Tomorrow Never Dies and James Bond Island

Interestingly, the 007 movie Tomorrow Never Dies starring Pierce Brosnan was also filmed in the same general area of Phang Nga Bay (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120347/locations) as was the Man with the Golden Gun. However, after looking carefully for it in Brosnan's movie I could not find James Bond Island anywhere.

Why is it called James Bond Island?

James Bond Island in Phuket Thailand

Ko Khao Ping Kan and Ko Tapu became known as "James Bond Island" due to these extraordinarily scenic Thai islands being featured as locations for the blockbuster James Bond movie "The Man With The Golden Gun" starring a Roger Moore and Christopher Lee.

Perhaps a better question is: when will you visit James Bond Island?

Was a Castle built on James Bond Island by an Irish Billionaire during the global property boom?

No, of course not you silly sausage. The heavily viewed image of a castle on top of a famous tourist island in Thailand was never built nor even considered by anybody in Thailand nor in Dublin where this "Castle Rock Ireland" was stated to be located somewhere off the coast of the Irish Republic.

"Castle Rock Ireland" in Dublin, Thailand, Facebook or Pinterest?
"Castle Rock Ireland" in Dublin, Thailand?

However a magical half castle, half island was merely a creation from the imagination of one naughty prankster's mind combined with set of decent photoshop skills and a burst of self-propelling viral hoaxing via social media. Mind you with architectural ambitions like this its no wonder the Irish Property Bubble imploded!!

The image in fact combined Koh Tapu (aka Nail Island aka "James Bond Rock") and a very nicely integrated selection of Lichtenstein Castle in Baden-Wurttemburg, Germany which resulted in a magical fairy tale castle perched upon a tropical island somewhere along the Emersld Isles. This photoshopped piece of trickery was soon being twittered and facebooked across the globe under the title "Castle Rock Ireland" and "Castle Rock Dublin."

But it was thanks to Pinterest, Posterous and a few other Social Media sites that led to an extra 20,000 visits to this site in a month in 2011, most of whom were trying to find out the history of the Southern Thai islands near Phuket and Krabi made famous by the "Man with the Golden Gun" 007 movie.

Lichtenstein Castle & James Bond Rock before Photoshop Shotgun Wedding
Lichtenstein Castle & James Bond Rock before Photoshop Shotgun Wedding

5 Best James Bond Island Photos, Movie Poses & Island Snapshots for 007 Sharpshooters

Whether you are a professional photographers armed with a top of the range Canon DSLR or just a happy snappy tourist using your iPhone camera you will both be essentially aiming to capture a similar handful of photos. 

Based on my much enjoyed long tail tour boat trip to the island I can say that the 5 Best James Bond Island Photos, Movie Poses & Island Snapshots for 007 Sharpshooters are as follows:

1) A photo of the James Bond Island "Rock" (sadly without laser gun)

Photo of James Bond Island Rock
Photo of James Bond Island Rock


2) Recreating the Bond & Scaramanga Beach Duel Movie Pose


Photo of Bond & Scaramanga Beach Duel Movie Pose
Photo of Bond & Scaramanga Beach Duel Movie Pose

3) Taking some clever "Rock in your Hands" photo shots


Photos of some clever "Rock in your Hands" shots
Photos of some clever "Rock in your Hands" shots


4) Being lucky enough to photo potential Bond Girls in your tour group


Photos of Potential Bond Girls in your Tour Group
Photos of Potential Bond Girls in your Tour Group


5) Being officious enough to take snaps of the Official James Bond Island Sign


Photo of Official James Bond Island Sign
Photo of the James Bond Island Sign

Is there a hotel based inside Scaramanga's Lair on Ko Khao Phing Kan? Which other hotel areas are suitable for the James Bond Island tour?

Hotel on James Bond Island Phang Nga Bay
Not only is there no hotel on James Bond Island but there is not even a place where Scaramanga could have built his impressively complex Bond Villain Lair.

The island is just not big enough to accommodate such a building (although it could be partially submerged somewhere I guess) and all those interior movie shots were filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK while the exterior was just a simple facade.

In fact, the only buildings that exist are the souvenir shacks and a decidely un-Bond like concrete toilet block.

This means that the nearest and best hotels are all pretty much based an hour or more away in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga or Khao Lak.

