Full moon party

Once in your life you should experience a full moon party.

Today, Koh Phangan Full Moon Party is on the bucket list of millions of travelers and now, there are 20,000-30,000 people at the party each month, depending on the season.

So, 40 years later – Is the full moon still any good? While the party has changed over the years, it certainly deserves a spot on your bucket list.

There are many legends about the origins of the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. Nobody knows exactly when the first Full Moon Party took place, although many people claim that they were at the first party.

Since the 1970s Koh Phangan has been attracting a colorful crowd of travelers, starting with backpacking hippies.On their way to or from India, they stumbled upon remote Koh Phangan and discovered Haad Rin, which was a tiny village, difficult to access without paved roads.

Sometime in the 1980s, a group of tourists started enjoying the full moon nights in Koh Phangan. Slowly the insider tip became an open secret and started attracting larger and larger crowds.

1. THE MAGIC VIBE OF THE FULL MOON PARTY The Full Moon Party is a unique event you won’t experience anywhere else. Full Moon Nights have a special light and atmosphere – Join this magic once a month

➔ Koh Phangan is one of the most beautiful islands in a country full of beautiful islands. It seems as if the Haad Rin beach was just made to host such a special party.

➔ The international atmosphere – when’s the last time you had a party with people from all over the world? Koh Phangan has become a hot spot for digital nomads in recent years, so you can find yourself partying with tourists, travelers and remote workers speaking all the world´s languages.

➔ The Full Moon parties are known for their atmosphere of freedom. Everyone comes to have fun and enjoy, which makes the atmosphere one of pure joy.

Who goes to the party? The simple answer is: Everyone.

You’d find people from diverse groups, posh, hippie, punk, rocker, and really any kind of person you can think of. The atmosphere is joyful and open to everyone.

Since the beach is around one-kilometer-long, even on the most crowded nights with 30.000 visitors, there is enough room to move around.

The Full moon parties in Thailand take place every month, following the moon calendar. However, some event dates may get shifted a day or two.

This may happen when the full moon date collides with a national holiday, and it is being announced by the Full Moon Party committee in advance.

2. BEST TIME OF THE YEAR

If you want to experience a mega-party you should come during the high season, between late December and April. Another peak is during the summer holidays in July and August. October until November are the quietest months on Koh Phangan.

January - April What to expect

High season – Best weather, lots of people. Full Moon party at its best. Sometimes more than 30.000 visitors

3. HOTELS CLOSE TO THE PARTY

You can decide how close to the main beach you want to be: If you want to be at the center of things and don’t mind the crowds and the noise, you will be fine close to the beach party area.

Otherwise, you may look at places that are a bit further away, but still within walking distance. The Haad Rin streets will stay busy all night, so normally it´s safe to walk back safely to your accommodation.

If you stay further outside, you can use one of the group taxis that run all night. Many of the more remote hotels offer their own transportation to the party, often as part of a Full Moon Package.

During full moon party, and all Koh Phangan hotels and hostels close to the Haad Rin beach are filled to the last bed. During this peak period, prices at Haad Rin will increase three-fold and many hotels will only allow minimum bookings of 3 to 5 nights.

If you are staying longer and want to enjoy the different facets of the island, consider staying closer to the island capital Thong Sala. This offers more convenient access to all attractions.

4. LOCATION AND TRANSPORT

You might think Koh Phangan is not that big of an island. And while it is true that with a scooter, you can pretty much get from one side of the island to the other in an hour - that might not be the best choice for a Full Moon night.

Taxi – Group Taxis go along the western coastline, from Thong Sala to Haad Rin. While you can normally hail down group taxis in the streets, on the day of the party you may want to book a taxi in advance to be on the safe side. Group taxi rides start at 100 Baht (3 USD) per person Scooter – It´s very easy to rent a scooter on Haad Rin, but there are some pitfalls. During the full moon party, you may be safer using a taxi. There are a lot of accidents, police control extensively and in Haad Rin you may have difficulties finding a parking spot for a scooter.

