Okay- we need to talk about something that many of you have heard about, but have never seen. It’s like, the unicorn of parties. We’re talking about the epic, raging, all night long Koh Phangan Full Moon Party. This huge nightlong party happens on a beautiful beach on the island Koh Phangan. The Full Moon Party is world-famous- we’re talking thousands of people descending on one beach to get crazy, all by the light of the moon. If that doesn’t float your boat, you probably need to get your boat checked out by a doctor.
Sit down kids, time for a quick history lesson. The Full Moon Party has been a rite of passage and hell of a party for backpackers in Thailand ever since 1985. Back then, it was a party hosted by a business to thank their group of about 30 travellers. Now, anywhere from 5-30 THOUSAND people show up to turn up while a full moon rises overhead. So now you know how this party got started, it is now time to teach you how to survive a Full Moon Party.
Now, young grasshopper, if you have never been to a raging all night beach party, there are some things you need to know so you can outwit, outlast, and outdrink your backpacking friends.
1. Eat a big delicious Thai meal before the party. Legit, this will save you at like 11 pm when your friends that didn’t eat are dropping like flies. You’ll keep up your energy level and also won’t be starving as the night gets wild.
2. Bring some cash, but not a bunch. You’re going to want to keep the drinks flowing, so bring as much as you want to spend in the night, not a whole stack of bills.
3. Paint yourself. Yeah, you read right. Full Moon Party is all about getting decked out in neon paint and drinking buckets with all the other shitfaced painted partiers.
4. Pace yourself and drink water. You’re all like “Okay, MOM” but seriously. If you don’t do these two crucial, life-saving things you will burn out before the real party even begins. Remember, we go all night ‘til the sun comes up so you want to survive the whole night.
5. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. By this, we mean make sure all important documents and items are safely stored and not on your person. You might lose some shit at this party, don’t let it be something you can’t travel without. This also means to keep an eye on your drinks and don’t share with randoms. Everyone’s there to have a good time, but with thousands of people, you should keep a note of where all of your important shit is.
6. Pro-tip: don’t pass out on the beach, especially when it’s low tide. Drinking and dancing your face off all night means you might be looking to crash for a quick catnap. Or you’ve full on blacked out. Either way, don’t do it on the beach near water, because when that tide comes back in, you’ll be the asshole who gets awoken by a wave to the face.
7. Don’t be trashy. By this, we mean don’t just throw your garbage around on the beach. We are lucky to get to enjoy the beauty of the beaches and Thailand’s islands, so be a respectful traveller.
So yeah, some shit got real with those tips, and we had to give a bit of sage Mom advice, but if you want to get the most of this party and have stories to tell for the rest of your life, follow this advice. Honestly, the Full Moon Party will likely be one of the best, most crazy, wild, raging, raving, lit nights of your life, and we can’t wait for you to join us for the next one. Seriously, what are you waiting for?! Get signed up for any of our Lost Beaches adventure travel and backpacking tours in Thailand today- you do not want to miss out on this.