Full Moon Party
An essential stop on any backpacker’s tour of Southeast Asia, the Full Moon Party. It is dubbed the “world’s biggest beach party”. The party takes place on Haad Rin Nok, or Sunrise Beach, with the central point of the all-night partying located at the southern end of the beach in front of Paradise Resort.
Each month there are 10,000-30,000 people attending the party. The party begins at dusk when the full moon lights up the white sand beach. In the moon light, small tables are lined up on the beach and thousands of lamps are lit. Drinks and food can be ordered from the restaurants and the bars along Had Rin Nok beach.
The event itself builds in momentum from sunset to sunrise, and Paradise Resort is regarded as the main hub of this no-holds-barred party. It is where the party circuit’s most popular DJs spin their music, although there are DJs vying for attention at the main bars all along the beach. The DJ's play all kinds of music; Techno, Trance, Goa, Drum n Bass, Dub, Reggae, "commercial hits", House etc on about 15 sound systems along Haad Rin beach. Each bar plays a different groove, and the dance hotspots shift periodically, depending on who is spinning what, where and when or depending on the inclinations of the revelers.
The Full Moon Party (or F-M as people in the know refer to it) draws thousands of global revelers throughout the year. The peak season is in December and January which sees the wildest bounce fests. Guesthouses charge high-season rates and the rooms fill up quickly as the full moon approaches, with some places only taking bookings for a minimum of four or five nights. Those craving beauty sleep should choose accommodation well away from Haad Rin Nok as the party scene can be loud on most nights, cranking up to a eardrum-bursting crescendo on full moon night.
For theose who desire distance from the monthly mayhem, transport from other beaches to the party is plentiful. If you prefer to nurse a post-party hangover within the confines of a luxury hotel in Koh Samui, numerous boats do make the night-time crossing between the two islands.
Schedule 2009 - 2010
IMPORTANT! We are not the organizers of the event. Some of the dates below might be incorrect. Dates might change if there is a Buddhist holiday at Full Moon Parties.
Year 2009
2 November
2 December
25 December - Christmas Party
31 December - New Year Party
Year 2010
30 January
30 March
28 April
29 May
26 June
28 July
25 August
23 September
23 October
21 November
21 December
25 December - Christmas Party
31 December - New Year Party
Location
at the south-eastern part of the island at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan, Suratthani, Thailand.
Getting There
The regular boats are running 4 times per night from Bophut and Big Buddha Beach, Koh Samui (70 Baht). Speedboats are operating all night long. They can be booked at nearly every travel agency for 300-400 Baht per roundtrip.
Accommodation
There are approximately 3000 beds at Haad Rin, Koh Phangan which is of course not enough in that Full Moon Party night, so make sure that you arrive a day or two before the party. If you can't get a room at Haad Rin, then take a taxi to the other parts of the island where you can find all kinds of accommodation. Most resorts require a 3-4 nights stay during the party time.
View Accommodations in Koh Phangan