The party starts when the moon comes out, which is around 7 pm, although many only will arrive around 10 pm. The party goes on until sunrise, around 7 am. You need to pace yourself if you want to make it through the entire 12 hours.

5. WHAT TO WEAR, EAT & DRINK

If there’s one thing you don’t need to worry about, it’s going hungry during the Full Moon Party. There are many food stalls everywhere so you can grab a snack.

You can buy drinks on every corner, there are a lot of mobile vendors, stalls, and bars. In general, it is safest if you buy at the main party venues. In case you buy the drinks somewhere else, make sure it is from a trustworthy place and not in some obscure back alley.

Many come to the Full Moon Party to tick it off their bucket list – and part of this is buying drinks in buckets. These buckets contain a (strong) local energy drink, a small bottle of liquor, soda, and ice.

Bucket prices range from 250-500 Baht (7-14 USD).

Beware your feet. While you can spend your entire vacation with only Flip Flops or even barefoot, this is not recommended at the Full Moon Party. There is a lot of trash on the beach, and you may not be safe walking barefoot. If you have only Flip Flops, you will likely lose them in the crowd.

Everybody wears UV Paint at the party, be careful, because the paint may not only stain your clothes, but it is going to leave stains in the hotel, especially on towels and sheets. Make sure you wash all the paint off before you go to bed, otherwise the hotel may charge a fine.

6. HAVE A FUN AND SAFE EXPERIENCE

A full moon party is a perfectly safe place if you apply common sense and stick to a few simple rules:

➔ Valuables: Make sure you only carry essentials with you to the party: Cash for transport, drinks, food, and toilet usage. Bring a passport copy. Avoid taking your phone and keep your valuables hidden away.

➔ Drugs: Drugs seem to be readily available at the Full Moon Party. However, Thailand´s drug legislation is clear and rigidly enforced.

Allegedly undercover police are actively looking for drug buyers at the party, and there are many stories of tourists getting trapped. When caught, you may end up being forced to pay 3.000 USD to the authorities.

➔ Safe driving: Haad Rin is surrounded by steep hills. If you stay outside of Haad Rin, you must ride curvy roads and risk getting into accidents. Also, there are many police controls around Haad Rin. At night it is certainly safer to take a taxi.

➔ Drinking: There are bars, stalls, and ambulant vendors offering alcohol in all shapes and sizes, including the infamous buckets. Make sure you buy only closed bottles from trustworthy vendors.

Eat enough and make sure you drink enough water.

➔ Hygiene: During the party, garbage can get out of control, and the beach is littered with garbage. However, the clean-up happens right in the morning and in the afternoon the beach looks like there never was a crowd of 20.000 people.

➔ Fire: There are all kinds of fire shows on the beach. If you are inexperienced or drunk, don’t try jumping the fire rope, burn accidents happen quite frequently.

7. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

One reason that the Full Moon Party became so popular is that it is taking place on one of Thailand’s most beautiful islands. So it´s worth your time to stay longer on Koh Phangan. There are your usual amazing beaches, cheap but wonderful Thai messages, yoga courses, hikes, Thai boxing classes, and much more.

There are different ways to experience the Full Moon Party:

➔ The one-night dance: If you stay on Koh Samui, you can get a speedboat in the evening, party all night, and come back to Samui the next morning on the speedboat. This may work if you don’t sleep at night.

➔ 2-3 days: Many hotels and hostels close to Haad Rin beach will only allow you to book a minimum of 3 nights. You may want to arrive the night before the party and stay another day after.

This will give you time to get to know the island a little bit or at least recover and relax afterward. Also, you can catch a few of the pre-parties or after-parties.

➔ A week: This will give you time to explore the different attractions of the island.

➔ A month (or longer): Quite a few visitors fall in love with Koh Phangan and stay an entire season. In fact, the island has become quite the hub for digital nomads recently.

