Is Thailand’s Full Moon Party Worth It and Where Is It At? Updated 2025

A Full Moon Party Experience: Entire armies, divided into small battalions, walked through the streets preparing physically and mentally, you could notice the euphoria and adrenaline in the eyes of some.

In contrast, others were puzzled without knowing what to expect, and I could recognize that expression that sometimes unconsciously we reflect, which even I in the last months of my life have done repeatedly and that only means one thing: “what is happening? What the hell am I doing here? “

Endless trucks lined up slowly with 10 or 15 passengers in the back chanting shouts and war songs, each and every one of them heading towards the same place.

The night before she had been quiet, perhaps too quiet for what was rumored to be about to happen. Today was different, you could hear, see, and feel it everywhere.

I was a few kilometers from the battlefield, to call it that, before heading to the mythical place where all the action would take place I had to make a stopover but on the way, I noticed that each person I encountered dressed the same.

Their faces and arms were painted with special paint for the event, sometimes the lines were similar to the patterns that I had seen so many times in war movies, in others they were simple symbols without any meaning, but without a doubt, the objective was the same, both in war and on this occasion.

Before arriving at the party, I had met with a small group of people who had known each other days before. We had already planned in detail the strategy of the night, so we only had to put on our uniform and body paint that would identify us as a single battalion but allow us to mix and interact with the rest of the people.

Full Moon Party Thailand

Everything I was experiencing seemed unreal to me, and I don’t know the reason why my brain associates it with an action or war movie, but that’s the way it felt.

Despite being an event of joy, party, and dance, each image I saw brought to mind scenes of this style at the beginning of the party with some difficulty resembled that of a battle, the end without a doubt was Hundreds of bodies thrown everywhere, some of them semi-conscious.

I have never been a person who frequents large parties, discos, or music festivals; however, this event is so recognized internationally that I could not miss it. Without a doubt, I enjoyed every minute of it.

From dusk to dawn, the music does not stop, you hear it everywhere, the vibrations of the bass ignite your soul, and you cannot stop dancing. No matter how much alcohol, caffeine in my case, you bring in your blood, it is inevitable not to feel alive in a place surrounded by so much energy.

I don’t know the exact length of the beach where all this happens, maybe about 2 kilometers, in this stretch of beach you will find hundreds of bars and platforms with music of all styles, so you can dance to the rhythm that you like the most, from the hits moment until electronic music known as Psychedelic trance.

This place has everything for everyone in terms of partying, and I assure you that you will have a good time, so if you are interested in living this here I put the necessary information about the party so that if you visit Thailand, you can enjoy it.

How is a Full Moon Party Thailand?

where full moon party thailand
Sunset Thai Beach

Although in the article, I tried to describe my experience in a more romantic way here, I will be direct. It is a massive party where people from all over the world and all ages attend.

At the party, you will see EVERYTHING, when I say everything I am talking about people having sex on the beach with others with 3rd-degree burns because they tried to jump rope in a fire.

But do not worry, it is not as “crazy” as it sounds, it is a unique event which you can enjoy, all the people are there to have a good time so there will be no problems of any kind.

They even have a designated “sleeping” area in case you miss your drinks.

Where in Thailand is the Full Moon Party?

The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, Thailand, has a worldwide reputation that makes it a Mecca for party-lovers and young people who just want to dance all night.

No one is sure when the first one happened, but it is generally accepted to have been in the late eighties, ‘87 or ‘88 maybe, and most people seem to agree that the first occasion was a birthday party.

Nowadays it attracts thousands of visitors from all over the globe and from every walk of life.

Full moon parties take place on Haad Rin Beach on Koh Phangan (Koh means island, so it’s Phangan Island) in the Gulf of Thailand, part of the 40- island group that makes up the Samui Archipelago.

It is easily reached from Surat Thani, the provincial capital of the province and the main transport hub for the islands, or Koh Samui, which is a mere 12 Km. away. Samui is also linked by air to the island.

You can quickly get there by ferry from any nearby island, some offer “tours” where they drop you off in the afternoon and pick you up the next day in the morning.

My recommendation is that you arrive a few days before and leave one or two days later, most hostels and hotels force you to pay a minimum of 3 nights of accommodation. 

How to Get to Koh Phangan

Air Links to Koh Samui are plentiful from Bangkok and the northern cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, as well as Phuket, Singapore, and Malaysia. Then either fly direct or take the 30-minute boat ride to Koh Phangan.

From Bangkok, there are good sleeper trains at a reasonable cost but coach travel is the most economic.

Be warned, though, sleep is not on the menu, as Thais like to have the distraction of videos all the while, plus the playing of loud music and probably some singing and dancing along the way.

No one should think of arriving at Koh Phangan anytime from now on in without a firm reservation as rooms will be impossible to find.

Plan to arrive two days before the Full Moon Party and book accommodation through a reputable travel agent.

How often is the Full Moon Party?

As its name indicates, every full moon, that is, every month, however, the number of people who will attend the party varies a lot depending on whether it is high or low season, rainy season or not.

The Full Moon parties to which more people attend are in December, January, and February, reaching over 40,000 attendees. There are other similar holidays in the same place for Christmas and New Year.

Where to stay in Koh Phangan?

Due to the number of tourists that come to the island for this party, it has hundreds of lodging options. The party takes place in the south of the island, and I found the most beautiful beaches on the other side of the island, and it is not an easy or short journey.

full moon party in thailand
Beach Bungalow

If you prefer to visit Koh Phangan for its beaches and not necessarily for the party, then stay in the north, keep in mind that to go to the party it is advisable to go by songtaew or taxi-boat which will charge you between 300-400 Baht.

Best Bars on Koh Phangan

Drop In Club – dance, hip-hop, chart, etc. with lots of places to chill out.

The Orchid – on the beach for hip-hop, drum and beat, and breakbeat and a great sound system.

The Lounge – smaller crowd in this extremely comfy bar with more sophistication.

Same-Same Lounge – live music from rock to pop with good sound system.

Warm Up Bar – progressive house offers a great place to warm up before the main event.

Backyard Club – For the “after-party” that starts just as Haad Rin beach shuts up for the night. For die-hard mooners.

Full Moon Party Etiquette

Don’t be tempted by drugs as the Thai government operates zero tolerance towards drug takers.

Don’t be caught short of money but keep it well hidden.

Photocopy your Passport as ID (you should do this anyway wherever you stay in whatever country).

Ladies, don’t take handbags – they easily get lost!

Always have footwear as a) there may be broken bottles on the beach and b) the sand will get hot very early in the day.

Take all precautions and then – Enjoy the event.

Full Moon Party 2020

The year 2020 has been a mess, to say the least. But when I checked in on the current Full Moon Party schedules I was pleasantly surprised to see an updated schedule.

Thailand is still closed to mass travel/tourism but if you happen to be in the country at the moment, it looks like the party is on!

If you’re interested in booking your next trip to Thailand, please visit our Booking Page to price out your next Thailand experience.

You can also check out our Pattaya City Guide for more information about Thailand’s Favorite Adult Playground!

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