Full Moon Party FAQ

The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party held once a month on Haad Rin beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand, around the full moon. It started in the 1980s, when travellers gathered on Haad Rin to watch the full moon, and grew into one of the most famous parties in the world.

On Haad Rin Nok, also called Sunrise Beach, in Haad Rin village at the south-east tip of Koh Phangan (Surat Thani province) in the Gulf of Thailand. Haad Rin pier, where speedboats from Koh Samui arrive, is a few minutes walk from the beach.

A regular Full Moon Party draws around 20,000 people. The New Year party on 31 December draws up to 40,000.

Every bar along the beach has its own sound system and style: EDM, trance, techno, house, drum and bass, reggae, hip hop and pop. You walk along the sand and pick the music you like.

Dancing on the sand by the bars, fire shows, fire limbo and fire rope skipping, neon body paint and drinks served in buckets. The party goes on all night until the sun rises over the sea.

It is one party on one beach, made up of many bars, each with its own music. In the full moon week there are other parties on Koh Phangan too, such as the Half Moon Festival and Black Moon Culture. Other parties on Koh Phangan.

The next Full Moon Party is on 27 October 2026 (Tuesday). All Full Moon Party dates for 2026-2027.

13 parties in 2026: one every month and a New Year party on 31 December. See every date with the day of the week.

Usually on the full moon night or a day next to it. When the full moon falls on a Buddhist holiday, when alcohol sales are not allowed in Thailand, the party moves by a day or so. Always check the date on the schedule before you book.

The main party starts when it gets dark, about 7 pm. Bars and music on the beach start in the afternoon, and some dance floors are busy while it is still light. It is not a 9 pm start.

At sunrise, about 6 to 7 am. Many people stay to watch the sun come up over the sea from Sunrise Beach.

Around sunset, 6 to 7 pm, to see the beach before it gets crowded and catch the start of the party. Some people come in the afternoon to eat and walk around Haad Rin first. Transfers from Koh Samui pick up from 11:30 to 10:30 PM, so you choose.

Yes. The New Year Countdown Party on 31 December is the biggest party of the year on Haad Rin, with up to 40,000 people. Transfers that night cost ฿1190 one way and ฿1490 round trip, and the last pickup is 8:00 - 8:30 PM.

200 Thai baht per person, paid in cash at the entrance to Haad Rin beach on the night. More about tickets and costs.

No. There are no official online entry tickets. You pay the 200 THB entrance fee in cash at the beach. Sites that sell "Full Moon Party tickets" online sell transfers or packages, not entry.

Bring cash for the 200 THB entry, drinks and food, and keep the rest at your hotel. ATMs in Haad Rin often run out of cash around the full moon, so take what you need before you go.

Take a night speedboat transfer. A minivan picks you up at your hotel anywhere on Koh Samui, takes you to Bangrak pier, and the speedboat reaches Haad Rin in 20-30 minutes. One way costs ฿890, round trip ฿1290 per person. Book a Full Moon Party transfer.

Only in the daytime. Regular ferries from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan stop in the early evening, before the party starts, and there are no regular ferries back at night. That is why people staying on Koh Samui take a night speedboat.

The speedboat from Bangrak pier to Haad Rin takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the sea. Add the minivan ride from your hotel to the pier.

Yes. Speedboats leave Haad Rin pier for Koh Samui every hour from 0:00 to 6:00. With a round trip ticket you come to the pier whenever you are ready, show your ticket badge and take the next boat; a minivan then drives you to your hotel. How the way back works.

Both work. Rooms near Haad Rin are often sold out around the party and minimum stays are common; from Koh Samui you go and come back the same night by speedboat. Samui or Phangan compared.

Hotel pickup by minivan anywhere on Koh Samui, the speedboat from Bangrak pier to Haad Rin, life jackets, and with a round trip the speedboat back and drop-off at your hotel. The 200 THB party entrance and food and drinks are not included.

No. Booking online is free and you pay cash in Thai baht at the pier on the day. There is no prepayment, so there is nothing to cancel or refund.

Pickups run every hour from 11:30 - 12:00 noon to 10:00 - 10:30 PM. On 31 December the last pickup is 8:00 - 8:30 PM. You choose the time in the booking form, and the driver collects you from your hotel or villa lobby.

All areas of Koh Samui: Chaweng, Lamai, Bophut, Maenam, Bangrak, Choeng Mon, Nathon and others.

Every passenger gets a life jacket. The speedboats have two or three engines and take 25 to 65 passengers; bigger boats run in the high season. The boats are run by licensed partner operators.

Just tell us through the contact form so the driver does not wait for you. There is no prepayment, so there is nothing to refund.

FullMoonParty.net is a licensed travel agency on Koh Samui (TAT licence 44/00444) that has sold Full Moon Party transfers for more than 10 years. We sell the tickets and look after the guests; the minivans and speedboats are run by licensed partner operators. Guest reviews.

Neon clothes, a tank top or swimwear with shorts, and closed shoes, not flip-flops: there can be broken glass on the sand. Neon body paint is sold on the beach. Full checklist.

Cash for the night, a charged phone in a waterproof pouch, and a card with your hotel address. Leave your passport and valuables at the hotel.

Most people have a great night. Watch your drinks, keep your phone and cash in a front pocket, do not swim in the sea at night, keep away from the fire games if you have been drinking, and agree a meeting point with your friends.

No. Drugs are illegal in Thailand, penalties are severe, and police are present around the party. Do not buy or accept anything from strangers.