8. After-parties

For many visitors, Koh Phangan is just the ultimate party island. If that is your expectation, you won´t need to confine yourself to the full moon party, because there is always nightlife – and even lots of daytime parties. If you want to follow the moon cycle and can stick around for a week after the full moon, you can attend one of the Half-moon festivals, which always take place on weekends and are pricier and more boutique than the full moon party.

To complete the moon cycle, there are also new moon-themed parties, such as the black moon parties. All these parties were stopped during 2020 and 2021 so make sure you verify the exact dates. But no worries; once you arrive in Koh Phangan, you will see announcements and be offered flyers that inform you about upcoming parties.

Thai Massage

When you have danced through the full moon party and gone through all the after-parties, maybe it´s time for a Thai massage. All along the main roads, you can find small massage studios. The staff is trained in different techniques and can help you sober up. If you want something fancier, there are some more premium massage options in some of the detox centers or spas.

Sunset Viewpoints

The west side of the island offers some of the world’s most spectacular sunsets. There are some great viewpoints competing for the best sundown experience. At the northwest tip of the island, there is the 360 Bar. After a dramatic ride up a steep mountain trail, it offers a spectacular view over the northwestern island bays.

Another legendary place is Zen Beach, close to Sri Thanu. Every night, a crowd of sunset addicts gathers on the public beach and dances around the drum circle. For many, this is the heart of Sri Thanu’s “conscious” hippie culture.

Hike to Bottle Beach

In the tropical island climate, it is very tempting to just stay on the beach all day and just go for refreshing swims. But there are also some places best explored on foot. If you drive to some of the waterfalls or remote beaches, you often must do the last stretch on foot. But there are also some proper hikes through the Koh Phangan hills.

A famous hiking trail you don´t want to miss out on is the bottle beach hike. On the way, you may meet monkeys. Bring enough water. The trail is partially shady, but make sure you apply enough sun protection. Starting just north of Chaloklum, you can hike for 1-2 hours, then rest on bottle beach and take a boat back to where you started the trail.

Koh Phangan Guide to Water Sports

While the neighboring island of Koh Tao is the most famous spot for diving in the region, Koh Phangan also offers some possibilities for water sports. There are some diving schools and tour operators that take you out to some of the nearby diving spots, and there are some great snorkeling spots you can discover by yourself.

Best Koh Phangan Beaches

Depending on who is counting, there are anywhere between 30 and 100 beaches on Koh Phangan. In short: something for everyone. Big beaches, small beaches, shaded beach stretches, family-friendly resort beaches, beaches for snorkeling and water sports, and even some unofficial hidden nude beaches We have compiled a list of the best beach experiences.

Watch Muay Thai Fights or try a Gym

While there are some experiences where visitors to the island stay amongst themselves, there are also some great opportunities to dive into the fascinating Thai culture. One opportunity is to dive into Muay Thai kickboxing. This unique Thai martial art can be experienced in various places. There are public box nights that allow you to mingle with the most diverse crowd, or you can visit several Muay Thai gyms and do a beginner´s class.

Buzzing Street Markets and Thai Food Lover’s Night Markets

What would be a Koh Phangan Guide without street food? Every day there is a big food market in Thong Sala, just a few hundred meters from the central pier. There are open-air food stands with a wide variety of affordable local and international food options. You can grab something to eat right there or for takeaway. Also, parts of the market are covered so can enjoy the food even if it´s raining. Recently, there is also an open-air food market opened in the center of Sri Thanu.

Discover the spiritual side of Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan has long time been home to a Buddhist temple. Since the 1980s, western Hippies started to discover the island. The famous trace of western tourists is the Full Moon Party, the other unique trace is the sparkling “conscious” community, which competes with the likes of Goa and Bali.

The flocking of a spiritual-seeking tribe led to the establishment of a wide variety of wellness offerings, such as Yoga or Wellness Spas.

