The Ultimate Full Moon Party

No doubt if you are party-inclined and traveling to Phuket, you’ve likely heard of the Phuket Full Moon Party. The event occurs monthly and draws thousands of visitors to Haad Rin Beach on the Koh Pha Ngan island.

a wooden sign leading along the beach to the full moon party

How do you get to the Phuket full moon party

Most visitors to the region venture to Koh Pha Ngan from either Phuket or Bangkok’s central areas.

From Phuket – The journey can be long but it is well worth the trip. Most Phuket visitors take a bus or minivan to Donsak. This journey takes approximately 5 hours. Once at Donsak you’ll need to purchase a ticket and board the ferry for the 90 minute trek to Koh Samui.

From Bangkok – Without a doubt the fastest way to Koh Pha Ngan is via light plane to Koh Samui from where you’ll board a ferry for the final leg to the island. If you’d prefer not to fly, there are a range of budget-friendly overnight bus trips with tickets available from most Bangkok travel agents.

Staying on the Island

Haad Rin Beach - the site of the full moon party during the day and before the crowds arrive

There is accommodation available close to the venue of the koh phangan full moon parties however they fill up fast as the monthly event approaches.

Our recommendation is that unless you are unwilling to stay up all night, that you book accommodation on one of the surrounding islands and party all night. This affords you the ultimate experience while also allowing you to catch a morning ferry back to your accommodation for a well earned nap.

Dressing up

There’s no better way to embrace the thailand full moo party than by suiting up. There is a range of colorful hats, clothing and paint available from local vendors at Koh Phangan so there is no way to load up your backpack prior to venturing across. A full ensemble will set you back a very inexpensive 300-450 Baht.

What to expect at the Thailand Full Moon Party

man performing a fire dance at the full moon party in phuket

Think Crazy and Wild. You’ll be confronted with a wall of people all happy and ready to party. There’ll be people from all other the world who have congregated on the beach and a quick glance around will reveal DJ stalls, dance stages, fire dancers and much, much more.

Alcohol is everywhere. Take a short walk along the beach and you’ll be greeted with stand after stand selling giant cocktails moulded into small plastic buckets that will take a mountain of work to finish.

The party vibe does not stop from sunset through to sunrise and you’ll have accomplished something very special if you are still standing when the sun rises in the morning!

What to watch out for

As always, despite the party atmosphere and happy vibes, you’ll need to be careful. This includes making sure to keep a close eye on your drink AT ALL TIMES to ensure that nobody has access to its contents.

Also, we’d strongly advise wearing sneakers, or at the very least sandals, to ensure that your feet aren’t subject to broken glass or any other foreign objects that are littered along the beach. While we’ve never seen broken glass during the full moon party, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, many of the activities are fun and well worth a try but please be aware that injuries can happen. This is especially true of the lit jump ropes as we have seen in the past many full moon party attendees getting treated for minor burns and scraps as a result.

What if the Full Moon Party seems a little full on

Obviously, the full moon party is not going to be for everyone. For those not looking for an intense party vibe then a relaxing boat tour of the beautiful Phuket beaches is likely a more enjoyable choice. Simba Sea Trips offers boat tours to many of the hottest tourist destinations in the Phuket region including Phi Phi, Phang Nga and Krabi at a time of day that avoids many of the crowds that other tours cannot avoid. Book your tour today!