Bond lovers should have no fear when deciding to book a hotel in any of these four provinces as they have an excellent range of options to choose from - all of which will be able to offer every type of tour packages to help you visit James Bond Island.

Many tourists will either book their tour through their hotel or find a deal at one of the hundreds of travel agencies in Southern Thailand who can be found in every tourist hotspot.

Have a great time visiting James Bond Island!

Are the 007 Movie Skyfall Island and Koh Khao Phing Kan located near to each other?

No, Koh Khao Phing Kan aka James Bond Island is based in Phang Nga Bay and nearby to Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi in Thailand but the island used in the new 007 movie "Skyfall" starring Daniel Craig is actually a place called Hashima Island in Japan.

007 Skyfall Hashima Island in Japan - Not Thailand
Hashima Island also has a nickname due to its unique appearance and is called locally by Japanese as "Gunkanjima" which means Battleship since the island resembles a large battleship in terms of size and layout.

Similar to the filming experiences in Thailand on Koh Khao Phing Khan the Hashima Island in Japan was mainly used for external shots while internal filming inside villain, Raouk Silva's secret lair where shot at Pinewood Studios in Great Britain and with CGI helping to fill out the other parts.

Hashima Island is just one out of 505 islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture that all remain uninhibited and are located just under 10 miles from the main area of Nagasaki.

The islands used to be the sites of major coal mining industry but after petroleum began to overtake coal in the 1979's Japanese economy then all the mines eventually shut down.

However due to the recent surge in interest due to the Skyfall movie being released in 2012 there are now some regular tourist boat operators bringing tours to the islands to see the film location as well as other ghost towns from the coal mining areas.

What does the real name of James Bond Island "Koh Khao Phing Kan" mean in Thai?



James Bond Island Canoe Tour in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
What does James Bond Island "Koh Khao Phing Kan" mean in Thai?

The island cluster that tourists actually visit and walk around on (and where Scaramanga's beachside lair was located) is named as "Koh Khao Ping Kan" in the Thai language which roughly translates as "Island with Hills Leaning Together".

The tall vertical rock that stands out in the middle of the bay of Koh Khao Ping Kan is known as"Koh Tapu" which means Nail Island or Spike Island in Thai due to the unique stature of the rock island which Scaramanga had turned into a laser based weapon of mass destruction in the Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun".

Of course all of these islands are now known to every 007 fan around the world, and to every tour guide operator in Phuket and Krabi, as James Bond Island.

Where is James Bond Island located on the Thai Map?

Where is James Bond Island located on the Thai Map?


The location of James Bond Island in Thailand can be seen clearly on this Google Map snapshot as being in the west side of Phang Nga Bay, with Phuket and Phi Phi islands being found below to the South and Krabi province to the East:

Map of James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay
Map of James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay

Looking at a close up satellite map shot of the island cluster it is visibly recognisable that Koh Phing Khan and Koh Tapu are indeed the filmset location made internationally famous by the James Bond and Roger Moore movie "The Man with the Golden Gun" and which have forever since been known as the popular tourist destination of "James Bond Island":

Koh Phing Khan and Koh Tapu aka James Bond Island
Koh Phing Khan and Koh Tapu aka James Bond Island

James Bond Island as a Tourist Attraction in Thailand

James Bond Island Beach in ThailandEvery day tour buses packed with thousands of tourists leave Phuket and Krabi for the day long sightseeing trip to James Bond Island in Thailand.

It normally takes a quick two hour drive to get to Phang Nga Bay and often with a stop on the way at the popular Monkey Caves (Wat Suwankuha) to see the large reclining golden Buddha and the large flocks of monkeys outside.

After this the bus takes tourists to Phang Nga Bay docks where they often travel by long tail boat for lunch at Koh Pannyi, a floating Muslim fishing village that is referred to by some locals as "Bin Laden Village". 

After exploring the floating village everybody gets back onto the long tail boat and heads for the prime attraction of James Bond Island.

A 15-minute boat ride later and the island comes into view.

The island that you disembark onto is crowded with stalls selling seashells and trinkets but unfortunately nobody has taken the initiative to create or sell anything of interest to Bond fans. 

No replica golden guns, no postcards of the film, not even a DVD of the film. The people on the stalls are pushy but easy to avoid, just don't go near them.

