Full Moon Party Koh Phangan 2026: Dates, Entry Fee & Tips
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2026 Dates
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The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan is one of those travel experiences that everyone has an opinion about before they go. It started in the late 1980s as a few dozen people on a beach with a sound system. Now it draws 10,000-30,000 people to Haad Rin beach every full moon, an open-air, all-night party on the sand with a dozen competing sound stages, fire dancers, neon body paint, and bucket cocktails until sunrise.
Book the room before the boat. Haad Rin fills first: book 2-4 weeks ahead for a December-March Full Moon, and 4-6 weeks for December or January. Sea Breeze Resort is right in Haad Rin and The Cabin Beach Resort is on the Haad Rin side too. More picks in Hotels We Like for the Full Moon Party.
It is messy, loud, and absolutely not for everyone. But if you go prepared and with the right expectations, it is a genuinely unique night. There is nowhere else in the world quite like it.
Full Moon Party Dates
Dates below follow the Haad Rin Business Operators’ Association published calendar. When the astronomical full moon lands on a major Buddhist holy day (nationwide alcohol sales ban), the party is usually postponed to the following night. Always reconfirm closer to travel: local announcements can still move a night.
2026
| Month | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| September | Sat 26 Sep 2026 | Full moon (already ran) |
| October | Tue 27 Oct 2026 | Moved a day: 26 Oct is Ok Phansa (End of Buddhist Lent) |
| November | Tue 24 Nov 2026 | Full moon |
| December | Thu 24 Dec 2026 | Christmas Eve crossover: peak crowds |
| December | Thu 31 Dec 2026 | New Year’s Eve countdown: not a full moon; typically the busiest night of the year |
2027
| Month | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January | Fri 22 Jan 2027 | Full moon |
| February | Mon 22 Feb 2027 | Moved: 21 Feb is Makha Bucha |
| March | Mon 22 Mar 2027 | Full moon |
| April | Wed 21 Apr 2027 | Full moon (peaks early morning Bangkok time) |
| May | Fri 21 May 2027 | Moved: 20 May is Visakha Bucha |
| June | Sat 19 Jun 2027 | Full moon |
| July | Tue 20 Jul 2027 | Moved: 18 Jul Asanha Bucha, 19 Jul Khao Phansa (alcohol bans) |
| August | Tue 17 Aug 2027 | Full moon |
| September | Wed 15 Sep 2027 | Full moon night (peaks early morning 16 Sep Bangkok time) |
| October | Sat 16 Oct 2027 | Moved: 15 Oct listed as Ok Phansa on the published FMP calendar |
| November | Sat 13 Nov 2027 | Full moon night (peaks morning 14 Nov Bangkok time) |
| December | Mon 13 Dec 2027 | Full moon |
| December | Fri 31 Dec 2027 | New Year’s Eve countdown: not a full moon |
Dates can still shift if holy-day calendars or local announcements change. Prefer the Haad Rin / fullmoonpartythailand.com schedule over random blog reprints.
Busiest nights: New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, and Friday/Saturday parties in December–March. 20,000-30,000 people is normal; NYE can run higher. Quietest months: May, June, September. 5,000-10,000 people. Some travellers prefer the smaller parties: easier to move around, shorter drink queues, more space on the beach.
Best Month to Go
For the full experience: December or January. Biggest crowds, best weather, most energy. Book accommodation 4-6 weeks ahead. For a more relaxed party: May, June, or September. 5,000-10,000 people, shorter queues, cheaper accommodation, and you still get the fire shows and music, just with room to breathe. To avoid: April can be unpredictable: the party sometimes shifts dates around Songkran, and it’s the hottest month of the year.
What to Expect
The party runs from roughly 9 PM until sunrise (6-7 AM). Haad Rin beach is about 700 metres long, and different zones play different music: house/techno at the south end, drum and bass in the middle, reggae and commercial dance at the north end, hip-hop and R&B near the bars.
