3 Things You Didn't Know About James Bond Island

You may have heard of Thailand’s popular destination, James Bond Island, which came into worldwide prominence in 1974 thanks to “The Man with the Golden Gun” movie. But did you know the following three interesting facts about the island?

It Actually Has 3 Names, Not 2
The beautiful island is famously known globally as James Bond Island; made famous in 1974 by the movie, “The Man with the Golden Gun.” But to the locals of Thailand, the island is referred to as either Khao Phing Kan or Ko Tapu. Ko Tapu, which means nail or spike, is part of the Khao Phing Kan group of islands and can be translated as “the island with hills leaning together” in Thai. There’s Thai folklore that is linked to the island regarding the island’s origin. Legend has it that a fisherman caught a haul of fish every day until one day, all he found was a piece of nail. The fisherman threw the nail back to the water, but he caught the nail again without any fish. The fisherman then split the nail by hitting it with the sharp object out of frustration and the separated part led to the famous rock formation.

A Limestone Rock
The island is located within the Phang Nga Bay, which explains its limestone features, considering the bay is composed of several other limestone formations that rise from the sea. Scientists believe that the limestone karsts in the island were formed around 250 million years ago during the Permian period. Originally, the area around the island was originally a barrier reef but was ruptured due to tectonic movement. The wind and the waves washed away most of the reefs, and the odd shapes are the only remainders from that period. Aside from Ko Tapu, another rock island that is about 40 meters away from one of Khao Phing Kan’s islands is believed to be a part of the original reef.

The Island Was A Rarely Visited Indigenous Area
Before 1974, Ko Tapu was rarely visited by tourists. But thanks to the 1974 James Bond film which was used as the hideout for Bond’s antagonist, Francisco Scaramanga, the island became one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.