Beer is a little expensive on the island but since it is not available at the Muslim fishing village this is the place to get it if you fancy a can. 

Confusing signs are placed around the island that try to explain how the rock was formed but these are written in "Tinglish" so make very little sense. 

The tour guides normally give you 30 minutes on the island; just long enough take some pictures, have a drink and pretend to be Roger Moore shooting Scaramanga.

James Bond Island is a must see tourist attraction for visitors to Phuket or Krabi as it combines the best of Hollywood fantasy with the outstanding beauty of Phang Nga Bay. 

Whether you visit by longtail boat, speed boat or by canoe this is one tourist attraction you should not miss!


Sunset Cruises at James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay

Sunset Cruises at James Bond Island and Phang Nga BaySunset Cruises at James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay

 
While the tour bus and long tail boat packages are easily available and widely popular with tourists there are also companies like June Bahtra that offer more traditional island tours.

In fact, some fans of the "Man With The Golden Gun" may prefer to take a tour like this as it features an authentic Siamese Junk similar to the boat that Scaramanga had in the movie.

There are a few different companies that offer sunset cruises to James Bond Island and around Phang Nga Bay. 

These are well-known for having a more romantic atmosphere for those wishing to see this area of outstanding natural beauty with a loved one.

Was James Bond Island Damaged in the Boxing Day Tsunami?

According to some online news media at the time James Bond Island was said to be extremely hard hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, although I have found no reports of casualties in this specific area. 

When I first visited James Bond Island in 2006 there was no visible damage to the island or rocks nor was there any mention of fatalities or even injuries from that tragedy of nature.

The Man with the Golden Gun - The Movie That Created a Thai Tourist Attraction

The Man with the Golden Gun - The Movie That Created a Thai Tourist AttractionReleased in 1974, the Man with the Golden Gun was the ninth movie in the EON Productions James Bond series and Roger Moore’s second outing as Bond. 

It was also the movie that created a Thai tourist attraction now known as James Bond Island.


In the film, James Bond comes up against the villainous Francisco Scaramanga, the world’s most expensive assassin who charges US$1 million per hit. 

Each time he uses his golden gun and never needs more than one golden bullet. He also has an extra nipple. Because Bond villains are weird about that sort of thing!

A fast-paced, high octane chase takes place starting in Hong Kong and ending up in tropical Thailand where 007 duels with Scaramanga and his Golden Gun on the beach of the now world-famous James Bond Island.

While it was said to have been in Chinese waters in the movie the actual location of James Bond Island aka Koh Khao Ping Kan in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand.

The rest, as they say, is history and the movie's success created a major Thai tourist attraction that continues to draw crowds of visitors forty plus years later!


The Man with the Golden Gun - Geographic Errors & 007 Movie Trivia

James Bond Island Geographic Errors


According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), in the Man with the Golden Gun Scaramanga’s flying car is meant to have been found "200 miles west of Bangkok", which would actually have put it somewhere off the coast of Burma and nowhere near to James Bond Island.

Added to that the island they end up heading for is said to be about an eight hour sail from Hong Kong. 

That is at least 1,000 miles from Bangkok in the other direction.


Also of interest is the fact the movie was nearly made in Cambodia a few years earlier but had to be postponed due to the Vietnam War. 

Had that terrible conflict never happened perhaps it would be some island in Cambodia that would have benefited from the millions of dollars in extra tourism.


The Man with the Golden Gun lyrics

Although they do not mention James Bond Island I am posting the lyrics to the movie's theme tune. For posterity (and because they are funny) here they are:

He has a powerful weapon
He charges a million a shot
An assassin that's second to none
The man with the golden gun

Lurking in some darkened doorway
Or crouched on a roof top somewhere
In the next room, of this very one
The man with the golden gun

Love is required whenever he's hired
It comes just before the kill
No one can catch him, no hit man can match him
For his million dollar skill

One golden shot means another poor victim
Has come to a glittering end
For a price, he'll erase anyone
The man with the golden gun

His eye may be on you or me
Who will he bang?
We shall see. Oh yeah!

Love is required whenever he's hired
It comes just before the kill
No one can catch him; no hit man can match him
For his million dollar skill

One golden shot means another poor victim
Has come to a glittering end
If you want to get rid of someone
The man with the golden gun
Will get it done
He'll shoot anyone
With his golden gun