Another Full Moon Party in southern Thailand coming up this LONG weekend
Mark your calendars for another Full Moon Party in Thailand’s south, coming up this Monday, May 16. The Full Moon Party has historically been held on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on the night of, before, or after every full moon, although it was cancelled for 2 years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the party is coming up on Thailand’s public holiday substitution for Visakha Bucha Day (usually an alcohol-free day… cough).
“More than 12 powerful sound systems turn the 800-metre beach into possibly the most popular open-air nightclub in the world once a month, with a lively festival-like atmosphere, great music and huge quantities of alcohol. This one-of-a-kind event is routinely listed on bucket lists as one of the essential experiences in Thailand which absolutely must be seen to be believed.” umetravel.com
The first Full Moon Party on Koh Pha Ngan since the pandemic broke out last month, drawing over 10,000 partiers to the shores of Haad Rin during the Songkran holiday between April 13-17. Ferries departing to the island were fully booked, according to ferry operators, and most of the partiers were foreigners.
The weekend’s party is expected to be slightly smaller than the big, grand reopening during Songkran. The president of Rin Beach tourism operators told The Pattaya News the organisers are expecting 6,000 to 7,000 tourists to join the beach party. He added that this time, the number of tourists will not top 10,000.
The director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Surat Thani office, Nantawan Siripokkapan, told Thai media, however, that there are currently 53,541 tourists visiting Surat Thani altogether. She said 36,721 are Thais, and 16,820 are foreigners.
“Hotels and resorts booking rates are at 39.8% which is about 2.61 days. The total income will be about 484.8 million baht of which 295.3 million baht are from Thai tourists while 189.5 million baht are from foreign tourists.”
Last month, Surat Thani earned an income of 895.7 million baht from 83,000 visitors during Songkran.
Here are the dates for all the parties this year…
- Monday 16 May
- Tuesday 14 June
- Friday 15 July
- Saturday 13 August
- Saturday 10 September
- Tuesday 11 October
- Tuesday 8 November
- Thursday 8 December
Tickets to the party can be bought upon entry for 100 baht each. You might be asked to show your vaccination history, Thailand Pass, or to take an ATK test if you’re not vaccinated. Nanatawan said there are 10-12 flights currently running regularly to Surat Thani. She added that there are 15-17 flights to Koh Samui, and the number of speedboats and ferries from Samui to Koh Pha Ngan has increased.
Watch the video below to see footage of the last Full Moon Party.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
