Koh Phing Kan (Khao Phing Kan)

Koh Phing Kan is a twin-peaked limestone outcrop in Phang Nga Bay, best known by its film nickname, James Bond Island, after appearing in the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun. Two leaning rock masses meet at the top, framing a small sheltered beach where tour boats land. The island sits inside Ao Phang Nga National Park, alongside the slender needle-rock pillar Koh Tapu just offshore — the two are often marketed together under the same “James Bond Island” name, though they’re separate formations.

Boats land directly on Koh Phing Kan’s beach, a strip of sand between the two limestone masses with shallow, clear water close to shore. Koh Tapu itself is off-limits: since the late 1990s the national park has banned boats from approaching or landing on the pillar, after erosion studies linked boat wash and foot traffic to damage at its base. Visitors now view and photograph Koh Tapu from Koh Phing Kan’s beach or from the water nearby. A row of souvenir stalls sits just behind the beach, selling the usual mix of shell crafts, sarongs, and cold drinks.

Entry costs 300 THB for foreign adults and 150 THB for foreign children (60 THB and 30 THB for Thai nationals), part of the standard Ao Phang Nga National Park fee. Nearly every visitor arrives on an organised half- or full-day tour from Phuket, Krabi, or Phang Nga town, typically combined with other bay stops like the stilted fishing village of Koh Panyi or the bay’s limestone sea caves. There’s no independent boat hire or public transport option for casual visitors.

Insider Tip: Tour boats stack up between roughly 10 AM and 1 PM, when the beach and photo spots get crowded fast. An early-morning departure (before 9 AM) gets you a clearer shot of the rock formation and a shorter wait at the landing point.

Watch out: Some tour operators still advertise trips as landing “on James Bond Island” without clarifying you can’t actually set foot on Koh Tapu itself — that’s expected, not a scam, but worth knowing before you book.

For the needle-rock pillar itself, see Koh Tapu (James Bond Island). Base yourself in Koh Yao Noi or Phang Nga town for bay tours.