Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan: when it runs and how to get to Haad Rin

What the Full Moon Party is and where it takes place

The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party on Haad Rin Nok (Hat Rin) in the south-east of Koh Phangan. Haad Rin village sits on a narrow isthmus: Haad Rin Nok on the east side, Haad Rin Nai on the west, see the district page Haad Rin. By the OpenStreetMap outline Nok is about 0.65 km long. Thai Holiday Guide writes that the party began in the late 1980s with a few dozen people and a sound system on the beach.

Today thousands of people come. The Bangkok Post counted over 9,000 guests in November 2024, about 90 percent of them foreigners. On a typical night, according to The Nation, 20,000-30,000 people come. The party is run by Haad Rin business owners, not by the state: they announce the dates and the entry arrangements.

The party follows the full moon, but it does not always fall on the day of the full moon. When the moon coincides with a Buddhist holiday the party is moved, as explained below.

Full Moon Party dates for 2026-2027

We calculated the moments of full moon ourselves with Jean Meeus’s algorithm (Astronomical Algorithms, chapter 49), with a ΔT correction of 69 seconds, in Thailand time (UTC+7). The party dates under the organisers’ calendar come from the Thai Holiday Guide (28 Sep 2026) and Thaiest (27 Sep 2026) overviews. Neither is an official source, so confirm the date with the organisers: the calendar can change.

The Buddhist holiday dates for 2026 and 2027 come from the Thai Holiday Guide calendars. For the official 2027 list check the Bank of Thailand and royal announcements closer to the date.

How the night runs

Schedule per the Thai Holiday Guide overview: it starts around 21:00 and the music goes until sunrise, that is until 6:00-7:00. Several stages with different music work along the beach, there are bars and food stalls on the sand, and fire acts. Entry to the beach is paid, in cash at the gate. There are no online tickets for the beach itself, and guides call anyone selling them on the internet a scammer. The Thai Holiday Guide (September 2026) gives about 200 baht as a guide; we found no official tariff from the organisers.

Decide in advance how you will get home: at night songthaews and taxis cost more, the price depends on the driver, so agree before you get in.

Buddhist holidays and the alcohol ban

Thailand has five Buddhist days on which alcohol sales are banned: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa. The ban covers selling, not drinking in your room or at home. In July 2026 it ran from 00:01 on 29 July to 24:00 on 30 July (Asanha Bucha and Khao Phansa), and shops, convenience stores and ordinary restaurants did not sell alcohol.

The exemptions under the 2025 Prime Minister’s Office notification, as The Nation describes them: international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues, similar venues in tourist zones designated by the health minister, licensed hotels and designated events. Selling on a banned day carries up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both. You can report violations on 191 and 1599.

What this means for the party. In February 2025, when Makha Bucha fell on the full moon, Haad Rin business owners agreed to move the party from 12 to 13 February, and the district chief banned alcohol sales on the island on the holiday; the Provincial Police Region 8 chief warned shopkeepers not to sell alcohol from midnight to midnight. The same report planned moves for 2025 from 11 to 12 May, from 10 to 12 July and from 7 to 8 October. So if your date coincides with a holiday, go by the organisers’ calendar.

Safety

• Police and order. In November 2024 patrols, bomb-disposal officers and tourist police were on duty at Haad Rin until morning, and police helped people board ferries to Samui. The police chief said they were watching visitor safety closely
• Drinks. The UK FCDO warns about drink spiking and assaults at such parties, notes that bar drinks are often stronger than people expect, and that methanol in alcohol has caused deaths. Keep your drink with you, do not take a glass from a stranger, do not leave it unattended
• Drugs. In Thailand small amounts of illegal substances can bring heavy fines and prison, and Class A drugs can carry the death penalty. Recreational cannabis is still illegal. Wikivoyage notes that plain-clothes police mingle with guests
• Water. Do not swim at night or after drinking. The UK FCDO advises using lifeguarded beaches where they exist and warns about strong currents, especially in the rainy season
• Glass and fire. Wikivoyage and guides advise closed shoes because of broken glass and keeping your distance from fire acts and fire games
• Transport. Do not ride or drive after drinking. Wikivoyage warns about overloaded boats on party nights: if a boat looks overloaded, wait for the next one. Do not hand over your passport as a deposit for a scooter rental (UK FCDO)
• Insurance. Check that your policy covers injuries sustained while intoxicated
• Box jellyfish. Box jellyfish live around Samui and Phangan, and their stings can be fatal. In a review of cases from 1999 to 2015, six of the seven box jellyfish deaths in Thailand happened on these two islands, and stings were most frequent from July to October (Thaikruea et al., BMC Research Notes, 2016). The UK Foreign Office warns of jellyfish close to shore in the rainy season from May to October and advises swimming at beaches with lifeguards and following the flags (FCDO, 18 October 2026). If you are stung: leave the water, pour household vinegar (4-6 %) on the sting straight away for at least 30 seconds, do not rub the wound or rinse it with fresh water, call an ambulance on 1669 and do not wait for it to get worse. Ask your hotel or the lifeguards where the vinegar is kept on your beach.

