We didn't really plan the Full Moon Party at all.

The whole trip to Thailand I was mainly based on accommodation prices.

The combination of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan just worked best for us - and only in retrospect did we realize one thing.

Our dates exactly matched the Full Moon Party.

So, originally, there was no "we're flying for the party", but while we were there, we definitely wanted to experience this.

I honestly didn't know what to expect, but from what other tourists we met along the way told us, I was expecting the wildest night of my life. The reality ended up being a little different.

When does the Full Moon Party take place?

The Full Moon Party isn't every day.

• 👉 Held 1 time a month on the full moon
  • exact dates on the official website fullmoonpartythailand.com/dates
• Sometimes the date is moved (due to Buddhist holidays)
• 👉 always evening → night → morning

Practically:

• Start time: about 19:00-20:00
• peak: 00:00-2:00
• end: around 6:00

If you plan your trip by party, work out the exact dates in advance - accommodation tends to be the most expensive on Koh Phangan on these dates and it may be worth staying on Koh Samui and arriving at the Full Moon Party by boat.

Find the best hotels on Koh Phangan

What the Full Moon Party is (and isn't)

This is, in my opinion, the biggest difference between expectation and reality.

Full Moon Party is not a festival.

It's not an organized event. There's no main stage.

It's a long beach full of bars where everyone plays their own music.

And the music overlaps.

So you walk down the beach and:

• from the left, EDM
• from the right, hip-hop
• a few meters away, techno.

The result is... quite chaotic.

And the people?

Yes, you can find places to dance. But it's not one giant meat party. Well, it is, but usually late at night.

If you're expecting something like the beach clubs on Koh Samui or the party scene in Bali, you'll be disappointed.

When we got to the beach: where's the party?

Our first visit to Haad Rin beach was in the afternoon, when preparations were still underway.

So we walked about 10 minutes to the other side of town and made a 3 hour move to Rin Nai Beach.

We got back to Haad Rin Beach around 7pm.

And the first thought?

"Is this it?"

Not that there's no one there. People were there, the bars were going, the music was playing. But everything was... surprisingly quiet. Compared to the evening parties at Chaweng on neighbouring Koh Samui, it was actually a relaxed atmosphere.

More like:

• sitting on the beach.
• having your first drink
• looking around

And you're starting to realize that reality is probably different than the videos on the internet.

👉 If you don't know where it's taking place.

💬 Have you been there too?
What was your first impression? Feel free to write down in the comments - ideally with photos too.

When it starts to make sense

👉 Don't go too early.

We were around 7-9pm and it was rather light.

Break:

• 22:30 → it starts to work
• 00:00-02:00 → peak, when the beach is really crowded and the fun is going full speed

This is really crucial. The later you arrive, the more you'll enjoy the Full Moon Party.

How to have fun and practical info

The Full Moon Party is not much of an organized party.

Just go here and there, soak up the vibe and when you feel it, dance or have a drink.

Several venues have various forms of fire shows or other entertainment going on.

💡 Recommend: cash with you! You usually can't pay with a card at the booths on the beach, and most bars also have pay toilets (usually 20 thb).

In the alleys around the beach you will find a large variety of restaurants, fast-food, roti or kebabs.

How much does a Full Moon Party cost

From 18:00 onwards, there is a charge to enter the entire beach area and all the adjacent streets.

• Admission - 200 thb
• payment - on the spot at the checkpoints
• you will receive a wristband

If you arrive before 18:00 and do not leave the beach for the whole time, you will avoid the fee.

Main expenses:

• drinks - from 250 thb
• shots of hard liquor - from 150 thb
• food - you'll spend about 500 thb
• transport - you have to arrange a taxi and it tends to be very expensive (usually 500 thb to 1 000 thb to Thong Sala)

How to get to the Full Moon Party (plan ahead)

This is important to plan a bit ahead if you won't be renting a scooter or car.

If you are on Koh Phangan

Ironically, for the Full Moon Party, you may be better off staying on neighbouring Koh Samui with its very frequent boat connections.

If you live on Koh Phangan, the options are as follows:

Scooter / car

This is the best option. With a scooter, you can always park somewhere - and even car parking is plentiful within the centre of Haad Rin (within a 15-minute walk to the beach).

The parking lots tend to be impromptu and dusty, but if you arrive before 7pm, there's no problem finding a spot.

After 20:00 you will need to park further away from the centre.

Parking usually costs around 200 thb per car and 50 thb to 100 thb. You pay cash to the valet in the parking lot.

• major drawback: the driver cannot drink alcohol

Shared taxi (Songthaew)

There are no traditional taxis on Koh Phangan, and no Grab or Bolt mobile apps.

The only form of public transport is songthaew, pick-ups with modified seating areas running on precise routes.

The price depends on how much you haggle for and tends to be quite high:

• Thong Sala - usually 400 thb to 600 thb
• Haad Yao - 600 thb to 800 thb

Local taxis

Local taxi companies often operate in villages, transporting customers in regular cars.

