The world-famous James Bond Island in Thailand

James Bond Island in Thailand appeared after one of the cliffs in the Andaman Sea, located twenty kilometers northeast of the coast of Phuket, became the setting for the film The Man with the Golden Gun. It was chosen for many reasons: the unusual shape, the breathtakingly beautiful surroundings, the crystal-clear waves kissing the magnificent beaches…

Well, Roger Moore (Agent 007, aka James Bond) and Christopher Lee (international hitman Skarmangi) had to try hard not to get lost against all this splendor. Now the island of Ko Tapu, the name it has had since its birth, has become one of the tourist attractions. If you are planning a trip to Thailand or are already in Phuket, then book your excursion to James Bond Island and go on an unforgettable journey in the footsteps of the famous agent 007.

The rock where it all began…

Ko Tapu Island in Thailand can be considered the point at which the tourist boom that turned the tin miners’ island Phuket into one of the most alluring places in the world began.

Frame from the Agent 007 movie that got the famous rock

In 1974, the landing crew of the film The Man with the Golden Gun landed on the shore of Phang Nga Bay, teeming with small islands. One of them was chosen as the set for the final scene of film shot in Thailand – the duel between the agent James Bond and the killer Francis Scarmangi. Bondiana fans immediately went to the place of filming, where they were shocked by the beauty they saw. The Thais themselves had no idea what a treasure they possessed, passing idly by the picturesque islands every day, aiming only to catch fish and other seafood.

By the way, about filming in Thailand. If you want to make some extra money and meet some celebrities along the way, now’s your chance! The fact is that in order to make a full movie, they often recruit people to create a crowd-pleaser. To become a member of mass casting in Thailand, you just need to submit an application form and show up to the casting.

It may be a coincidence, but in 1976, just two years after the filming, the first hotel was built on Patong Beach – Impiana Resort.

Ko Tapu and Khao Ping Kan

It would be more correct to call this attraction in the plural – James Bond Islands near Phuket. The thing is, there were two rocks in the frame. One was filming the final duel scene. This is the island of Khao Ping Khan. The other is so small that it is impossible to land on it. And it has a very unusual shape-it’s a “pole” with a tapering base. It is not for nothing that Ko Tapu means “wedge, rod” in Thai. Stir your imagination, and you’ll see a slender, dapper James Bond in it.

Khao Ping Khan are two pointed, forested cliffs that are about three times the height of Ko Tapu. They are connected by a sandy isthmus, completely hidden under the water at high tide. Meter twenty feet from it is famous all over Thailand, the rock pillar. At the foot of the cliffs there are two sandy beaches. To find signs from the movie – a crack in the rock, caves and grottoes – is not difficult, because this island is very small.

How to get there?

If you want to get to the James Bond Islands in Thailand on your own, it is best to look at a map of the surrounding area beforehand. They are part of the Phang Nga Bay Archipelago, a national park with so much beauty that you could spend most of your vacation visiting them. The closest point to them is the pier near the town of Phangnga. It is at the center of a triangle, the tops of which are the main tourist centers of the Thai Andaman Sea coast – Phuket, Krabi and Kao Lak.

There are two ways to get from Phuket to Khao Ping Khan Island, each with its own disadvantages:

from the pier in Phangnga city
from Chalong Bay, nine kilometers south of Phuket Town.

To get to the world-famous rock in the first way, you need to get to the pier of Phangnga, for this you have to rent a bike or car. The way from Phuket Airport to Klong Khian Pier goes across the bridge connecting Phuket to the Malacca Peninsula. It is not too long, about 30 kilometers. After arriving at the pier, you will have to hire a boat or longtail. Such a voyage will cost about 700-1500 baht per hour.

This is the kind of longtail you can ride to the bay

The second route may seem attractive to those who want to take a long boat ride – about forty kilometers or 20 nautical miles. It has two drawbacks – the price, which is bound to be higher, even though you can bargain hard with Chalong Bay boat owners, and your exposure to seasickness. If you rent the whole boat, the trip will cost at least 15 thousand baht.

A boat waiting for tourists at the Phang-nga pier

If you don’t want to, or for some reason are afraid to travel on your own, almost every travel agent at your hotel arranges group tours to these sights. Ask them for details. James Bond Island excursion in Thailand is a frequent item on the entertainment program of many travel agencies in the land of smiles.

The sea souvenir shop

The stay of tourists at the James Bond Islands in Thailand is very brief – no more than half an hour, during which you have time to walk on the beach, buy a couple of meaningless trinkets and photographs. Groups of visitors change regularly. Boats are not allowed near the “pole” itself. Attempts to swim in are also suppressed – it is a specially protected natural monument, the pride of the whole country. So try to combine an excursion there with a visit to no less interesting islands of the bay. For example, see the temple complex on Panya, get to the grottoes and caves of Kayak Island.