The dates for the full moon party in Thailand vary, and despite the name, they are not always on the actual night of the full moon.
The dates are sometimes altered to not coincide with Buddhist holidays that often occur on full moons due to the lunar calendar. Elections, both local and national, and major holidays in Thailand can also cause holiday dates to change due to the ban on the sale of alcohol. To be safe, find out what you need to know before going to Thailand’s full moon party. Also, remember that although some revelers use recreational drugs during the full moon party, drugs are illegal in Thailand.
The party is much more patrolled and guarded than before.
About Thailand’s full moon party
Thailand’s full moon party held monthly on the island of Koh Phangan is one of the largest beach parties in the world. Although the party once started with a focus on EDM / electronic music, you will now find many different music genres flying around Sunrise Beach.
Attending a full moon party has often been considered a rite of passage for backpackers traversing the unofficial Banana Pancake Trail throughout Asia. Partygoers paint themselves in fluorescent body paint, drink a bucket of alcohol, ideally Thai Redbull, and then carry on until the sun rises on the beach.
To keep revelers busy between full moons, many other beach parties are held between official full moon parties, although the government has tried to limit or close them altogether. Some other popular festivals include the crescent festival, the black moon festival, and the Shiva moon festival.
Although they are not officially full moon parties, the Christmas and New Years holidays are the biggest, sometimes drawing a crowd of 30,000 or more travelers to Thailand during peak season.
Full moon party venue
Thailand’s full moon party is held every month at Sunrise Beach, on the east side of Haad Rin, a peninsula in the southern part of Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is an island in the Gulf of Thailand (the same side as Koh Samui and Koh Tao).
Due to the notoriety, full moon parties are often celebrated elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as Perhentian Kecil in Malaysia, Gili Trawangan in Indonesia, and Vang Vieng in Laos. These parties are much smaller than the original one that started in Thailand.
Traveling during the full moon
Oddly enough, you may need to consider the phase of the moon when traveling to Thailand during peak season.
Full moon parties have become so popular that they actually disrupt the flow of budget travelers throughout Thailand. Many backpackers head to Chiang Mai and Pai between full moons, then south to the islands about a week before the party.
Transportation infrastructure, mainly buses and trains, often stalls about a week before and a week after the full moon festivities. Sometimes taking a cheap flight is the best way to get from Chiang Mai to Koh Phangan.
Accommodations in the northern part of nearby Koh Samui also fill up a few days before the party. Meanwhile, Koh Tao could be extremely quiet for a week as people take the short boat ride to Koh Phangan. After the party, revelers often migrate back to neighboring islands or other Koh Phangan beaches such as Haad Yuan.
Thailand Full Moon Party Dates for 2017
Party hours are subject to change and do so regularly; Please confirm dates while in Bangkok before booking your ticket to Surat Thani and then Koh Phangan.
Plan to arrive several days in advance for any hope of getting a hotel room during peak season months. Even outside of the regular season, which is November through April, you’ll find crowds of college students on vacation and travelers during the summer.
These dates are provisional and could change in a day or two if they coincide with Buddhist holidays or elections.
- 12th of January
- February 12
- March 12
- April 11
- May 11
- June 9
- July 10th
- August 7th
- September 5
- October 6
- November 3
- December 3
- December 25 (Christmas party)
- December 31 (New Year’s Eve party)
