Pay the national park fee on arrival if it isn't in your tour price. ## How long do you need? A James Bond Island trip from Phuket takes **a full day**: departure around 7:00–8:00, back by 17:00–18:00. The stop on Khao Phing Kan itself lasts **30–60 minutes**; the rest is kayaking, Ko Panyi and travel. Bring sunscreen, a hat, a waterproof phone pouch and a change of clothes — kayaking is wet. ## Is James Bond Island worth it? Yes: Phang Nga Bay, with hundreds of sheer limestone islands, is one of Thailand's most striking landscapes, and kayaking in the caves plus the stilt village make for a varied day. The YesGo take: the island itself is small and crowded with groups in high season, and you can't get close to Ko Tapu. The trip is about the bay as a whole, not one photo. Choose a tour with an early start and kayaking. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Checked whether the park fee is in the tour price - [ ] Cash for the fee — about 300 baht - [ ] Sunscreen and a hat - [ ] A waterproof phone pouch - [ ] A change of clothes for kayaking ## Phuket's sea and islands: compare and choose Beaches, islands and bays rated by YesGo. - [Phi Phi Islands](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/phi-phi-islands) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · park fee ≈ 400 baht, children ≈ 200 - [Karon Beach](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/karon-beach) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · free - [James Bond Island](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/james-bond-island) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · park fee ≈ 300 baht - [Bang Tao Beach](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/bang-tao-beach) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · free - [Kamala Beach](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/kamala-beach) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · free ## Islands from Phuket in two days Day one: the Phi Phi Islands. Day two: James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay, then Phuket Old Town in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Phi Phi Islands](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/phi-phi-islands) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · park fee ≈ 400 baht, children ≈ 200 2. [James Bond Island](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/james-bond-island) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · park fee ≈ 300 baht 3. [Phuket Old Town](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/phuket-old-town) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · free ## Good to know James Bond Island is Khao Phing Kan with the Ko Tapu rock in Phang Nga Bay. Phang Nga is also the name of the province and its capital. Tours from Krabi visit the same bay. ## Tips - The best shot of Ko Tapu is from Khao Phing Kan's little beach. - An early start means fewer groups on the island. - In the hongs, follow your guide — the caves are entered only at low tide. - In Ko Panyi, respect local customs: dress modestly. - First sea day: the [Phi Phi Islands](https://yesgo.io/thailand/phuket/phi-phi-islands). ## Questions ### How much does it cost to visit James Bond Island? The national park fee is about 300 baht for foreign adults; tours often include it. ### Can you land on Ko Tapu? No — it's seen from the water and from the shore of Khao Phing Kan. ### Which film was shot on the island? The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). ### How long is the trip from Phuket? A full day, leaving around 7:00–8:00. ### What else is on the tour? Usually kayaking in the hongs and the Ko Panyi stilt village. ### When is the best time to go? November to April; the bay is sheltered and tours run all year. ### How tall is Ko Tapu? About 20 m. ### Is it worth going? Yes — for Phang Nga Bay as a whole, not just one island. ## How we checked Island, park and Ko Panyi details are from English Wikipedia. The 300 baht fee comes from the Thai National Parks site (2022 data) and a guide checked in July 2026; several unsourced sites say 400 baht, which we don't use, so it's marked unconfirmed. Park hours of 8:30–16:30 come from a guide. The no-landing rule on Ko Tapu is the park's standard rule. Journey times and tour contents are from guides. ## Sources - English Wikipedia — Khao Phing Kan, Ko Panyi, Ao Phang Nga National Park: Ko Tapu's height and name, the 1974 film, the park's founding and area, mangroves, the stilt village - Thai National Parks (2022 data) and 2026 travel guides — 300 baht fee, park hours (unofficial) - Wikidata Q1195730 — coordinates --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.