Phang Nga Bay is the sheltered sea north-east of Phuket, filled with steep limestone islands. A day tour from Phuket usually combines James Bond Island, the stilt village of Koh Panyee and a guided canoe trip into sea caves, and it costs a 300-baht national park fee for foreign adults on top of the tour price (as of October 2026).
Most of the bay is protected as Ao Phang Nga National Park, set up in 1981 and run by the Department of National Parks (DNP). It covers about 400 km² of water, islands and mangrove, and is also a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Because Phuket's east coast faces the bay, tours from the island are short on open sea and long on scenery. This page explains what you see, the main kinds of tour, the fee and the season. For Phuket itself, start with our Phuket guide.
Ao Phang Nga National Park in brief
- Managed by
- Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
- Park fee
- 300 baht foreign adult, 150 baht child (Category 3; as of October 2026)
- Open
- All year
- Best-known stops
- Khao Phing Kan (James Bond Island), Koh Ta Pu, Koh Panyee, the sea caves of Koh Hong and Koh Panak
- From Phuket
- Full-day tours by big boat, speedboat or longtail; most include hotel pick-up
- Driest months (Phuket)
- January to March
James Bond Island: Khao Phing Kan and Koh Ta Pu
"James Bond Island" is a nickname, and it covers two islands. The one you land on is Khao Phing Kan, whose Thai name means "hills leaning against each other". The famous rock is Koh Ta Pu, the "nail" island: a narrow limestone pillar about 20 meters tall that stands in the water about 40 meters off the beach. Both became famous after the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun was shot here.
Since 1998 tourist boats have not been allowed to go close to Koh Ta Pu, because its base is being worn away by the sea. You see it from the beach on Khao Phing Kan, not from a boat at its foot, and nobody can touch or climb it. Expect a short stop, a narrow beach and many other tour groups in the middle of the day. It is worth seeing once, but it is the most crowded part of the trip.
No tour can take you to the foot of the James Bond rock. Boats have been kept away from Koh Ta Pu since 1998 to protect it. A seller who promises a close-up by boat is either wrong or breaking park rules, and you should not encourage it.
Koh Panyee: the village on stilts
Koh Panyee (also written Ko Panyi) is a Muslim fishing village built largely on stilts over the water, in the lee of a tall limestone rock. Around 360 families, roughly 1,600 people, live there. Local history says seafaring families settled in 1880; whether they came from Java, as the usual story goes, or were Malay Muslims, as many villagers say, is still debated.
Most Phuket tours stop here for lunch at one of the large seafood restaurants on the water, with time to walk through the lanes of houses, shops and the mosque. It is a living community, not a museum, so cover shoulders and knees when you leave the restaurant area and ask before you photograph people. Do not bring your own alcohol into the village; for eating halal elsewhere in the country, see our food guide for halal and vegetarian diets. We could not confirm whether the village charges a separate landing fee, so ask your tour operator.
Canoeing into the hongs
For many people the canoe trip is the best part of the day. A "hong" (Thai for "room") is a lagoon hidden inside a limestone island, where the roof of a cave has collapsed and left an open courtyard of water ringed by cliffs. You reach it through a low sea cave that is only passable at the right level of the tide.
On the standard tours a guide usually does the paddling while you sit in the canoe. Some cave entrances are so low that passengers have to lean right back to pass under the rock. Koh Hong and Koh Panak are two of the islands commonly visited this way. Inside, the water is still and the light is soft, and mangroves often grow around the edge. The timing is set by the tide, which is why tours keep to a fixed order of stops.
Do not confuse Koh Hong in Phang Nga Bay with the Hong Islands near Krabi: they are different places in different national parks. If you are staying in Ao Nang, the island day trips from Krabi are the better fit.
Choosing a tour from Phuket
Tour desks across Phuket sell the bay in a few standard formats. The islands are largely the same; the boat, the group size and the timing are what differ.
| Tour type | What it is like | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big boat | Slow, stable, with lunch on board or at Koh Panyee; canoes launched from the boat | Families, people who get seasick, a relaxed day | Large groups; long day |
| Speedboat | Fast, several stops, often adds a beach or Koh Yao | Covering more islands in one day | Hard ride in waves; arrives at the same time as other speedboats |
| Longtail (private) | Small wooden boat, your own timing | Couples and small groups who want to avoid the peak hour at James Bond Island | Open to sun and spray; check life jackets |
| Sea-canoe focused | More time in the hongs, fewer stops | People who want the caves more than the photo stop | Ask whether you paddle or a guide does |
Before you pay, ask four things: which islands, in what order; how many people the boat takes; whether there are life jackets that fit your children; and what happens to your money if the weather stops the trip. When one desk is far cheaper than the rest, the saving tends to come from a fuller boat or a charge you meet later.
