James Bond Museum in Phang-nga cost ฿40M but closed after one day. MP Phakamon calls it a “complete failure” due to no staff, no marketing and a lack of local support. Now abandoned and decaying, it highlights wasted funds and poor planning in public projects.
A People’s Party MP has slammed the collapse of a James Bond museum in Phang-nga as a “complete failure,” after it opened for just one day despite burning through a ฿40 million budget. The museum, built to honour the 1974 film The Man with the Golden Gun, was funded by the Department of Tourism and constructed on state land. But it was never marketed, never staffed and never run as a real attraction.
Now, just a year after its completion in 2024, the site is already decaying—abandoned and ignored. Local authorities refuse to take responsibility, and those who pushed the project have disappeared from sight.
“This was never a real plan. It was just a flashy idea with no follow-through,” said MP Phakamon Nunan, who led Monday’s parliamentary inspection. “There has to be accountability. We can’t just pour millions into vanity projects and walk away.” Ms Phakamon insists something must be salvaged from the wreckage. But more importantly, she says, the lesson is clear: without planning, oversight, or local support, big budgets mean nothing.
A museum built to honour the 1974 James Bond film closes after just one day despite its ฿40 million budget
A museum built to honour the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun has become a national embarrassment. The facility, located in Phang Nga Province, was constructed with a budget of ฿40 million. It opened for only one day before being permanently shuttered.
On Monday, members of the People’s Party and the Urban Development Committee visited the site. MP Phakamon Nunan led the inspection. She also serves on the Committee for Political Development, Mass Communications, and Public Participation.
The visit followed numerous complaints from local residents. Citizens questioned how such a large public budget had been spent so poorly. Many were outraged that the museum stood empty and decaying less than a year after completion.
Construction was finished in 2024, using funds from the Department of Tourism. The project aimed to boost local tourism by tapping into the legacy of James Bond. Iconic scenes from the 1974 movie were filmed at Khao Tapu and Khao Phing Kan, two islands off the Phang Nga coast.
Officials believed a museum would attract tourists but it closed abruptly and now stands neglected and broken
These sites have drawn tourists for decades. Therefore, officials believed a museum would attract even more visitors to the area.
However, that vision never came to life. After just one day of operation, the museum closed without explanation. Since then, no further steps have been taken to revive it.
When the committee arrived, the facility looked neglected. Paint was peeling from the walls. Several displays were broken or missing. The roof showed signs of leakage. Vegetation was growing around the entrance.
Inside, the situation was even worse. All the exhibits were cheap replicas. There were no original props or costumes from the film. Instead, the museum featured imitation weapons and cardboard standees of Bond characters.
Because of this, the museum failed to excite visitors. According to Ms. Phakamon, the entire attraction lacked depth and quality. “It was all surface,” she said. “No real substance. Just a hollow concept dressed up to impress.”
Lack of community input and no funding for operations left the museum without staff or marketing plans
Moreover, she criticized the idea as “superficial and short-sighted.” Although James Bond has global recognition, the execution lacked imagination.
In addition, the local community was never involved in the planning process. Residents were not consulted. No one from the area helped design the exhibits. There was no effort to integrate the museum with existing tourist routes.
Importantly, there was also no operating budget after construction. The ฿40 million only covered building costs and basic interior decoration. No funds were allocated for staff, maintenance, or marketing.
As a result, the facility never stood a chance. No one was hired to run it, neither were promotional materials were produced. No partnerships were made with tour companies or hotels.
Consequently, when the doors closed after the first day, there was no plan to reopen them. Responsibility for the museum fell into a bureaucratic void.
No local government wants to manage or finance the museum leaving it abandoned and in legal limbo
The land where the building stands belongs to the Treasury Department. That department intended to lease the property to local government bodies. The proposed lease was ฿100,000 per year. Even after this was reduced, municipal officials refused to accept it.