9.transportation on Koh Phangan – how to get around

Koh Phangan is one of the most gorgeous islands located only 12 km north of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. It is a popular tourist destination in Thailand. Koh Phangan does not have an airport, so it relies on boats and ferries as a means of connection to the mainland and to Koh Samui.

The island is famous for its lush green jungles, white sandy beaches, full moon parties, and multiple diving sites. Koh Phangan is a relatively small island, however, if you want to make the best of your holidays, make sure you know all the options of transportation.

Getting around in Koh Phangan is pretty easy. Most hotels and beach resorts are located close to the beach. You can explore the island, restaurants, and nightlife areas on your own. If your hotel is far from the main beaches, they can also arrange a taxi or long tail boat for you to explore the island. There are plenty of modes of transportation in Koh Phangan to fully explore it and enjoy the stay. From renting a motorbike to a car, songthaews taxi to bicycle, minibus to long tail boats. You can choose any mode of transportation that suits you the most.

Get a scooter or motorbike

If you want to explore the island at your own pace, a scooter or motorbike is the go-to choice. Riding a scooter up and down the hills along the spectacular coastline can give you an incredible feeling of freedom and joy.

There are plenty of places to hire motorbikes at a reasonable price. You will need to deposit your passport or deposit some cash. Make sure to take some photos of the bike when you rent it, so you are prepared in case there is any damage to the bike when you return it. Note that most scooter rental comes without any insurance.

If you are going to rent a motorbike, just be aware of the dangers. The roads are steep and bumpy. Make sure you wear a helmet and proper shoes instead of flip-flops and don’t over-speed. In addition, it is good to bring your driving license and to have health insurance, and both should be valid abroad.

Ride a bicycle

Another option is to get a bicycle. If you are physically fit and strong why not give it a go? Cycling is a very healthy way of getting around Koh Phangan, you can stop anywhere and enjoy the scenic views and appreciate the scenery around Koh Phangan.

Sports and fun-loving people can rent a bicycle easily from a nearby shop for half a day or a full day. Bicycles are available in Ban Tai, Sri Thanu, and Thong Sala as well as at some hotels, which provide bicycles to their guests. The offer varies between mountain bikes and city bikes.

Most of the roads on Koh Phangan are asphalt and well suitable for cycling. Make sure you bring a water bottle to protect yourself from dehydration. Wear comfy shoes or joggers, sunglasses for sun protection, and a helmet for your safety.

Moreover, plan out your route carefully. If you are traveling between Thong Sala, Hing Kong, and Sri Thanu, the roads are flat and you can ride easily. However, if you want to go in and out of Haad Rin, you better be in good shape and have a bike with multiple gears.

Travel by Boat

One of the best ways to see the picturesque island is to ride in a boat. Long tail boats are available at Haad Rin Pier, Thong Sala, Baan Tai, and most of the beaches. Some beaches, like Bottle Beach, Haad Yuan, and Haad Thian are only accessible by long-tail boats. The boats can take you to some of the hidden diving, fishing, and snorkeling spots.

The taxi boats operate on Phangan’s north and east coasts, however, you can hire a long-tail boat for a full-day or half-day trip to other beaches on the island. From the boat, you can view the amazing cliffs, lagoons, peaceful surroundings, and pristine beaches. Don´t miss out on seeing the beautiful island of Koh Phangan from this completely different angle.

Walking or Hiking

Finally, you can always get around the island by walking or hiking. If you love nature and adventure, you should go for a stroll or go hiking, explore the island on foot, and witness the untouched tropical beaches and viewpoints. There are many hiking trails in Koh Phangan however, The Khao Ra hike is the toughest and highest peak on the island.

Enjoy the lush jungle, a stream, a water reservoir, and breathtaking views of the northern part of the island and Chaloklum Beach. It´s 4 hours long hike, so make sure to bring enough water and some food with you. In addition, do not forget your sunglasses and protect yourself from the sun. The best time for hiking is in the early morning when it’s not too hot.