Ask in writing whether the 300-baht park fee is in the price. Some tours include it, some collect it on the boat, and the voucher does not always make clear which. Keep enough cash in baht for it, and for drinks and tips, since you will not find an ATM on the islands.
The national park fee
Ao Phang Nga is a Category 3 park in the DNP fee schedule: as of October 2026, 300 baht for a foreign adult and 150 baht for a child, with children under 3 free. Thai adults pay 60 baht. The ticket covers the park for the day, not each island.
Marine parks are switching to e-tickets, which the tour company often buys on your behalf. Some boats still collect cash. Either way, the fee should be the official rate; if someone asks for more, ask for the official ticket. Foreign cards pay 250 baht or more per withdrawal at Thai ATMs, so take out cash in one go; our ATM article has more.
Best season and weather
Phang Nga Bay is sheltered, and tours run all year. The weather still matters. The Thai Meteorological Department's averages for Phuket town show the driest months are January to March, with only 24 mm of rain in February, and the wettest are September and October, with about 336–350 mm each. The wet half of the year, roughly May to October, is the southwest monsoon season.
Because the bay lies on the protected east side of Phuket, rough water is less of a problem here than on Phuket's west-coast beaches, and the bay is less exposed than the open crossing to Phi Phi. But speedboats can be uncomfortable in a swell, and heavy rain spoils the views. If you visit in those months, do the tour in the first days of your stay; that leaves room to rebook. For a wider view of the seasons on both coasts, read when to visit the Thai islands.
Jellyfish are found in the Andaman Sea too. Swim only where the crew says it is safe; vinegar, not fresh water, is the first aid for a sting, as our jellyfish page explains.
Phang Nga Bay without a tour
You do not have to see the bay on a day trip. The two Koh Yao islands lie in the middle of it, a short speedboat ride from Phuket, and longtail trips into the bay leave from there too. Staying a few nights on Koh Yao Noi lets you see the limestone islands at sunrise, before the tour boats arrive. For other quiet islands on this coast, see more Andaman islands.
If you are heading north after Phuket, Khao Lak is the base for the Similan Islands, which reopen for the season on 15 October. Travelers based in Krabi usually see the bay's southern part on a Hong Islands trip instead.
Combining the bay with the rest of Phuket
A Phang Nga Bay tour takes most of a day, often from an early hotel pick-up to late afternoon. Give it its own day, and do not plan a long evening drive afterwards. Where you sleep makes a difference: pick-ups from the west-coast beaches take longer than from Phuket Town or the east coast. If you have not chosen a beach yet, Phuket's beaches side by side may help, and Old Phuket Town makes a good, short outing on the day after a long boat trip.
For the other classic boat trip from Phuket, see the Phi Phi Islands guide. Travel insurance matters on any boat trip; our guide to travel insurance for Thailand explains what it should cover.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Phang Nga Bay national park fee?
As of October 2026, Ao Phang Nga National Park charges foreign adults 300 baht and children 150 baht per day; Thai adults pay 60 baht. Many tours do not include it, so check your voucher and carry cash in baht in case it is collected on the boat.
Can you get close to the James Bond rock?
No. Since 1998 tourist boats have been kept away from Koh Ta Pu to protect the eroding rock. You land on the neighboring island, Khao Phing Kan, and see the pillar from the beach about 40 meters away.
Is a big boat or a speedboat better for Phang Nga Bay?
A big boat is better for families and anyone prone to seasickness, and canoes are usually launched straight from it. A speedboat reaches more islands in one day but gives a harder ride and tends to arrive with the crowds. A private longtail is the most flexible choice.
Can you visit Phang Nga Bay between May and October?
Yes, tours run all year because the bay is sheltered from the southwest monsoon. Between May and October expect showers, some rough days and occasional cancellations. Plan it for early in your holiday, not the last day.
Is Koh Hong in Phang Nga Bay the same as the Hong Islands in Krabi?
No. Koh Hong in Phang Nga Bay is a canoeing stop inside Ao Phang Nga National Park, reached from Phuket. The Hong Islands near Krabi are part of a different park, Than Bok Khorani, and are visited from Ao Nang.
Sources
- Department of National Parks – New park fee structure from 7 June 2022 (checked October 2026)
- Kapook Travel – National park entry fees by park group (citing DNP) (checked October 2026)
- The Nation – New national park fees take effect (checked October 2026)
- Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation – Portal (checked October 2026)
- Thai Meteorological Department – Climate normals 1991–2020 (Phuket station) (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Thailand: safety and security (checked October 2026)