Full Moon Party History
How a small gathering of backpackers under the full moon became the most famous beach party in the world.
How it started
In the 1980s Koh Phangan was a quiet island with a few bungalows, reached only by fishing boats. Backpackers who found their way to Haad Rin, a beach at the south-east tip of the island, started gathering on the sand to watch the full moon rise over the sea. Most stories say the first party was a small gathering of a few dozen travellers in the mid-1980s, with music, a campfire and dancing until sunrise.
From a beach gathering to a monthly party
Word spread from traveller to traveller. Every month more people came to Haad Rin for the full moon night, the music got louder and bars along the beach set up their own sound systems. By the 1990s the Full Moon Party had become a fixed monthly event and a must for backpackers travelling around Southeast Asia.
The party today
Today a regular Full Moon Party draws around 20,000 people, and the New Year party up to 40,000. Bars along the whole beach play different music, from EDM, trance and techno to hip hop and drum and bass. Fire shows, neon body paint and buckets of drinks became the symbols of the night.
The beach is cleaned after every party, and the 200 baht entry fee goes towards cleaning and maintaining Haad Rin. More about the entry fee.
More than just a party
For many travellers the Full Moon Party is a rite of passage: a night on a tropical beach with people from all over the world, music everywhere and the sunrise over the sea at the end. Around the full moon the island also hosts other parties in the jungle and on other beaches. See other parties on Koh Phangan.
Go to the party
Check the Full Moon Party dates. If you are staying on Koh Samui, a speedboat transfer takes you from your hotel to Haad Rin and back the same night.
Questions
In the 1980s, as a small gathering of backpackers on Haad Rin Beach to celebrate the full moon. It became a regular monthly party by the 1990s.
Around 20,000 people at a regular party, and up to 40,000 on New Year's Eve.
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Speed boat transfer from Koh Samui
Hotel pickup anywhere on Koh Samui, speedboat from Bangrak pier to Haad Rin and boats back every hour from 0:00 to 6:00. One way ฿890, round trip ฿1290, pay cash at the pier.