Full Moon Parties on Koh Phangan

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There are those who think the full-scale partying on the night of the Full Moon can't possibly qualify as cultural, but they are wrong. The Full Moon festivities are more than just a collection of people getting drunk to music-they are full-scale international events.

No one knows who started the Full Moon parties. All agree that sometime in the late seventies, early eighties, a group of friends decided that Koh Phangan had the best place in Thailand to observe the full moon. They took a few beers and a radio to the beach and danced the night away under the glorious silver moon above them. They had so much fun they agreed to do it all again at the next full moon.

Word soon got out, and by the 1990's the party metamorphosed from a few friends getting together to a collection of back packers, college students, and other savvy travelers in the know. The Thais of Koh Phangan welcomed them all with open arms-after all, if other people acknowledged that Koh Phangan was the best, most beautiful place to watch the full moon, who were the natives to disagree?

The official party location is Hat Rin, but you can find full moon parties wherever you choose to stay. The beaches at Hat Rin have the best shows. You can see people eat fire, juggle flaming torches, and perform a dozen different feats in an effort to amaze you. DJs from all over the world compete for your listening ear, mixing music that will almost force you to dance the night away under the stars. Every bar, restaurant, and store turns into a purveyor of alcoholic delights-most will sell you a bucket's worth of the alcohol of your choice.

You may have heard that there is a lot of drug use going on at the full moon parties. You can certainly find/buy/use a variety of controlled substances, but all of them are illegal in Thailand. There are plenty of plainclothes police wandering through the parties who are more than willing to give you a small cell of your very own if they catch you using drugs. Some people have accepted a joint from a nice man in a Batik shirt and sandals, only to find out too late that he is a police officer. The police can also search your person, and if they find you carrying anything illegal, your party will be cut short.

All of this vigilance keeps the parties safe for everybody. Despite the large amount of people who attend Full Moon, Black Moon, Moon Set, and all the other parties, you can still party down without worrying about the people around you. Having said that, we highly recommend you leave your valuables in the safe of your hotel. A very small minority of people use this time to help themselves to whatever you take to the beach-and sometimes this extends to your room. Leaving your valuables in the safe while you are partying ensures you can party all night without a care in the world.