Short answer
Koh Panyee is a Muslim fishing village built on stilts in Phang Nga Bay, with about 1,600 people according to Wikipedia, a mosque on land and a floating football pitch. It lies inside the boundaries of Ao Phang Nga National Park but is not run by the park. On our James Bond Island day, from $85 per person, lunch is at the village and is included in the price. Expect crowds by day and stalls selling souvenirs; in January 2026 the park reported a rubbish problem in the nearby mangroves.
What Koh Panyee is: a fishing village on stilts
Koh Panyee, also written Ko Panyi, is a fishing village in Phang Nga Province. Wikipedia describes it as built on stilts, with about 360 families or 1,600 people, on an island of about 0.13 square kilometres. Thai National Parks says houses stand very close together on pillars rising from the sea or on the island itself, that the north end is a tall limestone karst, and that there are hotels, shops and restaurants on the island.
The village is inside Ao Phang Nga National Park's boundaries but is not run by the park, according to Thai National Parks. That matters for rules and for rubbish, which are the village's and the sub-district's business as well as the park's. In October 2026 the Department of National Parks named Khao Tapu and Koh Panyee as the park's best-known sights, in its announcement opening the Andaman season.
History: who built it and when
Wikipedia says the settlement was established in 1880 by nomadic Javanese fishermen, and that the community descends from two seafaring Muslim families from Java. It says that because land ownership was then limited to people of Thai origin, the settlement was built mostly on stilts in the shelter of the island's bay, and that the first significant buildings ashore, once tourism brought money, were a mosque and a freshwater well.
Treat that as one account, not settled fact. The same Wikipedia article is flagged as needing more citations, and it records local accounts suggesting that the Javanese origin may come from a misunderstanding of the word Jawi, a term for Malay Muslim communities. It says no widely cited documents settle the question. Wikivoyage says the inhabitants are of Malay descent. What all sources agree on is that fishing came first and tourism later.
The mosque, and how to behave
The mosque is the centre of the village. Wikipedia calls it a focal point and meeting place for a mainly Muslim population, and says there is a Muslim school attended by girls and boys in the mornings. Wikivoyage says the mosque and the graveyard are the only places built on solid ground. For visitors it is a place of worship in a village where people live, not an attraction with set opening hours that we can quote.
We found no source with rules for visiting the Koh Panyee mosque, so follow signs and the guide's advice. As a general guide, Wikivoyage says dress at sacred sites in Thailand should be unambiguously modest, covering at least shoulders and knees, and that shoes are taken off at temples and private homes. The same courtesy fits a mosque, a school and a family's house. If you are unsure, ask before you enter or take photographs of people.
The floating football pitch
The pitch is the village's best-known story. Wikipedia and the Tourism Authority of Thailand say the island's football team, Panyee FC, grew out of watching the 1986 World Cup. The boys had no flat ground, so they built a pitch on the water from old wood and fishing rafts. Wikipedia adds that the team won six South Thailand Youth Soccer Championships between 2004 and 2010, as of 2011, and that a 2011 bank advertising film told the story.
The TAT newsroom said in 2019 that the island now has a better land-based pitch, and that a newer version of the floating pitch is kept to show visitors where it began. So what you see is a tourist-facing reconstruction of a real story, not the original raft. The TAT article also says the village has its own school, a health centre and a solitary policeman, and that football remains a passion there.
Lunch and shopping: what the stop is like
Lunch at Koh Panyee is part of our James Bond Island day and is included in the price, so you do not pay at the table. The TAT newsroom said in 2019 that tourism is now a big part of the local economy, that several large restaurants serve visitors with seafood and views, and that villagers pull fish, cockles and clams from nets around the restaurants. Our listing does not state the menu, so tell us about vegetarian needs or allergies when you book.
Expect company. TAT also describes many stalls selling handicrafts and souvenirs among the residents' houses, and Wikivoyage's contributors call the village a tourist trap by day, with many tours stopping there, and say it returns to normal in the evening. Wikipedia says tourists visit in significant numbers mainly in the dry season. If you want the village without the crowd, ask us about the order of stops on your date; it changes with the tide.
Rubbish and the pressures on the village
In late January 2026, images of rubbish floating in the mangroves near Koh Panyee spread online. The Department of National Parks said on 31 January that the site lay inside the park and was where the sub-district administration and the community had long hired an operator to dump and burn village waste. Poor collection let rubbish drift away at high tide. The park closed the dump from 31 January 2026, put up signs, and ordered operators to ship rubbish to Tha Dan pier every day.
The park said it would send a truck to take it to a proper disposal site, and planned a meeting with community leaders on 4 February 2026 on long-term waste management. The village head thanked the media for raising it. We found no later report, so we cannot say how things stand today. Wikipedia adds that growth is also limited by dangerous water conditions in the rainy season, which is why our rainy season guide matters for planning.
How Koh Panyee fits our James Bond Island day
On our day, from $85 per person, the speedboat leaves Laem Nga pier on Koh Siray at about 9:00 am after hotel pickup between about 7:00 and 8:00. The group visits Panak and James Bond Island, cruises past mangroves and ancient rock paintings, and then has lunch at the floating village, before canoeing at Hong Island and snorkelling at Khai Island. You are back at the pier at about 5:00 pm. The Phang Nga Bay national park fee is included.
That is the whole stop: lunch, a look around the village and a visit to the stalls, not a stay. If you want more time in the village, Wikivoyage and Thai National Parks both say that overnight stays are possible there. For the price see our price guide, and for the canoe part read the canoe guide. The travel guide gives the order of stops.
Practical checklist
- Wear modest clothes covering shoulders and knees for the village and the mosque area.
- Ask before you enter the mosque or photograph people.
- Tell us about vegetarian needs or allergies before the day: our listing does not state the lunch menu.
- Bring a hat, sunscreen and some small cash for the stalls.
- Take your own rubbish back to the boat.
- Ask us how your date's tide and crowds affect the order of the stops.
Questions and answers
Who lives on Koh Panyee?
About 360 families or 1,600 people, according to Wikipedia, mostly Muslim and of Malay descent according to Wikivoyage. Fishing was the original livelihood; the TAT newsroom said in 2019 that tourism is now a big part of the local economy.
Is lunch at Koh Panyee included in the tour?
Yes. Lunch at Koh Panyee is included in our James Bond Island and Phang Nga Bay day, from $85 per person. Tell us about vegetarian needs or allergies when you book.
Can you visit the mosque on Koh Panyee?
We found no source with rules for visitors. Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees as Wikivoyage advises at sacred sites, follow signs and the guide, and ask before you enter or take photographs.
How old is Koh Panyee?
Wikipedia dates the settlement to 1880, by nomadic Javanese fishermen, but notes local accounts that question the Javanese origin and that no widely cited documents settle it. Treat the date as one account.
Is the floating football pitch the original?
No. The TAT newsroom said in 2019 that the island has a better land-based pitch today and a newer floating version kept to show visitors where the team began in the 1980s.
Is Koh Panyee part of the national park?
It lies inside the park's boundaries but is not administered by the park, according to Thai National Parks. In January 2026 the park nevertheless closed a rubbish dump near the village.