What to Wear on a James Bond Island Tour

Day-trip kit for a Phang Nga Bay boat tour: hat, sunglasses, water shoes, dry bag and Thai baht

Clothes for sun, heat and spray

It is hot on the water all year. The Thai Meteorological Department’s 1991–2020 normals give the Phuket weather station an average daily high of about 32 to 34°C (90 to 94°F) in every month, and there is little shade at the stops. Dress light: quick-dry shorts or a skirt over swimwear, a breathable T-shirt or a long-sleeved sun shirt, a hat that will not blow off, and sunglasses on a strap.

Your boat decides how wet you get on the way. A longtail is loud and rides close to the water, and the Khao Lak longtail listings warn of spray on the crossings. A speedboat is fast but bumpy on choppy days, and spray reaches the back rows. Big boats such as the Oh-Hoo Big Boat & Canoe Tour are slow, stable and shaded, so you mostly stay dry until the canoes. Tours also run in the wet season, roughly May to October, when a light rain jacket earns its space.

The canoe: plan to get wet

Nearly every tour includes a sea canoe or kayak at Ko Panak, Ko Hong or Ko Thalu Ok, and you sit low in an inflatable canoe with water around your feet and splashes from the paddle. Wear swimwear or quick-dry clothes into the canoe and keep your phone in a dry bag or a zip bag on a lanyard. Oh-Hoo’s listing puts exactly that on its bring list: “a dry bag or zip bag for your phone in the canoe”.

Who supplies the bag varies. The two Viator evening paddles, the Twilight Sea Canoe Tour and Hong by Starlight, include dry bags. The Early Bird tour does not provide towels or dry bags, and the 7 Wonders tour puts both on your own list. Pack a change of clothes for after the canoe, as the Amazing Canoeing tour suggests; a long van ride in damp shorts is no fun.

Shoes for the landing, the boardwalks and the caves

Choose footwear you can get wet that stays on your feet. You step off boats onto the beach at Khao Phing Kan, where you look out at Ko Ta Pu, the nail-shaped limestone pillar, and later onto pontoons and plank boardwalks at Ko Panyi (Koh Panyee). The 7 Wonders tour lists water shoes, the Krabi speedboat and canoe trip lists sandals or beach shoes, and the Krabi longtail tour lists comfortable shoes for its temple and waterfall stops. Sport sandals with a heel strap or water shoes work everywhere. Flip-flops slip off on wet decks and in the canoe, so save them for the hotel.

Dress for Ko Panyi and the temple

Most tours stop for lunch at Ko Panyi, a Muslim fishing village of about 1,600 people built on stilts in Phang Nga Bay, with its own mosque. You walk through a place where people live, so a T-shirt and shorts or a sarong over your swimwear is a simple courtesy.

The cave temple of Wat Suwan Khuha, on several Khao Lak, Krabi and Phang Nga-side tours, has a firmer rule. The Khao Lak canoe trip does not allow short skirts or sleeveless shirts there, and the Thrilling Thai longtail tour asks you to bring something that covers shoulders and knees. One reviewer on that tour says the driver handed out cover-ups for the cave. A light scarf or sarong in your bag solves both stops.

Cash, ID and the national park fee

Bring Thai baht. Many tours do not include the Ao Phang Nga National Park fee, reported at 300 THB per foreign adult (about $9) and 150 THB per child, and collect it in cash at the pier or on the boat. Others include it. Read your listing; the entrance fee guide explains who pays what. Cash also covers pickup surcharges outside the free zones on some tours, tips, souvenirs on Ko Panyi and photos sold by on-board photographers. The Luxury Sunset Cruise asks for a credit card for extras on board.

Several listings ask for your passport or ID card for the insurance, and most accept a copy or a photo on your phone.

What each tour provides, and what to bring

Tour	Boat	Park fee	Provided (per listing)	Bring (per listing)
Speedboat Sea Canoe + 2 Meals	Speedboat	Included	Life jacket, snorkeling gear, drinks, fruit	Swimwear, towel, hat, sunglasses, some cash, ID copy
Big Boat & Canoe Tour	Big boat	Cash, extra	Life jackets, drinks on board	Park fee cash, towel, dry bag for the canoe
Longtail, Sea Canoe & Monkey Cave	Longtail	Cash, extra	Life jackets, drinking water	Park fee and surcharge cash, temple cover-up
7 Wonders Speedboat Tour	Speedboat	Included	Life jacket, canoeing, soft drinks	Towel, water shoes, waterproof bag, change of clothes
Early Bird James Bond & Beyond	Speedboat	Included	Life vest, snacks, drinks	Towel, dry bag (neither provided)
Luxury Sunset Cruise	Big cruise boat	Included	Towels, life jacket, kayak	Credit card, light layer for the evening
Twilight Sea Canoe Tour	Escort boat + kayak	Included	Dry bags, life jackets	Quick-dry clothes, light layer for the evening

Checked November 2026. If your tour runs into the evening, as the sunset, plankton and twilight trips do, add a light layer for the boat ride back after dark.

Water, sunscreen and the plastic rule

Most tours hand out drinking water, but on a hot day bring a refillable bottle as well; the Krabi longtail tour puts extra water on its own list. Thai national parks have banned single-use plastic such as bags, foam boxes, cups and straws since 2022, so a reusable bottle and a cloth or dry bag fit the rules.

The featured speedboat sea canoe tour with two meals by Delight Tours shows how little you need when the operator covers the rest: the park fee, snorkeling gear, breakfast at Boat Lagoon and a buffet lunch on Ko Panyi are included, from $76 per person, rated 4.8 from 980+ reviews (checked November 2026). Drawbacks: the speedboat is bumpy on choppy days, the canoe session at Hong Island is about 30 minutes and the listing does not say who paddles, and you reach James Bond Island around the middle of the day with most other boats. Read our review.

Frequently asked questions

What should I wear on a James Bond Island tour?

Swimwear under quick-dry shorts and a light T-shirt, water shoes or strapped sandals, a hat and sunglasses. Add a cover-up for Ko Panyi and any temple stop, and keep a dry bag for your phone in the canoe.

Do I need a swimsuit on a James Bond Island tour?

Yes. Most tours include a sea canoe, where you may get wet, and many end with a swim stop such as Naka Island or Ko Yao Yai. Wear it under your clothes and bring a towel, since many tours do not provide one.

Can I wear flip flops on the island?

You can on the beach, but they slip off on wet boat decks, pontoons and in the canoe. Water shoes or sport sandals with a heel strap are safer for the landing at Khao Phing Kan and the boardwalks of Ko Panyi.

Should I bring cash for the national park fee?

Yes, unless your listing says the fee is included. It is reported at 300 THB per foreign adult and 150 THB per child, usually paid in cash on the day. Extra baht covers tips, pickup surcharges and souvenirs.

What should I wear for a speed boat ride?

Quick-dry clothes over swimwear, a hat that ties on or fits tight, sunglasses on a strap and shoes that stay on. Spray reaches the back rows on choppy days, so keep your phone and cash in a waterproof bag.

Do tours provide towels, life jackets and drinking water?

Most tours we review list life jackets and drinking water among the inclusions. Towels vary: the sunset cruise includes them, while the Early Bird and 7 Wonders tours ask you to bring your own. Check your listing before you pack.

Ready to book?

Once your bag is packed, pick the boat that suits you: the speed boat tours, the drier sea canoe days by big boat, or check dates on every James Bond Island day trip.