Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, Thailand

Full Moon Party Koh Phangan. The ground vibrates, chaotic noise, sheer confusion, bodies scattered across the sand, fire everywhere... No, the apocalypse isn't unfolding. It's just another full moon party in Thailand! Thousands of travelers come to Haad Rin, on the island of Koh Phangan, to dance, party, and experience the full moon celebration. The monthly gathering is arguably the biggest party in Southeast Asia and one of the wildest beach parties in the world! Dancing with tens of thousands of travelers (sometimes more than 30,000) on a beach under the full moon is an unforgettable experience.       Yes, the FMP sounds like a pagan gathering under the full moon on a tropical island. Fire and body paint are part of the experience and add to its exotic appeal. The full moon party began in the 1980s as a small get-together among friends, but unexpectedly grew into one of the biggest and most notorious parties in the world. Now more than 30,000 people take part, some wearing little more than body paint, on Haad Rin beach, sharing sweat and bucket drinks with people from all over the world. Don't expect to sleep! The party only reaches its peak at sunrise and finally winds down in the late afternoon, leaving a scene of wreckage and rubbish on the beach. Many revelers literally sleep wherever they fall, still clutching their buckets. Critics say the full moon party scene has run its course, claiming the party has become too commercialized since its humble beginnings in 1985. Regardless, it's still considered a rite of passage for backpackers on the Banana Pancake Trail through Southeast Asia.  

    The full moon party takes place on the island of Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. Transport can be booked through any travel agency as combined bus-boat or train-boat packages. Buying one of these packages is often cheaper and easier than making your own way to the island. Also keep in mind that theft is relatively common on the night buses from Khao San Road. Don't put any valuables in the luggage compartment! To get there yourself, first take a night bus or train from Bangkok to the town of Surat Thani. Flights from Bangkok take under two hours, and getting to Koh Phangan from Chiang Mai is just as easy. Surat Thani (airport code: URT) is the best gateway to the island. From Surat Thani you can book an affordable four-hour ferry or a faster, pricier speedboat to the island. On Koh Phangan, plenty of songthaew drivers (red pickup taxis) wait for the ferry to arrive. Take a ride to Haad Rin, a peninsula at the southern tip of the island, where most newcomers head. Getting to Koh Phangan is fairly simple no matter where in the region you're coming from. Here are the main options for reaching the Full Moon Party: Getting to Koh Samui  

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Air If you choose to fly from Bangkok, flights of about one hour and 15 minutes to Surat Thani Airport (URT) with AirAsia, Nok Air, or Thai Lion Air cost roughly 900 to 2,500 THB. From Surat Thani Airport you can take a one-hour bus to Donsak Pier and a ferry from there. Flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok to Koh Samui (USM) cost at least 4,500 THB, since Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways hold a monopoly on the airport and see no reason to lower prices given the high demand. During peak season and around New Year's, ticket prices can reach up to 5,800 THB! Train Nine-hour trains from Bangkok to Surat Thani run three times a day and cost between 500 and 1,200 THB per person. In Bangkok you can depart from Hua Lamphong or Thon Buri station and travel to Chumphon on a Thai Railways route (thairailways.com). Book a combined train and boat ticket, since this way you usually also get a free transfer from the station to the pier. You should allow 14 to 15 hours for the whole trip to Koh Tao (train, transfer, boat, and waiting in between). Tickets cost 500–2,000 THB depending on class, route, and season (with discounts for children). Trains run daily from Hua Lamphong in Bangkok to Chumphon (and then on to Surat Thani). The journey usually takes between 8 and 11 hours. There is only one train a day from Thon Buri in Bangkok to Chumphon, taking about 8.5 hours. Bus Travel agencies on Khao San Road in Bangkok offer bus and ferry combinations to the island. They usually offer a combined bus and boat ticket. For convenience, we recommend one of these (the one with the Songserm ferry is usually the cheapest). In Bangkok you depart from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai ​​Tai Mai) or the Mo Chit Bus Terminal (North, VIP buses only). The trip to Koh Phangan (8 hours by bus) takes around 14 hours in total and costs about 700–1,000 THB (350–720 THB for the bus ticket alone). Buses depart daily. Boat There are several ferry companies running routes to Koh Phangan: Lomprayah High Speed ​​Ferries Co., Ltd. (the fastest and most expensive), Seatran Discovery, and Songserm, Raja, and Phantip (the slowest and cheapest). Koh Samui From Koh Samui you can conveniently book crossings to Koh Phangan online that pick you up from your accommodation and bring you back the next morning. You'll find a highly recommended provider here: Full Moon Party Transfer  

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    The full moon party spreads along the entire length of Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach) on the eastern side of the peninsula. Haad Rin is narrow enough to walk between Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach (Haad Rin Nai). Although the beach and sand at Sunrise Beach are nicer, don't expect much sleep here either if you're staying nearby. The noise carries on all night and into the next morning! Even the preparations for the party night get louder and louder. If you want to stay in Haad Rin for the party, you need to book ahead during Thailand's peak season months. Affordable accommodation on the island always fills up fast. And unsurprisingly, prices rise significantly! Some people choose to stay on nearby Koh Tao or Koh Samui and take a boat over on the night of the party (Full Moon Party Transfer). Budget travelers often share rooms with people they've just met. Some sleep on floors, balconies, on the beach, or not at all! That aside.. There's accommodation all over the island, though most visitors prefer Haad Rin (where the actual party happens) to be as close to the action as possible. If you're after cheap accommodation, you need to arrive at least FOUR days before the party to still get something affordable (and nice). The closer you get to the actual party night, the more you'll need a miracle to find anything at all - in any price range. What does a room cost?