Some have fixed schedules to and from the Full Moon Party, others need to be arranged in advance.

Again, prices depend on how you arrange them.

Reality

Expect a lot of chaos in Haad Rin between 1:00 and 4:00 in the direction of the Full Moon Party away, and you may wait more than 45 minutes for a free songthaew.

The road out of Haad Rin is often clogged and just exiting the town can take over half an hour.

🚤 If you are on Koh Samui (very common)

There are always a large number of party boats and ferries running from Koh Samui on the night of the Full Moon Party.

They have a regular schedule.

1️⃣ Party boats / speedboat

• Departures - most Bangrak/Petcherat, but also Maenam and even Chaweng
• Arrival - directly to Haad Rin (20 minute walk to the party beach)
• time - approx. 30 min
• price: approx. 1 400 thb to 1 500 thb (return ticket)
  • bought on the spot at the port or at tourist agencies on Koh Samui
• Koh Samui -> Haad Rin
  • the first boats leave already around 13:00, but the peak time is between 18:00 and 21:00
• Haad Rin -> Koh Samui
  • first returns are around 1:00, last boats leave between 5:00 and 7:00

👉 Advantage:

• fast
• directly to the party
• cheap

👉 Disadvantage:

• queues
• chaos on return
• may not get to all

2️⃣ Regular ferries

This is the cheapest transport option but the downside is that you have to wait longer.

• Departures - most Bangrak / Petcherat
• Arrival - directly to Haad Rin (20 minute walk to the party beach) or to Thong Sala (approx. 30 minutes by taxi)
• time - approx. 30 min
• price: approx. 700 thb to Thong Sala / 1 400 thb to Haad Rin (return ticket)
  • purchased on site at the port or online via 12go.asia
• Koh Samui -> Haad Rin
  • boats sail all day, last boat approx. 18:30
• Haad Rin -> Koh Samui
  • first boats only around 9:30

Regular ferries are detailed in the article Transport Koh Samui → Koh Phangan.

Ferries and boats Samui - Phangan

3️⃣ Organised transfers

The most convenient option where you have included a transfer from your hotel to the port and back and sometimes from the port to Haad Rin beach.

• hotel / agency
• all furnished

👉 more expensive but stress free

Book a tour on GetYourGuide.com

Where to stay (crucial decision)

This will affect your whole experience more than the party.

🏝️ Haad Rin

• right at the party
• but the noise + the prices

Hotels near Full Moon Party

🌴 Another part of Koh Phangan

• Peace
• taxis to the party (expensive and chaotic)
• 👉 My tips on where to stay on Koh Phangan

On Koh Phangan we stayed at the Panviman Koh Phangan (👉 o ur hotel review)

🌊 Koh Samui

• comfort
• better hotels
• good transport by overnight ferries
• 👉 My tips on where to stay on Koh Samui

The 10 best hotels on Koh Samui

The most common mistakes

1️⃣ Going by Instagram (and then being disappointed)
The videos make it look like one giant party with a DJ and a crowd of people.
The reality is fragmented - dozens of bars, different music each, people sitting around drinking a lot.

2️⃣ Arrive at 8pm and think "it's not worth much"
We almost did that too. The first few hours are more of a warm up. The real party doesn't start until around 11:00.

3️⃣ Don't bother coming back early (biggest fail of the night)
Getting there is easy. The way BACK is chaos.

After 2:00:

• queues for boats
• crowded taxis
• prices go up

👉 If you are coming from Samui, buy a return boat in advance.
👉 If you're in Phangan, find out about transport back before the party.

4️⃣ Don't take cash
The better bars take cards with no problem, but you can often only pay cash at the beach stalls.

5️⃣ Buy the first liquor bucket you see
They're not all the same. There are differences in the quality and quantity of alcohol, as well as the price.

6️⃣ Stay in one place all the time
This is a common mistake. Full Moon Party is not about one spot.
It's about going → looking → changing the vibe.

💬 What was your biggest fail?
I'm really interested - write it down and feel free to add a photo. This is exactly the type of thing where everyone gets burned on something different.

So... is it worth it?

👉 Yes. But once.

It is:

• Iconic
• special
• a bit of chaos

But it's not:

• the best party in the world
• or a reason to go to Thailand (at least in my opinion)

However, if you know you're going to Koh Phangan and the Full Moon Party will be around your dates, I definitely recommend adjusting your trip accordingly.

Find cheap flights to Thailand

Final feeling

Full Moon Party is not about the music.

It's about being on the beach with thousands of people around you and everyone going their own way.

And either it fits.

Or you don't.

I liked it as an added touch to my stay. But I wouldn't go again.

If you are planning Thailand for the first time, I recommend reading my articles and experience:

• 👉 Thailand - how to get a visa and fill out an arrival card
• 👉 How to travel around Thailand
• How to get to Koh Phangan
• Transportation to Koh Phangan
• Transportation to Koh Samui