Participating in the Full Moon Party as part of visiting Koh Phangan is one of the “musts”. During the last decade this party has gained notoriety due to the growing amount of drug users. That fact alone surely doesn’t justify skipping it … although the Full Moon does attract some “werewolves”, the general ambience of the party is amazing. It cannot be explained by words. Thousands of joyful, exhilarated people dance together in the most beautiful place in the world to the sounds of the coolest music (trans, house and more)… it’s astonishing.

By the way, at the last Full Moon (April 2006) I’ve met the sweetest Japanese family: parents, children and an 80 y. o. grandma. They all danced together and took their pictures, and as the grandma got tired, she sat in the middle of the dancing circle.

As for the whole drug scene, the gumption of our resort employees must be mentioned here. Some guy had a heart attack in the resort’s restaurant a day after the full moon. I was sure that it’s epilepsy, but my friends explained to me that it’s consequence of using drugs. Nobody of us, foreigners, knew what to do… Till four or five employees arrived in the restaurant to help the guy, and succeeded to ‘cure’ him in 10 minutes by rapidly pressing on different points of his body. It was a prolific thing to watch. It seems like these guys can be trusted in any situation.

The full moon parties held in Koh Phangan every month, just like diving in Koh Tao or visiting the weekend market in Bangkok, have been turned during the last decade into one of the most prominent symbols of a typical Thailand vacation. When I’ve asked people about the cultural/historical roots of the full moon party tradition – I was told it began as somebody’s birthday party, although nobody was sure if it took place at 1987 or 1988. The party was so successful, that its organizers decided to repeat it next month… and the rest is history.

Nowadays, the Full Moon Party is kind of a global music festival, attracting thousands of visitors to the island every month (the exact number of the Full Moon Party participants varies from 7,000 in low season to 35,000 in high season, according to the estimation of local resorts’ owners. Rather than being a “party”, the occasion is sort of a variety of beach parties in Haad Rin area… So if you can find any difference between them, you are welcome to choose what’s best for you.

As for planning and participating this party, I have some tips I wanna share with you:

1. If you failed to participate in the Full Moon Party (especially if you really wanted to) – there are some very good alternatives, like the Half moon party and Black moon party. Everyone who stays on the island for 1 week and more will have the option to take a part in one of the above.

2. Be extremely cautious when it comes to drugs. The local police are really enthusiastic about stopping the drug problem flooding the island and therefore have an intolerant attitude towards drug users. If caught for using drugs, you may be either fined of up to 50,000 baht or imprisoned.

3. The exact date of the full moon party can change due to Buddhist calendar, so the party could not withheld at the same day as the Buddhist holiday. Check then exact party date before visiting the island.

4. If you have no intention to participate in the Full Moon Party – consider either visiting the island at a different time of year or look for accommodation at the Northern beaches, far from Haad Rin. It will be much less crowdie and expensive.

5. Be aware of the huge theft phenomenon during the Full Moon Party, either at the party itself or in the resorts… Keep you money, traveler checks, passports and credit cards as safe as possible.

The dates of the next full moon parties are as follows:

Wednesday 09.08.2006
Thursday 07.09.2006
Saturday 07.10.2006
Sunday 05.11.2006
Wednesday 06.12.2006
Wednesday 03.01.2007
Saturday 03.02.2007
Saturday 03.03.2007
Monday 02.04.2007
Wednesday 02.05.2007
Thursday 31.05.2007
Friday 29.06.2007

Tuesday 31.07.2007 

Tuesday 28.08.2007 

Wednesday 26.09.2007