Limestone Islands Near Phang-Nga, South Thailand
17 February 2007

Note: The area of coverage in this IKONOS image is approximately 1.5 km x 1.5 km.
The reduced resolution image on display has undergone compression and so does not represent the true resolution of the original satellite image.

Two elongated limestone hills, typical of this area, rise steeply from a shallow bay, with a tiny rectangular island hindering the narrow passage between them. The limestone hills are under scrub forest and a well-established mangrove community has developed round the base of these faulted cliffs with a network of winding tidal channels breaking the canopy of trees. The region is rich in plant and animal life as expected in a tropical marine limestone environment. This attractive part of the south Thailand coast became very popular after part of the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun was filmed in the vicinity. In the bright morning sun three boats with well-established wakes are threading through the narrow passage between the islands, travelling very fast one after another.