Full Moon Party Thailand 2026 Guide: Dates, Tickets, Beaches, Survival Tips & What Nobody Tells You

The first thing you notice isn’t the music. It’s the glow. Fluorescent paint streaked across strangers’ faces. Fire ropes spinning inches from your feet. Buckets clinking with ice. The ocean looks black and endless behind the stage lights, waves rolling in and out between the crowds. Somewhere around midnight, Haad Rin Beach stops being just a beach and turns into a moving city of 15,000 to 30,000 people dancing under a perfectly round moon. You walk a few steps and the music changes, another few steps and you meet new people, and before you realize it, hours have passed without anyone checking the time.

By early morning the pace softens. Some people sit along the shoreline watching the sky slowly brighten, others hunt for street food or coconuts from small stalls opening nearby. Shoes are carried in hand, conversations get quieter, and the same beach that felt chaotic at midnight starts to feel calm again as the sunrise spreads across the water.

What Is the Full Moon Party?

The Full Moon Party is a monthly beach gathering held on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand. What started decades ago as a small backpacker celebration has grown into one of the most well-known travel experiences in Southeast Asia. Instead of a single stage or organized festival layout, the party stretches across the entire beach, with bars setting up their own speakers, DJs, and dance areas.

Why Do Travelers Plan Around It?

Many visitors build their Thailand itinerary around this one night. The atmosphere is very different from normal nightlife. You are not inside a club or bar. You are outdoors, barefoot on the sand, moving between music zones, meeting people from different countries, and watching the night slowly turn into sunrise by the ocean. The experience is social as much as it is about music, which is why solo travelers and backpackers often prioritize it.

General Things to Know

• The party happens once every month on the full moon night.
• Location is always Haad Rin Sunrise Beach, Koh Phangan
• Entry is paid at the beach gate in cash.
• Accommodation fills up quickly around the dates.
• Ferries operate all day but become crowded before and after the event.

Full Moon Party Thailand 2026 Dates (Koh Phangan)

The party happens every month on the night of the full moon at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan.

Best months overall: February, March, and November (perfect weather + manageable crowds.)

Where Exactly It Happens (and Why It Matters?)

The party is not all over Koh Phangan.

It is specifically on Haad Rin Beach (Sunrise Beach) on the southern tip of the island.

Two areas matter:

Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach)

Main stages, EDM, fire shows, DJs, crowds, chaos.

Haad Rin Nai (Sunset Beach)

Quiet, chill bars, people recovering, sunrise watchers.

If you accidentally book accommodation on the north side of the island, you’ll spend 1-2 hours in taxis at 5AM trying to get back.

Entry Tickets & Real Costs

Entry fee is simple:

100 THB (≈ €2.70) paid at the beach entrance.

But the real budget looks like this:

Average 2-night trip cost: €120–€250 per person (excluding flights.)

How to Reach Koh Phangan?

There is no airport on the island, this confuses many travelers.

You must arrive via ferry.

Step-by-step route:

1. Fly into Koh Samui OR Surat Thani
2. Take a ferry (30–90 min)
3. Taxi to Haad Rin (20 min)

Easiest route: Bangkok → Koh Samui flight → ferry → party

Cheapest route: Bangkok → Surat Thani train → ferry → party

Best Beaches During Full Moon (Choose Carefully)

Haad Rin (Party Beach)

The event location. Loud until sunrise. Sleep is impossible.

Baan Tai

Best balance, 10 minutes away but still lively.

Thong Sala

Budget travelers & food options.

Haad Yao / Srithanu

Yoga cafés, digital nomads, peaceful mornings.

Pro tip: Most experienced travelers stay in Baan Tai and taxi to the party.

What Actually Happens During the Night

Here’s the real timeline:

6 PM – Body paint stalls open.
8 PM – Bars start filling.
10 PM – Fire shows begin.
Midnight – Beach is fully packed.
2 AM – Peak dancing hours.
4 AM – People swimming & sunrise crowd.
6 AM – Quiet conversations and street food.

The party is not a single stage; it’s a 1-kilometer stretch of multiple music zones (EDM, techno, house, hip-hop, reggae).

Staying Connected (you will 100% need internet)

You won’t expect this, but the biggest difficulty on party night is finding your friends again.

There are no street names, landmarks look identical at night, and taxis leave from different roads.

This is where travelers quickly realize roaming fails on Thai islands.

Many visitors now activate an eSIM for Thailand before landing, so they have data immediately at the pier and during the party.

Meet Voye Global

You’ll notice a funny pattern: everyone at 3 AM is asking one question, “Can you hotspot me for a second?”

