Full Moon Party Koh Phangan 2024

On this page we want to give you all the important information about the largest beach party in Thailand. Of course, you will experience that Dates and datesbut also important safety instructions, Tips for the stay and information on how to get to Koh Phangan or the Full Moon Party.

The Full Moon Party has changed a lot in the last few years. We have visited the event over the last 10 years and have everything important for you, “directly from Koh Phangan”, summarized.

Full Moon Party Thailand: How it all started

The story of the world-famous Fullmoon party am Haad Rin Nok beach is still happy to tell: At that time, in the middle of the 80's, some backpackers on the beach in Haad Rin came together to celebrate the glow of the full moon, which is usually very impressive over the beach. It is also often reported that the first full moon party was actually a birthday party.

The magical atmosphere at the southernmost beach Word spread quickly on Koh Phangan and more and more travelers made the pilgrimage to Hatrin on the full moon. At that time, the south of the island could not yet be reached via the mainland and even when the first paths to Haad Rin were paved, the “road” was for a long time only for the adventurous. Presumably the difficulty of accessing the Full Moon Party beach contributed to the myth growing and eventually becoming a mass phenomenon...

Fullmoonparty Koh Phangan 2024 - Thailand's largest open air event

Even though the Full Moon Party peaked in the mid-to-late nineties, even 2019 there are still 8000-30000 party people coming every month Koh Phanganto experience at least once this event of superlatives.

The masses of visitors have of course also changed the nature of the event. Today the Full Moon Party is a dance event with mass suitable electro music.

There are now over 10 professional music systemswhich are operated at Full Moon by local and international DJ's. The party starts in the late afternoon of the full moon evening and lasts until the morning hours of the following day.

Full moon party 2024 dates

At a glance all dates for 2024 and 2025! By the way: do not be surprised, there are some important Buddhist holidays that fall on the full moon. Since then usually no alcohol may be sold, the full moon party sometimes takes place a day later.

Full Moon Party Dates 2025

The biggest party: Full Moon Party on Christmas and New Year's Eve

On Christmas and New Year's Eve, you will always find a party in Hatrin. Although then usually no full moon, but it is the same spectacle and on New Year even the biggest party of the year. At midnight there is a huge fireworks display. However, this party is so great that she is not the right one for everyone, as the crowd can sometimes be uncomfortable. If you still want to be there, be sure to book your accommodation early, as it will be full on the island for peak season!

 More about the New Year's Eve party and where else you can celebrate the New Year on Koh Phangan we have in a separate article here summarized.

The parties in the off season

If you visit the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party in the low season, you can “only” expect 8-10.000 visitors, which many find more pleasant. 

Arrival to the Full Moon Party

Arrival within the island

If you're already on Koh Phangan, it's relatively easy to get to the party from anywhere. Shared taxis operate from most beaches. From the center of Thongsala, these always cost 150 THB per person, from more distant beaches accordingly more.

Most hotels also offer their own transfer. There are also taxi boats from the beaches on the east coast.

The journey by taxi or shuttle bus is definitely recommended, because the road to Haad Rin is already dangerous during the day. On the days of the party and of course especially on the night of the full moon, there is too much traffic and especially the taxis drive extremely fast, sometimes overtake in curves and take generally little consideration.

In addition, you might want to have a drink at the party - then leave the scooter behind! Incidentally, it is not so easy to get to the party relatively close by bike without local knowledge, because many access roads are blocked and many parking spaces are occupied by waiting taxis.

From Koh Samui to the Full Moon Party

You can either take one of the various ferries from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan or a private speedboat, which of course costs more.

The most direct way to the party is the Haad Rin Queen boat, which departs from Bangrak on Samui and costs THB 200 per trip. However, it is a relatively old boat and the crossing takes a relatively long time. You can then walk from the pier in Hatrin to the party and, for example, take one of the boats back from 7 a.m. in the morning if you don’t want to book accommodation on Koh Phangan.

Near the Bangrak Pier, shuttle speed boats operate at full moon and cost between 900 and 2000 Baht per person, depending on the season. You can do a private speedboat transfer here

All other ferries from Koh Samui dock at Thongsala and cost between THB 250 and THB 350 per trip. In this case, there is also the taxi to Had Rin (150 THB one way) and the entry to the Full Moon Party (200 THB).

By the way: The transport to the Full Moon Party by catamaran from Samui you can comfortably here online booking.

Via Bangkok or Phuket to the Full Moon Party

There are several ways to get to Koh Phangan, but the time and cost varies.

The fastest way is by plane. You can decide whether you want to fly directly to Koh Samui, or first to Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat and from there by bus and ferry to the island. The flight to Koh Samui costs a lot more, but is also much faster.

On arrival at one of the airports on the mainland then waiting for a bus ride, and of course the boat trip to the island on you. Depending on the arrival time different boats offer. Lomprayah is always the fastest and only costs a bit more than the alternatives. If you arrive late, it may be that you can only go by car ferry (Raja). With flights arriving to 16 at Surat Thani or Nakhon Si Thammarat, you will not be able to reach Koh Phangan on the same day!

