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FULL MOON PARTY
If you like raves, clubbing and the vibrant nightlife then the Full Moon Party is probably the ultimate party place in Thailand for you! And if you don’t like going out then you should still visit this mother of parties. The Full Moon Party is known all over the world and clones are organized on almost every continent. On Koh Phangan the Full Moon Party is a happening where you as a lover of mainly electronic music and partying should go! Together with a group of between 7.000 and 35.000 other party people you can go on until you see the rising sun!
The Full Moon Party
At dusk the Full Moon Party starts slowly and once dark the basses sound louder and louder. The party goes on all night and only calms down a bit towards the end of the morning. Of course there are several places where you can regenerate so in fact you can party for 24 hours if you want. On and around the beach there are several areas where you will also find a diversity of music. Think Techno / Goa (Psy Trance) / (Deep) House / Electro / D&B / Trance / Commercial music with occasionally even a kind of Reggae House.
How to get to the Full Moon Party?
Koh Phangan is an island so the only way is by boat as there is no airport yet (although there are plans for this for a long time). You have several options to travel to the island by ferry. From the mainland you can go from the pier of Chumphon or from the pier of Surat Thani. Of course you can also travel from the neighboring islands Koh Tao and Koh Samui. Once arrived at the Thong Sala pier it is a half hour drive to the Haad Rin beach where the Full Moon Party is held. You can take a taxi, rent a scooter and drive there on your own or take one of the minibuses that are waiting for you at the end of the pier, for 100 baht per person. You will have to wait until the van is full enough.
Neon & Buckets
Many are familiar with the photographs of people with luminous (neon) drawings on their bodies and faces with a bucket of mixed drink (bucket) in their hands. The price for a bucket containing a mix drink with for example vodka red bull or (Thai) whisky cola costs on average 200 baht on the way to the beach. On the beach itself, a bucket soon costs twice as much. By the way, most buckets are quite advantageous for the alcohol in terms of alcohol / soda ratio. Drinking a bottle of water every now and then will help you through the warm night and especially the next day. The price of a tattoo with neon paint differs per quality, surface, creation and so on.
Half Moon and other parties
Besides the Full Moon Party there is also the Half Moon Party (why not?) and besides that they just make sure that on the beach of Haad Rin there is almost always something in between to celebrate. Think for example of the Jungle Party that is held one night before the Full Moon Party.
The Full Moon Party calendar for 2022 and 2023
As the name suggests, the Full Moon Parties are organized every month when the full moon is over the island of Koh Phangan. For this year and next year the following dates are planned so you can visit this unique event:
2022
Saturday, April 16
Monday, May 16
Tuesday, June 14
Friday, 15 July
Saturday, August 13
Saturday, September 10
Tuesday, October 11
Tuesday, November 8
Thursday, December 8
2023
Friday, January 6
Sunday, February 5
Tuesday, March 7
Thursday, April 6
Friday, May 5
Sunday, June 4
Monday, July 3
Tuesday, August 1
Friday, September 29
Saturday, October 28
Monday, November 27
Wednesday, December 27
Practical information
Q – Will there also be an entrance fee for the Full Moon Party?
A – Yes there is a small entrance fee of 100 baht.
Q – What about accommodation or can you just sleep on the beach?
A – We don’t recommend sleeping on the beach during the period of the Full Moon Party. There are plenty of accommodations around Haad Rin beach, but you should be aware that the sound of the Full Moon Party is echoing all night long. If you want to be sure of a good place to sleep it is recommended to book a hotel in advance. Some hotels require you to stay at least 3 nights around the Full Moon Party. You can also choose to take a taxi to a more distant place to sleep.
Q – What time does the first boat return to Koh Samui or other places?
A – Our advice is always to check upon arrival on the island of Koh Phangwhat time the first boat leaves for your destination. Usually this will be around 6 / 7 AM the next morning.
Full Moon Party tips
- Never buy and use drugs at the Full Moon Parties (nowhere in Thailand), it is strictly forbidden in Thailand to be in possession of (soft) drugs and there are considerable fines or worse attached to it
- You know what can happen if you drink too much alcohol
- Don’t walk barefoot! There’s lots of things on the ground you don’t want to fall into. Think of glass/cigarettes still burning
- Bring a copy of your passport and leave your original passport in the hotel (preferably in the safe or behind the check-in desk). By the way, it is wise not to take any valuable possessions (or things you are very attached to) with you. The Full Moon Party is a huge event and there will always be people walking around with bad intentions
- In addition to a copy of your passport, please bring along the details of the accommodation where you are staying and possibly an emergency number on which you can call, in case you don’t remember 😉
- Depending on what you expect to spend, we advise you to bring only the amount of cash you think you will need, keep money for the taxi/return separate
- Stay out of the sea, there are nasty and especially true stories of people who drowned during a Full Moon Party. There are many who dump their drink on the normal or uncomfortable way into the sea, you don’t want to walk / swim between this, do you?
- Don’t take drinks from strangers, of course this can be social but you never know…
- If you want to test how flexible or how fast your responsiveness is after an x-number of buckets there is always the “burning rope” or the “fire limbo”. Now you know where the text crash & burn comes from. During our stay we have seen many youngsters walking with bandages including nasty burns. Do what you like but we warned you!
- Finally, have fun and make it an unforgettable Full Moon Party (in the good sense)
The history of the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
Now that you’ve come this far in this article, we’ll conclude with a piece of history. In 1988 the very first Full Moon Party was organized by the hotel Paradise Bungalows on the Haad Rin beach in the far south of Koh Phangan. The reason for the party was a thank you in the form of a beach party for a group of visitors of about 25 people at the hotel. Through word of mouth advertising, the event quickly grew into a bucket list event that many young people would like to visit.
