Koh Phangan is most famous for its Full Moon Party which began its humble beginnings over thirty years ago!
During the 1980’s travellers noted that Haad Rin Beach was the most beautiful place to see the Full Moon and so a celebration was organised on the beach.
The party grew over the years and now attracts around thirty thousand people to the island every month to party together like only young people can.
Over the years the Full Moon Party has gone from only being accessible by boat, just 50 - 100 people each month and more Trance sounds to 30,000, accessible from all over the island by road and commercial EDM music. A lot has changed by the general ethos is the same, young people together to share a once in a lifetime event!
If you are here for the Full Moon Party this month then we have gathered our knowledge together for you in this ULTIMATE guide! We’ll start off with some tips for how to enjoy it;
Wear Shoes
As the night goes on, broken glass and other debris litter the beach which could hurt your feet! Our number one tip to survive the full moon party, wear shoes!
Take a Taxi
Find out at your hostel about taxi services or head down to a warm-up event and link in with a group to share a taxi to the event with - this will be the cheapest and most fun way to get there not to mention also the safest!
Take the cash you need for the night
Before you go think about how much cash you’ll need for the event: entrance fee, taxi fare (there and back!), buckets, neon paint. Tot it all up and bring that much with you but do allow a little for emergencies, put it in a secret place like your underwear just in case!
Leave your passport, credit card and any valuables at home as you could loose them.
Most people will bring their phone with them but keep this safe, check it’s in a secure pocket or bag so you don’t have to worry!
Find a meetup point
Try to do this early on, it could be a bar or recognisable place like the big burning sign saying ‘full moon party’. Find a spot where you can arrange to meet your friends if you get separated or at a certain time of the night/morning if you want to go off for a boogie on your own!
Drink loads of water
Save yourself a hangover! Drink lots and lots of water through the night. The climate is warm and the infamous full moon buckets contain a mammoth amount of alcohol. This combo could have you feeling worse for wear the next day….unless, you strategically drink water regularly throughout night. Or even just a big amount before you (eventually) go to sleep!
Whilst you’re at the Party make sure to keep an eye out for your friends and even strangers around you. There is a ‘sleeping’ area on the beach and the Red Cross team of the island are there to take care of people amongst all the madness so be assured that there really ARE people around looking out for you and others and providing some rest space if you need it.
DO NOT BUY ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, this is an obvious really…
As well as the legendary Drop In Bar on the famous Haad Rin beach and all the others which continue down, you can always go back up into the town of Haad Rin to sit in a bar and have a drink or water break and also get some food so that you can get your energy levels up again.
So now for the day after…
Here are some tips on how to recover;
Have a fruit shake
You may not feel like eating straight away if you have a hangover or you’re the opposite and want to eat for the whole day.
Maybe start with a fruit shake, nice and cold, some essential vitamins from the fruit you choose and it will be a nice ease in for your stomach.
Go for breakfast with your friends
If you’ve got a hangover then one of the best cures is to be with friends.
You can treat yourself to a fry up or whatever takes your fancy and reminisce and laugh at each other about the antics from the night before.
Go for a swim
Enjoy your resort's pool or take advantage of Phangan’s amazing nature and go in the sea.
A bit of gentle exercise will make you feel alive again and your body will be refreshed from being in the water plus you will stay cool.
Sauna
Koh Phangan has a few nice saunas including herbal ones.
It’s going to be hot in there but your body will sweat out all of the toxins from those buckets you’ve been drinking which will help you recover quicker.
Just be
You may have had a crazy few days trying to fit in as much as you can if you’re only here for a short time. Enjoy your resort, lay on a sun lounger and read a book, take a nap if needed, sit on the beach in the shade or just spend the day at home by yourself or with your loved ones.
Make the most of having a day just doing nothing.
Hug a puppy
If you’re feeling a bit sorry for yourself then hug a puppy, or any friendly animal in fact.
They’ll give you some love.
And finally, carry on the party!
You can always keep partying on Koh Phangan, there’s always some fun to be had but make sure you’re always armed with a bottle of water to keep yourself hydrated!
The island is very busy for the few days before and after Full Moon so another thing that is very important is the traffic and your safety if you’re on a scooter. Our best advice is to get a taxi to any party and get a taxi back!
If you do want to rent a scooter to discover the island outside of the parties then please just be careful of other drivers, wear a helmet! Thai drivers have more experience on these roads so may drive less carefully so be aware of this and also that some very stupid people will drink drive so take care of yourselves and where possible (which is all the time!) get a taxi instead.
If you need any help or advice for your Full Moon Party time on the island then we have lots of articles to help you here at Phanganist.com and feel free to contact us and we will always try to help!