James Bond Island in November
November is the month the national park singles out for heavier waves. What to check the day before (the Thai Meteorological Department's Andaman forecast), what each tour does in bad weather, and what reviewers met at sea (November 2026).
In November the bay can be rough. The Department of National Parks, which manages Ao Phang-nga National Park, calls the northeast monsoon the calm season “except in November, the wave is mild-moderate, sometimes heavy-very heavy”. So book a November date with the free cancellation in mind: on James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket (The Thai Tourism Company), from US$48 on promotion, usually US$51 a person (checked November 2026), you can cancel without charge until 24 hours before. Read the Thai Meteorological Department’s Andaman Sea forecast the evening before, and decide then.
The dates we read, 26 Nov 2026 to 24 Mar 2027, priced the 8-hour big boat at US$50.57 and the 9-hour speedboat at US$59.55.
The park’s word on November
The full sentence on the park’s English page reads: “moderate to rough seas occur during the southwest monsoon, calm waves happen during the northeast monsoon, except in November, the wave is mild-moderate, sometimes heavy-very heavy”. The same page puts the rainy southwest monsoon from May to October and the steady northeast wind from November to March or April, and says visibility in the bay is usually excellent outside the rainy season.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s news piece of 20 October 2026 put the start of the Andaman season in October and the full dry season in December. December to March is the safer bet for a flat sea. November is not closed; it is less predictable.
No closure of Ao Phang-nga National Park appeared on the national parks department’s closure list when we read it on 10 November 2026.
The evening before: read the marine forecast
The Thai Meteorological Department publishes a daily marine forecast for shipping, issued at midnight and revised during the day. It has a section for the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait, with wind, thunderstorms and wave heights in metres, and it can carry a notice that small boats should keep ashore.
Two cautions. It forecasts the open Andaman Sea, not the enclosed water of Phang Nga Bay. And it changes every day, so a figure you read on Monday says nothing about Thursday. Use it as a sign, not a bay forecast: a small-boat notice for the Andaman side is a reason to look again at your date while cancelling is still free.
Nobody publishes a forecast for the bay itself, or a tide table for the canoe lanes, that we could find.
What the tours do when the weather turns
Each tour prints its own weather terms. These are the ones on the days carded on this site:
| Tour | Weather terms |
|---|---|
| James Bond, Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island Tour from Phuket (The Thai Tourism Company) | “Itinerary may change due to weather or tide conditions”; which caves you canoe depends on the sea |
| Phuket: 7 Wonders of Phang Nga Bay 6-Island Tour (Go Adventures (Thailand)) | Runs in the rain “unless there is a severe weather warning”; “Full refunds are provided if the tour is canceled due to storms” |
| Phuket: James Bond Island by Big Boat with Sea Cave Canoeing (Amazing Canoeing) | “Operates rain or shine, except in extreme weather events”; timing may change with the tide and weather |
| Phuket: James Bond & Panyi Island Hopping Tour with Canoeing (Discover Thailand) | Goes ahead in rain if safe, with no refund; if the crew judge it unsafe, a new date or a full refund |
| From Phuket: Phang Nga Bay and Canoeing Tour by Big Boat (Oh-Hoo) | If the tour must be cancelled, a different date, another tour or a full refund |
Terms as each tour prints them, checked November 2026. Every GetYourGuide tour here can also be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
So by these terms rain on its own does not stop a day; a storm, a warning or the crew’s safety call does, and the decision is the operator’s.
See November and December dates
What reviewers met at sea
We read the newest reviews of 14 of the day tours on this site, those posted from 30 September to 10 November 2026: 729 reviews, 423 with a comment. Nine comments mention the weather or the sea, and none mentions a cancelled trip.
- On 9 October a big-boat reviewer on The Thai Tourism Company’s day found the boat “incredibly smooth and stable” and had no motion sickness.
- On 17 October a reviewer of Go Adventures (Thailand)'s six-island day saw “weather was coming in quick” at the end of the day; the captain got them back and “we barely felt a drop”.
- On 28 October a reviewer of Amazing Canoeing's big boat had “very changeable” weather, but the crew still delivered the whole program: “do not be deterred by a rainy weather forecast”.
- On 29 October a reviewer of One Asia Corporation's afternoon yacht wrote “although the weather was rainy” the day was one to remember.
Four of the other five are about good weather. The fifth, posted on The Thai Tourism Company’s day on 27 October but describing a visit to the Phi Phi Islands, called the ride there and back “very rough”. It is a small sample from a window that started in late September, and a re-count on the day you book will differ.
Seasickness: big boat or speedboat
No tour here is sold as suitable for people who get seasick. The Thai Tourism Company lists “people prone to seasickness” among those it is not for, on both programs, and so do BJ Canoeing Tour Co.,Ltd., Thai Adventure Club and Sawanu Travel Company Limited on their days. Discover Thailand’s speedboat day is blunt about it: “the Andaman sea is a rough sea with usually big waves and it might be a bumpy speedboat ride”, with a pill from the staff for anyone with a sensitive stomach. Amazing Canoeing and One Asia Corporation hand out seasickness pills on request on their big boats.
If you are going anyway, the 9 October reviewer’s steady big boat is one comment, not a promise. Big boat, speedboat or longtail compares the boats on everything else.
Before a November day
- The pickup time comes the day before. That is also the moment to look at the forecast and, if needed, move the date while it is free.
- Bring a towel, swimwear and a change of clothes; you will be in and out of the boat and the canoe.
- Rain or not, the 300-baht adult park fee is cash at Ao Po Pier on the day booked above.
Still Deciding
Day Trips from Phuket with Open Dates
James Bond Island days by big boat, speedboat and longtail with live availability. Each shows its pier, pickup and whether the park fee is included before you pay.
Book It with the Cancellation Window in Mind
The Thai Tourism Company's day from Phuket: free cancellation until 24 hours before, so you can look at the sea forecast first. Big boat or speedboat, hotel pickup, canoeing and Khao Phing Kan.
Pick a date