travelthai: Full Moon Party

Full Moon Party

The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party that originated in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night of, before or after every full moon. It is mostly attended by gringos.

History

The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985, for giving thanks to about 20–30 travelers.[1] The parties gained fame through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd of about 5,000–30,000 every full moon evening.[1][2][3] The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. The bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music such as psychedelic trance, R&B, drum and bass, house, dance and reggae. The modern event has become a part of the itinerary of many travelers to South East Asia.

Description[edit]

The Full Moon Party takes place every month throughout the year. The entrance ticket for guest arriving from Koh Samui on speed boat is 100 [baht] per person, for others it's free. Its attractions include fire skipping ropes,[4] alcohol 'buckets', [4] and a drug culture.

Haad Rin is densely populated by hotels, but on the party's date they are usually fully booked. Good advice - if you are planning a trip, book the hotel for several months before. Local transportation Songthaew carries travelers from their hotels to the party area and back, at a price of about 300-600 [baht] per person for one direction.

«Half Moon Party», «Black Moon Party» and «Jungle Experience» are also popular parties, going on in the heart of jungle and having their own specificity. Party dates do not coincide, and any traveler has the opportunity to attend several events, in particular «Jungle Experience» held on the day before «Full Moon Party».

Every full moon party is widely highlighted by photos. [5]

Safety[edit]

Although drugs are consumed by many partygoers, drug laws are strict and police enforcement is stepped up during the parties. There are undercover police on patrol and even the drug dealers themselves may report drug users to police.[6] In recent years, there has been an increasing number of assaults and robberies at the party and in bars in the surrounding area, leading the British government to officially warn tourists to exercise caution at the Full Moon Parties.[7] Break-ins at hotel bungalows while partygoers are away from their rooms sometimes occur as well. At the party there are lots of broken beer bottles and cigarettes. Every month many partygoers cut and/or burn their feet and legs at the Full Moon Party, which is preventable with appropriate footwear[8]
It's dangerous to drive on party by motorbike, the roads in Haad Rin area are very curve and steep. Also in party night traffic is high and some inadequate drivers can go to the oncoming lane by..
On New Years Eve 2012, British tourist Stephen Ashton was killed by a stray bullet.[9]
Popular culture[edit]

The Full Moon Party is featured in films such as The Beach, Last Stop for Paul and the Thai film Hormones.[10] It was also featured in the first episode of the Comedy Central TV show Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust. In 2011, the island's parties featured on Tourism and the Truth: Stacey Dooley Investigates, a documentary investigating the negative impacts of tourism on local people and the economy.

Koh Phangan is a very special place, there are few places in this world where you can live out your desert island dreams of palm trees and white sand beaches, and still have a blinding night out at a rocking party every month. With the global notoriety that the Full Moon Party has gained as being one of the biggest and best beach bashes in the world, we get more than our fair share of hedonists gracing our shores. Each year the scene here grows with the ever-increasing number of party faithful that return, bringing their mates and spreading the vibe.

Haad Rin is home to the Full Moon Party and also houses about 3-5000 rather mad people; it is the island's nightlife capital and has Koh Phangan's biggest concentration of beach clubs that collectively put on the ultimate travellers get together. There are over 12 major sound systems running the length of Had Rin beach, catering for 8000 to 12,000 punters in low season, 15,000 to 20,000 in high season and up to 30,000 at New Year. Within this transient crowd of party animals some highly talented DJ's pass through, banging out their wares to the raging lunar explorers that have landed on planet party.