The nearest private hospital, Phangan International (9 beds), is 8.1 km from Haad Rin, about 13 minutes; the state hospital Ko Pha-ngan is 13.8 km and 22 minutes (OSRM, Ministry of Public Health list of 31 July 2026). Serious cases are taken to Samui. More on the district page Haad Rin.

How to get there and how long it takes

• From Samui. A Lomprayah catamaran takes 20-30 minutes to Thong Sala under the 2026 timetable, then 11.0 km and 17 minutes by road (OSRM). The Haadrin Queen ferry runs directly to the west pier of Haad Rin, check its schedule with the carrier. Extra night boats run on party nights, and the carrier sets the schedule and terms
• From the mainland. The Raja Ferry runs from Donsak to Samui and Phangan, schedule on the carrier’s site
• Around the island. Ban Tai is 6.7 km and 11 minutes from Haad Rin, Thong Sala 11.0 km and 17 minutes (OSRM). Songthaews, taxis and Grab run at night, at higher night prices
• Boats and queues. Wikivoyage advises booking ferries early: boats fill fast, and the day after the party they are packed

Where to stay for the party

• Haad Rin. A walk to the beach, but according to Thai Holiday Guide and Thaiest rooms near the beach go first, and many hotels require a minimum stay of 3-4 nights
• Ban Tai and Ban Kai. 6.7 km from Haad Rin by road, 5-10 minutes by songthaew according to a guide. The area is described on the Ban Tai page. Halfmoon Festival is held here too
• Thong Sala. The island’s main town, 11.0 km and 17 minutes from Haad Rin, with the most shops and ATMs but the longest way home. The area is described on the Thong Sala page
• Samui. You can stay on Samui and come back by a night boat, but the return is tied to the boat’s schedule, and in the morning you have to catch the first one

Book 2-4 weeks ahead for December-March, as guides advise. If you stay outside Haad Rin, ask in advance how to get back at night.

How long it takes and when to go

The party lasts a night, but with travel and a stay on the island you will spend at least two or three days. Season by TMD (Ko Samui station, normals 1991-2020): the driest months are February and April, October-December are the wettest, with 445 mm in November.

What to do in rain and waves

We found no sources about the party being cancelled because of weather: the only known moves are for Buddhist holidays. In the rainy season bring a waterproof phone pouch and clothes that dry by morning. If the waves are strong, carriers may cancel sailings between Samui and Phangan, so do not count on the last boat, and keep a time buffer and a bed on Phangan.

Other parties on the island

• Halfmoon Festival. A ticketed electronic festival in Ban Tai: Harmony Beach Club by day and Magic Forest at night, about every two weeks. Tickets and calendar on the official site
• Jungle Experience. A ticketed jungle party in Ban Tai, usually the night before the Full Moon Party according to guides
• Black Moon. Guides mention such a party, but we could not confirm a current calendar or organiser

Who it suits and who should skip it

• Suits. People who want to see a loud beach party, come with friends, book a room and a boat in advance and do not expect quiet
• Suits. People ready to be careful with drinks and money
• Skip. Families with small children: music until dawn, a lot of alcohol
• Skip. Anyone who needs sleep and calm seas: the village is loud on party night, and in the morning the boats are packed
• Skip. Anyone not ready to live by local laws on alcohol and illegal substances

If you want quiet after the party, look at Bottle Beach in the north of the island. For the island as a whole, with seasons and ferries, see the Koh Phangan travel guide.

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