Koh Panyee is a village built on stilts over the water beside a limestone island in Phang Nga Bay, often called a floating village. From a boat you arrive at its edge. From a helicopter you see the whole village at once, its roofs spread out at the foot of the rock, with the channels of the bay around it. One route on the Phuket hub passes it.
That route is the Phuket Phang Nga Bay 40-Minute Helicopter Tour. In about 40 minutes, the route crosses open water into Phang Nga Bay, passes James Bond Island, then follows the waterways around Koh Panyee and returns over mangroves, channels and shallows. A seat costs from THB 25,900.
Koh Panyee comes after James Bond Island on the route, so the flight moves from a rock needle standing in the sea to a place where people live on the water, and then back over the mangroves towards Phuket. It is a short flight across very different sides of the bay.
The route is fixed, but weather or air traffic control can change it, and the pilot makes the final call on weather and safety, with a final weather check 2 to 3 hours before departure. The helicopter follows the waterways around the village rather than landing there, so treat Koh Panyee as a view from above.
Every tour starts and ends at the helipad near Phuket airport, where guests can use the helipad lounge, and your check-in time is confirmed after booking. Arrive at least 20 minutes before that time for the mandatory safety briefing. Hotel transfers are included only if listed in your booking confirmation. Tours allow no luggage beyond small personal items such as a handbag, and only bottled water is allowed on board; phones and cameras are welcome.
Each tour is sold by the seat, in a six-passenger helicopter with emergency floats and noise-cancelling headsets. On a shared flight you may fly with other guests, and the crew assigns the seats. To fly private, you book all 6 seats, and the whole helicopter is yours.
No minimum age is stated; children under 2 sit on a parent’s lap, children under 12 must fly with an adult, and pregnant passengers need a medical certificate. There is no free cancellation: cancelling more than 3 days before departure costs 25% of the fare, from 3 days to 3 hours before costs 50%, and later cancellations or no-shows pay the full fare. Rebooking is free more than 24 hours before departure. If the flight is cancelled for weather or safety, you can rebook free of charge or get a full refund (bank fees may be deducted).
Flights run all year, during daylight hours. In the rainy green season from about May, showers usually come in short bursts in the late afternoon, so morning flights are best, and the rain clears the haze for sharp views. To see the stilt village from the air, book the 40-minute Phang Nga Bay tour.
See Koh Panyee from a helicopter over Phuket. Book the Phuket Phang Nga Bay 40-Minute Helicopter Tour.