One of the reasons I’d avoided the island of Koh Phangan on my previous 4 visits to Thailand was because I thought the island would be overrun with drunk backpackers for the famous Full Moon Party.
Then a friend moved there and encouraged me to come and visit her and I found out that actually Koh Phangan is so much more than just the Full Moon Party. It’s a beautiful, spiritual island with a jungly, unexplored interior and a special healing energy that is not too busy or overdeveloped (as long as you avoid Haad Rin around Full Moon time of course!)
I’ve been spending my days practicing yoga, writing and exploring the island, so attending the Full Moon Party was far from my top priority when visiting Koh Phangan but I thought I might as well check it out and see what all the fuss is about. When in Rome!
My Experience of Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party
I’ve rented a house in the yogi area of Sri Thanu so I had to drive 35 mins across the sand strewn, roller coaster like roads to Haad Rin beach where the Full Moon Party is held.
As soon as I arrived in Haad Rin the energy was very different from serene Sri Thanu. Drunken revellers from all over the world poured out of songthaews onto the streets, covering themselves with fluorescent and UV paint, grabbing as much cheap alcohol as they could from the bucket bar stalls set up on the streets and 7/11.
The Full Moon Party takes over the whole of Haad Rin resort as well as the beach. It’s 100 Baht to enter the beach which goes towards helping the community clean up after the carnage of the party which attracts about 30,000 people each month.
The Full Moon Party
Once you move through the drunken crowd and get onto the beach the Full Moon Party is more like a festival than just one party. There are lots of different sound systems blasting all different kinds of music from the beach bars that are spread along the long, crowded beach.
The sound systems are interspersed with bucket bars, snack stalls, more UV and fluorescent stalls, Full Moon Party t shirt stalls and other stalls selling random tacky fluorescent stuff. Most people were getting into the spirit of things wearing UV paints and some kind of Full Moon Party T-shirt.
There’s a big variety of music played from the big commercial hits to EDM, techno, dance, psytrance, drum and base. I even heard a bit of reggae and cheesy music so you can always find something you like, or if your not feeling it just move onto the next one and see what else is happening further down the beach.
The thing with having so many different parties all in one is that I didn’t feel any of them really drew me in enough – I felt that the party lacked the immersive experience of having a stage and dancefloor that you could really get into.
Most people seemed to spend more time wandering up and down the beach, getting more buckets, taking selfies, applying UV paint, looking lost, peeing in the sea, hooking up, puking, etc than actually dancing and partying. There’s even a sleeping area for those who’ve got too drunk and passed out.
Attending the Full Moon Party can actually be a bit risky so please be careful. Make sure that you wear shoes (not flip flops) to avoid getting your feet ripped up by broken glass. Also take care of your valuables – or even better leave them at your accommodation.
Be aware that some of the alcohol served in the cheap buckets can be dodgy and undercover cops might try to sell you drugs so that they can catch you. Read these Full Moon Party safety tips first.
There’s also the infamous fire rope jumping and fire limboing where many people get burned. Attempt these at your own risk!
So was Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party worth it?
I guess I didn’t hate the Full Moon Party but personally I thought it was overrated, too commercial and I’ve been to much better beach parties.
I definitely wouldn’t fly half way across the world or plan my travels around it like thousands of people do but if you are visiting Koh Phangan then why not check it out.
Maybe I’m just getting old and boring. Admittedly, I’m not a big drinker and I only stayed until 3am. I only had a few drinks as I was had quite a treacherous scooter drive back to the other side of the island. (Drink driving on a scooter on these roads would be a suicide mission – don’t even think about it!)
If I was 18, really drunk with a big group of mates I would probably have enjoyed the Full Moon Party more. Many people love it and have a great time but for me, I’d rather stick to my Goa psytrance parties.
Anyway, the Full Moon Party isn’t really anything that special! So if you do want to experience a beach party but your dates don’t coincide with the Full Moon Party dates then don’t worry – there are many (I would say even better) parties on Koh Phangan all month and the bars on the beach of Haad Rin are pretty lively all the time.
I heard that the sunrise is pretty spectacular but I was too tired by then and had yoga classes in the morning so unfortunately didn’t get to experience that.
Ultimately, whether it’s worth going to the full moon party in Koh Phangan really depends on you – if you’re young fun loving backpacker with a great group of mates and have never been to a beach party before you’ll probably have a great time and love it!
