James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay: Group Tour, Private Speedboat or Yacht

James Bond Island is the pair of rocks Khao Phing Kan and Khao Tapu in Phang Nga Bay, made famous by the film The Man with the Golden Gun. The island itself is tiny, so nobody goes just for it. The trip is always a full day in the bay: limestone cliffs, sea caves, hidden lagoons, kayaking and a beach to finish.

The Phuket B2C catalog gives you three ways to spend that day. A group tour on a speedboat, where you pay per seat. The same speedboat chartered for your group alone. Or a private boat: a catamaran, a motor yacht or a big cruise boat for a celebration. Below we compare them by price per person, by programme and by what you still pay on the day.

All prices come from the tours and excursions and yacht rental sections and are in Thai baht.

The main tour is the full-day James Bond Islands and Phang Nga Bay trip. It costs 2,500 THB per adult and 1,900 THB per child, and the group travels by speedboat. You leave Boat Lagoon pier at 09:30 and pass Yao Yai, Naka Yai, Naka Noi and Ko Phe, with lagoons, limestone cliffs and sea caves along the way.

Next come the caves of Panak island and sea kayaking through the hidden cave lagoons of Hong island, then James Bond Island itself, lunch in a floating village and time on Naka island with its beach bar and white sand. Another stop on the programme is Ko Phe, a sandbar that appears at low tide, with a 360-degree view of the bay. You come back on a sunset cruise and reach Boat Lagoon at 17:30-18:00.

The price includes a light breakfast, coffee and tea, fruit, water and soft drinks, a snorkeling mask and snorkel, accident insurance and lunch on the island. It does not include national park and island fees, the transfer to the pier, towels or alcohol. A family of two adults and two children pays 8,800 THB for the tour, plus park fees.

There are other formats too. The premium James Bond Island catamaran tour at 3,000 THB adds the sea gypsy village of Panyee, a pirate cave and the islands of Rang Yai and Naka Yai, with canoeing at Hong island. Photographers can take the sunrise tour with the glass bridge, the Avatar viewpoint and views of the James Bond islands for 3,200 THB. And the evening tour with glowing plankton, the Samet Nangshe viewpoint, hot springs and James Bond views costs 2,900 THB and runs in a calm bay without waves, so it works in the low season as well.

The same trip can be booked privately: the whole speedboat for up to 28 guests costs 45,000 THB. The route is the same, but nobody else is on board and you decide how long to stay at each stop. For ten people that is 4,500 THB each, for twenty people 2,250 THB, and for 28 people about 1,600 THB. At 18 adults it matches the group price of 2,500 THB each, and from 19 people the private boat is cheaper.

One difference to keep in mind: lunch on the island is included in the group tour, while on private boats lunch is often extra, so check it when you book. Every guest's full name and passport number are needed in advance, because the marine department and the insurance require them.

If you want something shorter, the Ocean Pearl 42 sport cruiser offers a half day to James Bond Island: five hours for 33,900 THB all year and 36,900 THB from 20 December to 20 January, leaving at 08:00 or 13:30. The price covers up to ten guests, with 800 THB for each extra guest. A full 8-hour day in Phang Nga Bay on the same boat costs 42,900 THB (45,900 THB over New Year). It cruises at 30 knots, so very little of the day goes to the crossings.

Phang Nga Bay is sheltered and calm, which makes it a favourite for slow sailing catamarans. The most affordable in the catalog is the Leopard 38: eight hours in the bay cost 38,000 THB from May to October, 41,000 THB from November to April and 43,000 THB from 20 December to 10 January for up to ten guests, with 1,000 THB per extra guest and a maximum of 18. Lunch is not included and costs 500 THB per person, and a minivan to the marina is 2,000 THB. For ten guests with lunch that comes to 4,300 THB each. It sails at about 8 knots, so this is a day for relaxing on the water rather than collecting stops.

For a large group, the Satisfaction 55 sailing catamaran, built as a floating beach club with a bar and lighting, is good value. Its 8-hour Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island route costs 59,000, 69,000 and 89,000 THB across three periods (May to October, November to April, 20 December to 20 January) for up to 20 guests, with 1,000 THB per extra guest and a maximum of 40. For twenty people in the low season that is 2,950 THB each.

Bigger still is the Taipan 130 cruise yacht for 80 guests. Eight hours in Phang Nga Bay cost 89,000 THB all year and 99,000 THB in the high season for up to 40 guests, with 1,000 THB per extra guest. For 40 guests that is 2,225 THB each, but lunch here starts at 600 THB per person and a minivan to the pier is 2,500 THB per 10-seat van.

Motor yachts for a small group cost noticeably more. The Azimut 46 for eight hours in the bay costs 80,000, 90,000 and 105,000 THB by period for one to eight guests, with lunch and the transfer included. The Princess 65 Oceana costs 125,000, 135,000 and 145,000 THB for up to ten guests, and in Phang Nga Bay kayaking is included in the price.

A couple or a family of up to four: the group tour is almost always cheaper. Two adults pay 5,000 THB, a family with two children 8,800 THB. For more comfort and a seat of your own, take the premium catamaran tour at 3,000 THB.

A group of ten or more: price out the whole speedboat at 45,000 THB. With ten guests that is 4,500 THB each and you do not depend on anyone else's pace. From 19 guests it is already cheaper than group tickets.

A group of 15 to 40, a party or a company outing: the Satisfaction 55 catamaran or the Taipan 130 cruise yacht come to 2,225-2,950 THB per person when full, with a bar, music and space for everyone. For a slow, unhurried day, pick the Leopard 38 sailing catamaran. If you want air conditioning and cabins, look at the Azimut 46 or the Princess 65.

If you are still deciding between Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi, read our comparison of Phi Phi by yacht, catamaran or speedboat. Phi Phi means different islands, different prices and a different kind of day, with more beaches and snorkeling and fewer caves and cliffs.

National park fees. Entry to the Phang Nga Bay national park costs 300 THB per adult and 150 THB per child and is almost never included. On some boats the kayaks at Hong island are extra too, at 300 THB per two-seat kayak. On the group tour kayaking is part of the programme, but the park fees are still paid separately.

What the private boat includes. Compare not only the day rate but also lunch, the transfer and the charge for guests above the base group size. The Leopard 38, for example, charges 500 THB per person for lunch and 2,000 THB for the minivan, while the Azimut 46 already includes both.

Season and dates. Most boats have three prices, the highest over the New Year holidays, roughly from 15-20 December to 10-20 January depending on the boat. Group tours in the catalog list a single price, and the departure schedule for your date is confirmed at booking.

Booking. Tours are booked with a 1,000 THB deposit and private boats with a 5,000 THB deposit. Have every guest's full name and passport number ready. Send a request from the tours and excursions or yacht rental section and we will confirm a departure for your date and send the total for your whole group. For general advice on choosing excursions, see our guide on how to book tours in Phuket.