The setup:
- A dozen+ sound stages along the beach, each competing for volume
- Bucket cocktails sold from beach bars and mobile vendors (100-250 THB)
- Fire dancers, fire skippers (jump rope with fire), and fire limbo at various points
- Neon body paint stations (50-100 THB, UV paint that glows under the blacklights)
- Food stalls at the back of the beach (pad thai, grilled skewers, fruit)
- Entry fee: 200 THB cash at the main beach entrance (no advance tickets: anyone selling online is a scam)
What It Costs
| Item | Budget | Mid-Range |
|---|---|---|
| Entry fee | 200 THB | 200 THB |
| Drinks (5-8 over the night) | 500–800 THB | 1,000–1,500 THB |
| Food (pad thai, skewers) | 100–200 THB | 200–400 THB |
| Neon body paint | 50–100 THB | 50–100 THB |
| Transport to Haad Rin | 50–100 THB | 100–200 THB |
| Transport home (3-6 AM) | 200–300 THB | 300–500 THB |
| Total per night | 1,000–1,500 THB (~$30-45) | 1,750–2,800 THB (~$50-80) |
Accommodation is the big variable. A dorm bed in Haad Rin during Full Moon week costs 800-1,500 THB ($25-45). A private room jumps to 2,000-5,000 THB ($60-150). Off-peak months are 30-50% cheaper.
What to Bring
Bring:
- Cash only: 1,500-3,000 THB in small notes (leave the rest at your hotel)
- Cheap shoes you do not mind ruining (the sand has broken glass by midnight)
- Waterproof phone case on a lanyard (around your neck)
- One key (hotel room key or padlock key: leave everything else behind)
- Sunscreen applied before you go (you will be on the beach until sunrise)
- Water: buy a few bottles at the entrance and pace yourself between alcoholic drinks
Leave at your hotel:
- Passport (take a photo of it on your phone instead)
- Expensive watch, jewellery, camera
- Credit cards
- Anything you would be upset to lose
Wear:
- Swimwear or shorts you can throw away
- A T-shirt or tank top (you will get paint and drink spilled on you)
- The cheapest flip-flops or canvas shoes you own
Insider Tip: Get an eSIM for Thailand before you arrive. Grab after 3 AM is the realistic way home when songthaews thin out, and that needs working data. Messaging friends and splitting a ride also beat roaming. Island signal can be patchy, but Haad Rin has decent 4G coverage.
How to Get There
Koh Samui
- Party-night speedboat: typically from Big Buddha / Bang Rak to Haad Rin, return after the party. Ballpark 600-1,400 THB return depending on operator and VIP tier; packaged party boats can run higher. Book through your hotel or a known pier operator, and confirm the night’s price
- Regular ferry: Lomprayah or Seatran to Thong Sala (Koh Phangan), then songthaew to Haad Rin. Last regular boats usually leave around 5-6 PM. You will need accommodation on Koh Phangan if you are not on a night boat
Book Koh Samui → Koh Phangan ferry on 12Go
Flights: fly into Koh Samui (USM), then take the ferry above. Compare flights to Koh Samui on the Koh Phangan visit guide.
Bangkok
- Fly to Koh Samui (1 hour, Bangkok Airways from 2,500 THB) then ferry to Koh Phangan
- Fly to Surat Thani (1 hour, from 1,200 THB) then bus + ferry combo (3-4 hours, 500-800 THB)
- Overnight bus to Surat Thani then ferry (cheapest option, 12+ hours total)
Book Bangkok → Koh Phangan on 12Go | Book Bangkok → Surat Thani on 12Go
Getting to Haad Rin from Elsewhere on Koh Phangan
Songthaews (shared pickup trucks) run from Thong Sala and Baan Tai to Haad Rin throughout the evening (50-100 THB). After midnight, prices rise to 200-300 THB. Going home after the party (3-6 AM), songthaews and taxis charge 200-500 THB. Agree on the price before getting in.