Officials from Krasom Municipality argued they never asked for the museum. They said it could not generate income and would only become a burden.
Because of this, the site remains in limbo. No agency wants to take it over. No agreement has been reached on who should manage or finance the museum.
During the inspection, officials from several agencies attended. These included representatives from the Department of Tourism, the provincial government, the Treasury Department and local municipal authorities.
What emerged was a picture of confusion and poor coordination. While the Department of Tourism built the museum, it did so without securing post-construction support. There was no clear plan for the transition to local management.
The project lacked any marketing strategy or outreach, leaving tourists quite unaware of the museum
Worse still, the project had no marketing strategy. There was no communication with travel agencies, influencers or media outlets. Even local schools and universities were not invited to participate.
As a result, this absence of outreach left the museum disconnected from the broader tourism ecosystem. Certainly, tourists visiting nearby islands didn’t even know the museum existed.
According to Ms. Phakamon, the root problem was structural. Too many development projects in Thailand focus only on construction. Once the ribbon is cut, interest fades.
At length, she emphasized that true development requires long-term thinking. It involves planning, budgeting, staffing and constant engagement with the community.
“It’s not enough to build,” she said. “You have to maintain, operate and adapt. Otherwise, you’re just wasting taxpayer money.”
In this case, a museum tied to one of the world’s most iconic film franchises failed to attract a single tour group. There were no guides. No scheduled activities. No follow-up.
Committee lists key failures including budget misuse and no community involvement with the costly venture
After reviewing the situation, the committee listed several key failures. These included inefficient use of budget, lack of post-construction planning, no maintenance funding, no business model and zero community involvement.
Legal constraints also played a role. Municipalities are limited in how they can lease state land or enter partnerships. The bureaucracy is slow, inflexible and risk-averse.
Because of these obstacles, even well-intentioned projects can flounder. Good ideas collapse when systems do not support long-term operation.
Following the committee’s visit, a proposal was made to rescue the site. Mr. Chaturon Phakdiwanich, Director-General of the Department of Tourism, agreed to coordinate next steps. These include removing deteriorated equipment and preparing the museum for a potential relaunch.
However, success will depend on cooperation between agencies. Local authorities must be brought in. Clear roles must be assigned. A fresh strategy must be developed.
Strategy to include community participation to reimagine the museum and ensure sustainable operation
That strategy, Ms. Phakamon insisted, should begin with community participation. Residents should help reimagine the museum’s purpose. Local tour operators, schools and businesses should all be involved.
Yet, this James Bond museum is not an isolated incident. Similar ghost projects exist throughout Thailand. Some were built with even higher budgets. Most suffer from the same flaws—top-down planning, no consultation and no plan for operation.
Ms. Phakamon said she would continue to push for change. She promised to submit a formal request to follow up on the museum’s future.
Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic World 4 with $265 million budget begins filming in Thailand next week
Baht continues to slide as PM Srettha pushes a big-spending capital program to boost foreign tourism
In the meantime, the building sits empty. It is a quiet monument to mismanagement. Tourists still visit James Bond Island, but they never see the museum meant to celebrate it.
Presently, in the tropical heat, the walls crack. The signs fade. Nature begins to reclaim the site. All that remains is a faded dream and a growing sense of waste.
As the debate continues, the museum has become a symbol of something larger—a broken system that builds but does not sustain, that spends but does not listen and that promises without planning.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
Hollywood blockbuster Jurassic World 4 with $265 million budget begins filming in Thailand next week
Film and creative revolution being brewed by ‘Ung Ing’ to transform Thailand’s global soft power
US TV late-night star Conan O’Brien to feature Bangkok in HBO travel show in possible tourism boost
Iconic 70s Bangkok comes to life again as the dark story of The Serpent wows world Netflix audiences
Jim Thompson the original ‘farang’ who ushered in the heyday of the expat in 20th century Thailand
Filming of Fast and Furious movie begins in Krabi in what will be a big boost to the local economy
