By Kylian Dev.jpg/1280px-Koh_Phangan%2C_Haad_Rin_Sunrise_Beach_(6218403786).jpg)
What is the Full Moon Party?
One beach, a dozen sound systems and up to tens of thousands of people.
The party started as a small gathering of travellers at Haad Rin in the 1980s. Today the bars along Haad Rin Sunrise Beach, at the southern tip of Koh Phangan, each run their own sound system: house, EDM, drum and bass, hip hop and trance, all a few steps apart on the sand.
Things get going around 9pm and peak between midnight and 3am. Many people stay until sunrise, around 6am to 7am. Expect fire dancers, fire skipping ropes, neon body paint and plenty of plastic buckets of spirits and mixer.
Where
PlaceHaad Rin Sunrise Beach, south-east tip of Koh Phangan
When
TimeOnce a month around the full moon, about 9pm to sunrise
Entry
Fee200 THB in cash at the beach entrances
Full Moon Party dates 2026 and 2027
The party follows the lunar calendar, with a few planned shifts.
Here are the remaining dates for 2026. The party starts in the evening of the date shown and runs into the next morning.
| Date 2026 | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 26 September | Saturday | Full moon night |
| 27 October | Tuesday | Moved one day: the full moon (26 October) is Ok Phansa, the end of Buddhist Lent |
| 24 November | Tuesday | Full moon night |
| 24 December | Thursday | Christmas Eve edition, usually very busy |
| 31 December | Thursday | New Year countdown party, the biggest of the year |
For 2027, the dates below are projected from the lunar calendar and the Buddhist holidays. They match the schedules published by party guides so far, but I would treat them as provisional until a few weeks before.
| Month 2027 | Projected date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January | Friday 22 | |
| February | Monday 22 | Likely shifted for Makha Bucha |
| March | Monday 22 | |
| April | Wednesday 21 | |
| May | Friday 21 | Likely shifted for Visakha Bucha |
| June | Saturday 19 | |
| July | Tuesday 20 | Likely shifted for Asahna Bucha and the start of Lent |
| August | Tuesday 17 | |
| September | Wednesday 15 | |
| October | Saturday 16 | Likely shifted for Ok Phansa |
| November | Saturday 13 | |
| December | Monday 13 and Friday 31 | Plus the New Year party |
Entrance fee and tickets
The simplest part of the night.
The entrance fee is 200 THB per person, paid in cash at the entrances to the beach. You get a wristband, and the money funds the clean-up of the beach the next morning. There is nothing to book in advance.
Drinks are sold everywhere: buckets, beer and cocktails. Prices on party night are higher than on a normal evening in Haad Rin, so bring enough small notes and keep them in a zip bag.
How to get to the Full Moon Party
From Koh Samui, Koh Tao or the mainland.
Koh Phangan has no airport. Most people arrive by boat from Koh Samui, the nearest island with flights, or from Koh Tao. Regular ferries stop in the late afternoon, so plan the return before you leave.
| From | Boat | Time (indicative) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Samui, Big Buddha pier (Bangrak) | Haad Rin Queen ferry to Haad Rin pier | About 50 to 60 min | The only regular ferry that drops you right at Haad Rin, a few sailings a day |
| Koh Samui, Maenam, Nathon or Bangrak | Lomprayah or Seatran to Thong Sala | About 20 to 30 min | Then about 20 to 30 min by songthaew or taxi to Haad Rin |
| Koh Samui, party night | Speedboat packages to Haad Rin | 20 to 30 min | Return trips through the night, often about 1,000 to 1,400 THB return |
| Koh Tao, Mae Haad pier | Lomprayah or Seatran to Thong Sala | About 1 to 1.5 h | Some agencies sell party-night return boats |
| Surat Thani, Donsak pier | Car ferry to Thong Sala | About 2.5 h | Joint bus and ferry tickets from the airport or train station |
| Surat Thani town, Ban Don pier | Night boat to Thong Sala | About 6 to 7 h | Leaves around 11pm, arrives around dawn, basic mattresses |
In the rainy season on the Gulf side (roughly October to December), crossings can be rough or cancelled. For all the ferry details between the islands, see my Koh Samui to Koh Tao guide.
Where to stay for the Full Moon Party
Right on the beach or a short ride away. For the rest of the island, see where to stay on Koh Phangan.
Haad Rin
PartyYou walk home. Very loud all night, prices jump and many places impose a minimum stay of 3 to 5 nights around the party.
Baan Tai and Baan Kai
Balance15 to 20 minutes by songthaew, quieter, close to the jungle parties. My favourite compromise.
Thong Sala
PracticalThe ferry hub with a night market. Handy for early boats the next day.
North and west coast
CalmSrithanu, Haad Yao, Chaloklum: calm and beautiful, but 30 to 45 minutes away on hilly roads.
Want to sleep away from the noise? Look at quieter places on Koh Phangan and take a shared taxi on the night.
Full Moon Party safety
Most nights end well. These are the things that go wrong. See also our guide to staying safe in Thailand.
- Buckets: they often contain far more alcohol than you think. Pace yourself and drink water.
- Drugs: Thai drug laws are severe, with heavy fines and prison, and police checks happen around the party. Offers from strangers can be set-ups.
- Fire rope and fire limbo: burns are among the most common injuries of the night.
- Broken glass on the sand: never go barefoot.
- Theft: phones and wallets disappear, especially near the sound systems and in the water.
- Motorbikes: the road between Haad Rin and Thong Sala is steep and winding. Do not ride after drinking.
- Drink spiking: keep your drink in your hand and do not accept open drinks.
- Swimming at night after drinking: the sea is dark and people drown.
- Agree on a meeting point with your friends (a named bar is easiest)
- Save your hotel address in Thai on your phone
- Have travel insurance that covers accidents and hospital care
What to bring (and what to leave)
Travel light.
- Closed shoes or sturdy sandals you can lose without regret
- Cash in small notes, just enough for the night
- Phone in a waterproof pouch or zip bag
- A copy or photo of your passport
- Clothes you do not mind covering in neon paint
- Earplugs if you sleep near Haad Rin
- Your passport, laptop or all your bank cards
- Expensive jewellery or a camera you care about
Alternatives: Half Moon, Jungle Experience and Shiva Moon
Other parties on Koh Phangan during the lunar cycle.
Half Moon Festival
JungleJungle venue near Baan Tai, held around the half moons before and after the full moon. More produced, with paid tickets and a techno and house line-up.
Jungle Experience
UndergroundRunning since 2009 in the jungle behind Baan Tai, with house, techno and drum and bass stages.
Shiva Moon
TranceTrance and psytrance party in a jungle valley inland from Baan Tai, a few days before or after the full moon.
Dates and prices change from month to month. I check the organisers' own pages and social accounts, and buy from them or at the door rather than from random resellers.
Mistakes to avoid
The ones I see every month.
- Buying an entry ticket online
- Assuming the party is always on the exact night of the full moon
- Planning to catch a regular ferry back after the party
- Booking a Haad Rin room without reading the minimum-stay rule
- Going barefoot on the beach
- Riding a scooter back to your hotel at dawn