Travelers increasingly set up their plan beforehand using Voye Global.

Why Travelers Choose Voye Global?

Instead of searching for a local SIM store after a long flight or relying on unreliable public Wi-Fi, your phone works from the moment you land. Choosing an eSIM provider, Voye Global, means maps load at the ferry pier, taxis can be booked after sunrise, and you can message friends if you get separated on the beach, keeping the trip focused on the Full Moon Party rather than connectivity problems.

What makes travelers trust it:

• Provides International eSIM plans in 160+ destinations.
• Activate before travel and get internet as soon as you land.
• No need to search for a SIM card at the airport.
• Quick QR code setup on your phone.
• Keeps your regular number active while using data.
• Support available if activation problems happen.
• Makes ride apps, maps, and translations work instantly in Thailand

It simply removes the first day confusion so you can start your trip smoothly.

Why do travelers prefer an eSIM provider?

• Google Maps works on jungle roads.
• Grab taxis can be booked after sunrise.
• You can locate your hotel.
• WhatsApp location sharing saves hours.
• Translation apps help with taxis.

Quietly, this becomes one of the most useful travel decisions you make in Koh Phangan.

What to Pack? (Most People Get This Wrong)

Bring

• Flip flops (not shoes.)
• Small waterproof pouch.
• Cash only (cards rarely accepted.)
• Portable charger.
• Lightweight clothes.
• Electrolyte sachets.

Do NOT bring

• Passport.
• Expensive phones without waterproof case.
• Jewelry.
• Bags you care about.

Safety & Survival Tips

The party is fun, but it is still a massive uncontrolled beach gathering.

Important rules

1. Never accept pre-opened drinks
Bucket tampering occasionally happens.

2. Avoid the fire rope jump
The burns you see on travelers’ legs? This is why.

3. Agree on a meeting point
Pick a specific bar sign before the night starts.

4. Wear footwear
Broken glass on sand after midnight is common.

5. Don’t swim late at night
Strong currents + darkness = risky.

First-Timer Mistakes Everyone Makes

• Booking hotel on the opposite side of island.
• Arriving same day as party (ferries sell out.)
• Bringing suitcase to Haad Rin streets.
• Forgetting cash (ATMs run empty).
• Thinking it’s only a 3-hour party, it lasts all night.

When to Arrive & Leave

Arrive: 2 days before.
Stay after: 1 recovery day minimum.

The morning after is half the experience, beach cafés, coconuts, and people retelling ridiculous stories from the night.

Somewhere Between Sunset and Sunrise, Thailand Happens

The Full Moon Party isn’t just nightlife.

It’s a strange mix of festival, beach holiday, backpacker reunion, and travel milestone. You meet people you’ll continue seeing across Thailand, Chiang Mai, Phi Phi, and Krabi, because everyone ends up following the same route afterward.

Plan properly, stay nearby, keep internet access, and pace your night.

If you do it right, it won’t just be a party night.

It becomes the night you remember most from Thailand.

Frequently Asked Questions about Full Moon Party Thailand 2026

1. When is the Full Moon Party in Thailand 2026?

It takes place every month on the night of the full moon at Haad Rin Beach, Koh Phangan. The biggest one is the New Year’s Eve party on 31 December 2026.

2. Do I need to buy tickets in advance?

No. You pay the entrance fee (around 100 THB) directly at the beach gate on arrival.

3. How many days should I stay in Koh Phangan?

Arrive at least 2 days before and stay 1 day after the party. Ferries and hotels get full quickly, and leaving the next morning is stressful.

4. Where should I stay for the party?

Most travelers stay in Baan Tai. It’s close enough to Haad Rin for taxis but far enough to sleep properly.

5. Can I go alone?

Absolutely. Many solo travelers attend. You’ll meet people easily, hostels and pre-parties make it very social.

6. Is there Wi-Fi at the beach?

Not reliably. Mobile data works much better, especially late at night when cafés close.

7. Do I need internet on Koh Phangan?

Very helpful. You’ll use maps to find your hotel, contact taxis, and share locations with friends in the crowd.

8. How does a Voye Global eSIM help during the Full Moon Party?

A Voye Global eSIM gives you mobile data as soon as you land in Thailand. You can navigate to the ferry, message friends if you get separated, and book transport after sunrise without hunting for a SIM shop.

9. Will my phone support an eSIM?

Most modern phones (recent iPhones, Samsung Galaxy S/Flip/Fold, Google Pixel models) support eSIM. Just check your device settings under “Mobile Network” or “Cellular”.