Where to Stay
Book 2-4 weeks ahead for December-March Full Moons. Rooms across the island cost more during Full Moon week, and Haad Rin fills first.
| Base | To Haad Rin | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Haad Rin | Walk | Stumble back to your room, if you can get one. Budget rooms that normally cost 500-800 THB go for 1,500-3,000 THB |
| Baan Tai and Ban Kai | 5-10 min by songthaew | Cheaper, and handy for Halfmoon Festival or Jungle Experience the same week |
| Thong Sala | 20 min by songthaew or Grab | The main town: most hotels, restaurants and ATMs that actually work. Longest ride home |
| Koh Samui | Night boat | No Koh Phangan room prices, and the boats are a party in themselves. You are tied to the boat schedule and cannot leave early |
For resort options, see beachfront resorts on Koh Phangan. Live prices for hotels near Haad Rin are on the map below.
Hotels We Like for the Full Moon Party
The party moves monthly, so each name opens the hotel on Booking.com without dates. Add your own Full Moon night once you have picked a month.
- Sea Breeze Resort: a 3-star resort right in Haad Rin, walking distance to the beach where the party runs, though noise climbs in peak season. Our review.
- The Cabin Beach Resort: a 4-star resort on LeeLa/CoCo Beach at Haad Rin, with sea-view rooms and check-in until midnight for late arrivals. Our review.
- Moonstone Studio: a 3-star stay on a hill above Haad Rin Nai, about three minutes’ walk to the beach and ten minutes on foot to Haad Rin Nok and the party strip. Our review.
Safety & Survival Tips
- Wear shoes: the beach is littered with broken glass, bottle caps, and cigarette butts by midnight. Cheap canvas shoes or sandals you can throw away afterward are essential
- Watch your drinks: drink spiking happens. Buy sealed bottles or cans. Watch buckets being made. Do not accept free drinks from strangers
- Stay away from fire performers: the fire show acts are impressive but amateur injuries are common. Give fire spinners a wide berth, especially if they (or you) have been drinking
- Hydrate: alternate alcoholic drinks with water. The combination of alcohol, dancing, and tropical heat causes dehydration and heat exhaustion. Hospital visits for dehydration peak on Full Moon nights
- Swim sober: people drown at Full Moon Parties. The beach drops off steeply in some sections. Do not swim drunk, especially at the dark ends of the beach
- Lock your valuables: use your hotel safe. Theft from rooms increases during Full Moon week when the island is crowded with temporary visitors
- Arrange transport home in advance: agree a pickup time and meeting point with a songthaew driver before the party, or ensure your hotel offers a shuttle
- Travel insurance: make sure yours covers you. Injuries at the Full Moon Party (glass cuts, burns, falls) are among the most common insurance claims on Koh Phangan
- Avoid drugs: drugs are illegal in Thailand and the penalties are severe. Undercover police operate at Full Moon Parties. Well-known scams involve dealers working with corrupt officers: you buy, you get caught, you pay a “fine” or face jail
Safety Tip: Full Moon Party injuries are real: glass cuts, burns from fire shows, and alcohol-related hospital visits happen every month. Make sure your travel insurance covers Thailand and doesn’t exclude alcohol-related incidents. SafetyWing is popular with backpackers, or see our full travel insurance comparison for other options.
Beyond the Full Moon
Koh Phangan is much more than one beach party. The island has yoga and meditation retreats, empty beaches on the north and east coasts, excellent diving at Sail Rock, and a laid-back creative community.
In the same lunar week you can often stack:
- Jungle Experience: ticketed Baan Tai jungle party, usually the night before Full Moon
- Full Moon: Haad Rin beach (this page)
- Halfmoon Festival: ticketed Baan Tai event (Harmony Beach Club by day, Magic Forest by night) on the organiser’s bi-weekly calendar
If you’re planning more than just the party, check out our things to do in Koh Phangan guide and browse Koh Phangan accommodation. The island is worth at least 3-4 days beyond the party night.