• Dorm bed: 200 THB (triples during peak season)
• Regular room with air-con and hot water: 600–800 THB
• Really nice room: 1,500-2,000 THB
• Basic bungalow: 950 THB
• Really nice bungalow: 2,000–4,000 THB

 

  The closer you get to the full moon, the higher prices climb. On the day of or the day before the party, any remaining accommodation will be double the originally listed price. And if you're arriving around New Year's, expect the price to triple. Many places also have an expensive, mandatory Christmas dinner. (Just another way to squeeze more money out of you!) To help you get the most out of the party, here are a few accommodation options we recommend:

• The Sanctuary - The Sanctuary is a retreat on Koh Phangan. Guests come from all over the world specifically for its yoga and detox programs. Here you can restore your balance and take care of your wellbeing. Even if you don't want to do a detox, you can rent a room or a bed here and enjoy the secluded beach and the view. Beds from 350 THB, affordable private bungalows from 950 THB.
• Goodtime Beach Backpackers - If you're after a lively hostel with plenty of social activities, stay here. This is the epitome of a „hostel" - with pub crawls, beach volleyball, a swimming pool, a huge bar / lounge, and events almost every night. Beds from 350 THB, rooms from 800 THB; treehouse rooms from 1,800 THB in a tree right on the beach.
• Na-Tub Hostel - This is a funky, motel-like hostel built from shipping containers. Everything has been new and clean since it opened in 2018. The main draw is the central pool. Beds from 300 THB, rooms from 1,800 THB.

A good alternative to Haad Rin is Ban Tai Beach. It's the beach across from Haad Rin where many people stay once rooms fill up. If you stay in the northern part of the island, you'll be very, very far from the party. Although boat taxis and regular taxis run frequently, they are very expensive.    

 

• Full moon party dates are adjusted around Buddhist holidays, which often coincide with the full moon. Don't assume the party takes place on the actual night of the full moon. It can be a day or two earlier or later.
• Koh Phangan is full of "mafias". Fixed, inflated transport prices, especially for longtail taxi boats, are unfortunately unavoidable.
• Some enterprising locals have blocked the main access paths to the beach so they can charge an entry fee. You'll generally be asked to buy an overpriced wristband that serves as a "ticket". Whether you pay this unofficial entry fee is up to you. There are plenty of ways to reach the beach... Some travelers are happy to use the main paths for convenience and even wear the wristband for months afterward as a souvenir.
• The Danish-run Same-Same Guesthouse near the beach is a popular spot for epic warm-up parties and free body painting before the full moon party. If you're traveling solo, this is the place to meet a fun group for some company at the party.

    The full moon party in Thailand can be a fun and perfectly safe experience, provided you use common sense. Don't believe everything you've heard: the FMP is, generally speaking, a good-natured event. That said... unfortunately... full moon parties claim a few lives every year. Most deaths are due to drowning and drug overdoses. The moon affects the tides and creates strong currents. Never, under any circumstances, go swimming while drunk! You can see the dark side of the full moon party if you visit one of the clinics in Haad Rin around 2am. The clinics are packed with revelers with broken bones who climbed or jumped onto temporary structures and fell back down from them. Others simply drank too much or mixed alcohol with prescription pills. Severe burns are also common... The fire skipping rope is a popular attraction during the party, and inevitably some people suffer nasty burns when it wraps around their legs. You'd better follow these tips:  

 

• Full moon party rule #1: don't bring anything to the party that matters to you. No exceptions! This rule applies to money, phones, cameras, sunglasses, and shoes.
• Lock up your valuables at reception before leaving your bungalow or guesthouse. Theft from guesthouses and hostels is a common problem during the full moon party.
• Stay out of the water! Most deaths during full moon parties are due to drowning. Well... you won't want to swim anyway once you've seen how many people use the sea to avoid the long queues at the paid toilets.
• The drink of choice at full moon parties is the famous Thai bucket. Keep a constant eye on your drink! Buying from reputable places (established bars) is safer than from the many makeshift stalls with funny names on the beach.
• If you feel the need to crash on the beach, do it within the areas marked off with safety tape as sleeping zones.
• Whether you're drinking or not, don't ride a scooter on the night of the full moon party! Thailand has one of the highest road death rates in the world, and many are linked to alcohol. Public transport is available everywhere! Find out more: Getting Around Koh Samui

    Drugs of all kinds are easy to find... but they're highly illegal in Thailand and can land you a serious prison sentence if you get caught. It's rumored that plainclothes police patrol the area and even work with the people selling drugs to travelers. Some bars openly sell "magic mushroom" shakes. Shady individuals sell pills at the entrances to the beach. Obviously, you shouldn't accept mysterious pills from anyone, regardless of the source or their claims. Even the island's pharmacies sometimes sell counterfeit, untrustworthy prescription medication to travelers willing to pay.       Although many travelers don't stray far from the party scene in Haad Rin, Koh Phangan is actually a large, beautiful island with plenty of quieter bays and beaches. The northern side of the island is covered in private coves only reachable by boat or via rough jungle trails. The Sanctuary is located in Haad Tien bay and is a beautiful retreat just 15 minutes by taxi from Haad Rin. You can get away from the party scene for a few days and detox. Nearby Haad Yuan Beach is another good alternative for getting away from Haad Rin for a few days.  

Return transfer from Koh Samui