If you’re a bit older and prefer peace and quiet – you’ll probably hate it but then you can just stay on the other side of the island and won’t be bothered by it.
Either way, if your traveling in Thailand and your dates coincide with the full moon why not check it out and see for yourself. If you do go make sure to take care of yourself and your friends.
Where to Stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party
If you want to party then staying in Haad Rin is the most convenient but accommodation is more pricey around Full Moon time and gets booked up quickly so book online well in advance and be aware that most places also have a 4 or 5 day minimum stay around this period.
There are parties on every day around the Full Moon like the Waterfall Party and Jungle Experience Party so don’t worry you won’t get bored! Check Phanganist to find out whats happening.
If you want to stay right in heart of the action check out Tommy Resort on Haad Rin Beach. There are also lots of backpacker hostels in Haad Rin– most hold pre drinking games and offer free UV painting so you’re ready for the party.
You could also stay on the other side of Haad Rin at Cocohut Beach Resort if you want to be somewhere a little quieter but still within walking distance to the party.
If you stay in Haad Rin you simply cannot avoid the Full Moon Party so if you want to actually sleep at all on Full Moon Party night then DON’T stay in Haad Rin – there are many nicer, quieter areas of the island like Baan Tai which is not far away but is an escape from the crowd.
Read More: The Best Places to Stay in Koh Phangan (for all areas and all budgets)
Have you been to Koh Phangan’s famous Full Moon Party? How was your experience? Did you love it or hate it?
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Read More:
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- My Cost of Living in Koh Phangan
- Best Yoga Retreats in Koh Phangan
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- Where to stay in Koh Phangan (for all areas and all budgets)
3 comments
I know it’s years later but this party is absolutely horrible. I’ve been there several times but never stayed for the party. The locals absolutely hate it aside from the money they make. The fact you need to wear shoes shows how terrible it is. It’s such a beautiful beach ruined by the terrible shacks on the beach and the people who go there and get so trashed and take so many drugs.
You’re not the only one who hated it, the locals hate it and most people that appreciate different cultures can see that it’s terrible
Dear Anna – and others who may read this,
thank you very much for your report and also for the astonishing and very helpful other articles and pictures!
My husband and I have been travelling Southeastasia for many years, this year the fist time without our daughters. We’ve been to Ko Phangan only once, which was not a good experience, depending perhaps on the place we stayed and also a terrible thing happened (a kid died because of a box jellyfish sting).
But we always thought of giving it another try and as I read about your experience – even more. There is only thing that keeps us back: Exactly – the full moon party.
The official date is set a day before we would arrive. We would like to stay in the area of Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach. Now my questions: Are the dates for Full Moon Party really fixed or could it be, that they get moved – e.g. two days later? Of course the people attending the Full Moon Party will still be there after the party. I wouldn’t mind, but 30.000 people? Doesn’t that have a major effect on the island, also if you stay somewhere else? We will travel a lot and so Ko Phangan should be some days for relaxing and snorkelling, but also getting around a bit. Will we be able to do that without masses of people – often making things miserable (can’t have it all for ourselves, I get that…). 🙂
I would be very happy to hear your or someone elses respond about that topic, because we would love to go, but need to relax as well and hate crowds.
Thank you so much and also I really envy you for the way you live your life and your mindset! Greetings, Nicole
Hi Nicole
So nice to hear that you found my blog helpful and sorry for only just seeing your comment.
The full moon party dates are decided by the moon cycle – I think it’s unlikely the dates would be moved but if you want to avoid the crowds and noise it’s quite easy – just stay on the other side of the island and enjoy the beautiful, secluded, uncrowded beaches.
If you want to escape from it all head to the north of the island, Thong Nai Pan Noi beach and Thong Nai Pan Yai beach are the best beaches on Koh Phangan home to peaceful luxury beach resorts perfect for chilling out. Haad Salad beach, Haad Yao beach and Mae Haad beach are also good options far away from the parties. My blog on the different areas of the island has more information https://www.global-gallivanting.com/where-to-stay-in-koh-phangan/
Your last visit sounds quite traumatic so I hope you have a better experience if you decide to visit again – the island has many sides to it and the full moon party is just one small part at one time of the month so don’t let it put you off.
Happy Travels, Anna 🙂