Last Ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan on Full Moon Night

The short answer: there is no "last ferry" to catch on Full Moon Party night, because the regular ferries between Koh Samui and Koh Phangan stop running in the early evening, long before the party even starts. If you are on Koh Samui and planning to be in Haad Rin after dark, you are not looking for a ferry schedule, you are looking for a night speedboat.

This catches a lot of first-timers out. They check a ferry timetable, see a last crossing sometime in the late afternoon or early evening, and panic that they will miss the whole night. You will not. The island has been handling this exact gap for years, and there is a simple, well-used way around it.

Why is there no last ferry at night to Koh Phangan?

Regular ferries are built around daytime travel: commuters, day-trippers, people moving between the islands for work or errands. They are not scheduled around a party that starts when it gets dark and runs until sunrise.

Ferry operators stop their regular crossings in the early evening and do not restart until the next morning. That means anyone wanting to be on Koh Phangan after that point needs a different kind of boat entirely. It is not a full moon quirk, it is just how the regular ferry timetable works every single day of the year.

If you want the fuller picture of how people get from Koh Samui to the party at all, Koh Samui to Full Moon Party: Every Way Compared lays out the options side by side.

What time does the last regular ferry actually leave?

We are not going to give you a specific clock time here, because ferry schedules change by season, by operator, and by year, and getting it wrong could leave you stranded on the wrong island. What matters is the pattern: it is in the early evening, well before the party atmosphere on Haad Rin beach really picks up after dark around 7 pm.

If you have a specific date in mind, always check the current ferry schedule directly before you travel, not a number you read somewhere months ago. Ferry times shift with the season and sometimes with the weather.

So how do people get to the party if the ferry is gone?

By night speedboat, which is a different service entirely from the regular ferry. These run specifically in the evening and through the night, which is exactly when the regular boats are not operating.

The route most people use from Koh Samui leaves from Bangrak pier in the Big Buddha area and arrives at Haad Rin pier on Koh Phangan, a few minutes' walk from the beach where the party happens. The crossing takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on the sea that night.

For a closer look at how this whole system works and why it exists, read How to Get to the Full Moon Party from Koh Samui by Speedboat.

What if I am already staying on Koh Phangan, do I still need this?

No. If your hotel or bungalow is already on Koh Phangan, especially near Haad Rin, you do not need a boat transfer at all, you just walk or take a short songthaew ride to the beach.

The night transfer question is really only relevant for people based on Koh Samui. If you have not decided yet where to stay for the night, Stay on Koh Samui or Koh Phangan for the party walks through the trade-offs: price, comfort, convenience, and how crowded Haad Rin itself gets on the night.

What time do the pickups and the party actually run?

Pickups from Koh Samui hotels run through the afternoon and evening, so you can arrive early for the beach bars or later closer to dark. The party itself gets going when the sun goes down, roughly 7 pm, and continues until sunrise.

For the full detail on what happens hour by hour, What Time Does the Full Moon Party Start and End? covers it properly.

How do the return boats to Koh Samui actually work?

You do not book a specific return time in advance. Return speedboats leave Haad Rin pier every hour from 0:00 to 6:00, so whenever you are done dancing, you walk to the pier, show your ticket badge, and wait for the next one.

This is one of the better parts of the system, honestly. You are not tied to a fixed "last boat" that you need to sprint for at a specific time. If you want to leave at 1 am because you have had enough, there is a boat. If you want to stay until almost sunrise, there is still a boat.

The ticket badge is handed out at the pier when you arrive for your outbound crossing, and it is what gets you onto the return boat later, no need to remember a booking reference or show your phone.

What happens if you miss the last regular ferry and have not booked anything?

You are not stuck, but you will be scrambling at the pier area trying to find a seat on a boat, probably paying more than you would have with a booking, and with no guarantee of space if it is a busy night. Booking ahead of time costs nothing and takes the guesswork out.

Booking a transfer from Koh Samui is free and you only pay in cash at the pier on the day, so there is no downside to sorting it before you leave your hotel.

One way or round trip: which should you book?

If you are staying on Koh Samui and coming back the same night, round trip makes the whole night simpler: one booking covers the ride there, the party, and the ride home whenever you are ready. One way suits people who plan to sleep over on Koh Phangan, or who already have their own way back sorted.

• Round trip (฿1290 regular, ฿1490 for the New Year party): includes pickup, boat there, the hourly return boats from 0:00 to 6:00, and drop-off back at your Koh Samui hotel.
• One way (฿890 regular, ฿1190 for the New Year party): gets you to Haad Rin pier, you arrange your own way back.
• Entrance fee of 200 THB is separate, paid in cash at the beach, not included in either ticket.

Most guests going home the same night choose round trip simply because it removes one more decision from a night that already has enough going on. If you want to read what other people thought of the whole process, guest reviews of the transfer are worth a scan before you book.

Planning around the right date

Full Moon Party dates move around the actual lunar calendar and sometimes shift for Buddhist holidays, so always check the current schedule rather than guessing from the moon yourself. The full list of upcoming dates, including the New Year party, is on the Full Moon Party dates 2026-2027 page, and Full Moon Party Dates 2027: Full List and How to Plan Around It goes deeper into planning a trip around them.

The practical bottom line

Forget the idea of a last ferry on full moon night, it simply is not part of the picture. Regular ferries do their daytime job and stop well before dark, and everyone heading to Haad Rin from Koh Samui after that point is on a night speedboat instead.

1. Pick a pickup time that suits your plan for the afternoon and evening.
2. Get collected from your hotel or villa and taken to Bangrak pier.
3. Cross to Haad Rin pier, a short walk from the beach.
4. Party until you are ready to leave, any time between midnight and sunrise.
5. Walk to Haad Rin pier, show your ticket badge, take the next hourly boat home.

If you still have questions about the mechanics of the night, the Full Moon Party FAQ covers most of what comes up, and How to Get Back to Koh Samui After the Party is worth reading the morning you book, not at 4 am when you are tired and the beach is still loud behind you.

Transfer facts checked on 20 October 2026. Prices and party dates can change: the booking form always shows the current ones.