The bus and boat combination ticket you can either directly at the airport or Book online here.

Find Full Moon Party Koh Phangan accommodation

During the Full Moon Party many resorts and bungalows on Koh Phangan require a Minimum stay of three to five days. Also, nightly rates are usually several times higher than the rest of the month.

By day Full Moon Party Dates Of course, well in advance, even an early booking does not help.

But unless you really want to live in Haad Rin, you should look for accommodation on other beaches. As we mentioned earlier, taxis and taxi boats travel all night, making reaching the party and getting back no problem.

Accommodation in Haad Rin

In Hatrin there are basically accommodations for every taste. Please keep in mind, however, that Full Moon will be pretty loud here almost everywhere.

Accommodation on other beaches

Of course, to go to the Full Moon Party, you do not necessarily have to sleep right on this beach. Koh Phangan has more to offer and we even recommend staying outside to sleep well after the party.

Is it dangerous to go to the Full Moon Party?

Unfortunately, there have been repeated incidents during the full moon party, which must always be considered in relation to the number of visitors!

In general, the Full Moon Party is no more dangerous than other mass events, If you follow our tips, you need not worry:

Full Moon Party Safety instructions / Safety tips

1. Avoid injuries due to cuts from broken glass in the sand. Shoes (and not flip flops) are the best prevention!
2. Watch your valuables! You'll find yourself in extreme scrum where pickpockets have an easy game! Passport, debit or credit cards, cameras, etc. should ideally be left in the safe of your bungalow!
3. If possible, move in a group. Make sure you do not lose yourself. The chances to find yourself at the party are very low! Especially as a woman you should not go home alone from the Full Moon Party!
4. Please stop angering the local population! If for some reason you have thrown a Thai against you, leave the party!
5. Make sure you drink enough (non-alcoholic) liquid!
6. Drying of any kind are illegal in Thailand!
   The penalties are high and you can find yourself in jail very quickly! There are civil investigators at the Full Moon Party who pretend to sell you intoxicants. If you agree, snap the trap ...
7. To party you should run or drive a taxi. The costs are low and the road from / to Haad Rin is very dangerous.
8. Watch the tide! Objects left on the beach could be flushed into the sea.
9. Beware Bargirls and Ladyboyswho later demand money from you! (There are also rumors of raids).
10. Beware of local alcoholic beverages! Many “bucket” sellers give you gifts local alcohol out, which in part has a higher alcohol content than you suspect. In combination with the humid climate, this can have fatal consequences. Make sure that you do not drink too much. The Cactus Bar and all the major resorts in the center of the beach serve branded liquor. (This means that what is specified on the label is in the bottles).

How much is the Full Moon Party?

Of course, that depends a lot on how long you stay, how much you eat and drink and how you get to the party and back again. Here are a few pointers:

• Full Moon Party Ticket: 100THB (Will only sold locally!)
• Neon painting: from 50THB
• Full Moon Party Shirt: Between 150-250THB
• Bucket with mixed drink: Between 150-600THB
• A bottle of beer on the beach: Between 80-150THB
• Toilets: 20THB
• Taxi from Thongsala: One Way 100THB

Fullmoon week: 5 or more days of partying on Koh Phangan

There are plenty of other events taking place on the island both before and after the Full Moon Party, including the biggest parties like Jungle Experience and Waterfall Party. Regardless of whether you're a party person or not, we strongly recommend that you don't just come to Koh Phangan for one or two nights just for the FMP! While the huge event at Haad Rin is definitely a must-see, many tourists consider the fringe events to be the real highlight. You can always find up-to-date information about all events taking place on the island (even outside of parties) in our separate Koh Phangan event guide!

Before the pandemic, most accommodations had a minimum stay of five days or more during the days surrounding the full moon. This is currently not the case again (yet?). Of course, we welcome the fact that this gives you more freedom in your travel planning! But sometimes you have to be forced to be lucky... arriving a little earlier, or adding a few days to the full moon week, gives you the chance to see more of the island (see below)... including some of the top party spots, some of which only open once a month for this exact occasion!

... everything else you should have seen on Koh Phangan!

We hope you do not make the mistake and visit the beautiful island of Koh Phangan just for a party and then leave directly! There is still so much to see and discover except Haad Rin.

Take a look in ours Beach Guide to learn more about the individual beaches or read our Travel Guides with general information about the island.

Conclusion: Is the Full Moon Party worth a visit?

Even though a lot has changed and the atmosphere of the original Full Moon Party has passed, we still think that a visit is definitely worth it!

Alone, to have seen such an event once live! One person does not like it, the other one does not, it's best to form your own opinion! Whether you have to arrange the entire Thailand holiday on the dates of the full moon party is once put there, but if you are on a full moon on the island, we recommend you at least once to look over.

How many times have you had the chance to celebrate with others on one of the most beautiful beaches with TENSIONS? The fact that the party has grown so much, there is today for almost every musical taste the right corner. One last tip: If it gets too much for you in the scramble, there are some bars on the beach where you can watch the action from above.

Have you ever been to the Full Moon Party? How did you like it? Exchange ideas in our community!