James Bond Island

James Bond Island (13 July, 2004)


James Bond Island (GPS: 8.27438, 98.50076) is a famous island in Phang Nga Bay National Park. This is where the 1974 James Bond movie starring Roger Moore, Man with the Golden Gun, was shot. Phang Nga Bay National Park is located on the northeast of Phuket.

There are in fact two islands, side by side, that vie to be called James Bond Island. The one generally accepted as the true title holder is Ko Khao Phing Kan (also variously written as Khao Phing Kan, Koh Ping Kan, Khao Phing Gan), whose name means Island of the Leaning Mount. It is a butterfly-shape island comprising two islets joined together by a sandy isthmus. It got its name from an immense sheer wall of limestone that appears to lean to one side. In addition , there are also grottoes to explore. Koh Khao Phing Kan is where actual location shot of the James Bond movie was done.

As Koh Khao Phing Kan has a beach, tourist can land on it. Tourists arriving at James Bond Island by motorboat and speed boat disembark at a pier a short distance away, while those coming by longtail boat are dropped off directly on the shore. The arrival of tourists is rarely unaccompanied, so too has souvenir vendors descended on Koh Khao Phing Kan. The only strip of beach on the island is now given away to a row of souvenir stalls that sell seashells by the seashore, and hordes of other trinkets.

But most tourist come to Koh Khao Phing Kan for one singular purpose: to pay homage to the famous James Bond landmark. That, however, is not on Koh Khao Phing Kan itself, but right out in the sea. That's the other island also called James Bond Island, and it's the most iconic, well-recognized rock formation in all of Thailand. This little islet is much smaller than Koh Khao Phing Kan, and it juts out of the sea like the head of a nail. No wonder its Thai name is Ko Tapu (also written Ko Tapoo), meaning Nail Island.

In the James Bond movie, this is where the villian Scaramanga hid his laser weapon - what George Bush would call "weapon of mass destruction". It must be the most photographed island in all of Phang Nga. As most tourists regard it as the James Bond Island, and of late it has gathered acceptance as the true James Bond Island.

Many people visiting James Bond Island express disappointment at seeing Ko Tapu. The majority whom I have spoken to expected it to be bigger, taller. Seeing it to be smaller than what they had expected comes as a bit of an anticlimax after the thrill boat trip through Phang Nga National Park. My advise to would-be visitors is not to harbour too much expectation, and simply enjoy the scenery - Koh Khao Phing Kan is actually quite scenic, if you ignore the souvenir stalls. But if you think you are going to be disappointed, then do not visit James Bond Island.

Getting there

The James Bond Island is located in Phang Nga National Park, which is on the northeast of Phuket. There are day trips to Phang Nga National Park, some includes a visit to James Bond Island and some don't. If you wish to visit James Bond Island, be sure to specify it to your tour operator. Nevertheless, other places in Phang Nga National Park are also worth visiting, and I'll describe them all separately.

Sandy beach on James Bond Island (13 July, 2004)


Scenery on James Bond Island (13 July, 2004)


Tourist boats at James Bond Island (13 July, 2004)


Tourist boat on James Bond Island (13 July, 2004)

James Bond Island aka Khao Phing Kan is on the map of Phangnga Bay

List of Islands in Phangnga Province and Islands in Thailand

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.