Thailand Full Moon Party 2025 Dates

Thailand is one destination that you definitely don’t want to miss from your Asia travel itinerary.

From soaking up the rays with a Pina Colada on the beaches of Phuket, trekking through the mountainous region of Chiang Mai, to bartering in the bustling Bangkok markets, there are so many amazing things to do. And one thing you definitely can’t miss off your itinerary is partying hard at the Full Moon Party.

Check out our essential guide to the amazing Full Moon Party in Thailand which is jam-packed full of all the information you need to know before you go. Find out when to go, where to stay, top things to do and what to expect from this world famous legendary event.

What is the Full Moon Party

Full moons are events that have mystified the human race for millennia. Only recently did we discover that the reason they occur is to summon backpackers from around the world to come for an epic beachside rave. Excellent.

The original and biggest (over 20,000 people) party is on Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin Beach in Thailand. Parties occur once every full moon, every half moon and on New Years Eve there is the Countdown Party. The parties are a mass of beach clubs, buckets of questionable alcohol, young adults in fluoro singlets, flaming skipping ropes and absolutely rad times.

The Thailand Full Moon Party is legendary, and will appeal to anyone whether you are a party animal or not. This is a world event like Carnival in Brazil that you have to experience at least once in your life.

Koh Phangan is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, with scenic white sandy beaches, seafront accommodation and relaxation. But once a month it hosts the incredible world famous beach party with drinks, entertainment and music all night long.

The party is wild, with a lot of participants opting to wear white clothing and staying up all night drinking and partying.

Where is the Full Moon Party

The Full Moon Party is held on Haad Rin beach on the party island of Koh Phangan in southern Thailand. This is one of the most popular islands in Thailand with beautiful beaches, budget hostels and luxury resorts and lots of activities from water sports to climbing and trekking.

Is it Easy to Get There?

Getting to the Full Moon Party can definitely be a challenge and will involve some form of boat (pack the seasickness tablets, you won’t regret it). To get to Koh Phangan you can fly to Koh Samui and catch a boat to the island, or catch an overnight bus/train to a port town and then ferry from the mainland.

Getting to the Full Moon Party solo is possible, even if you don’t speak Thai. If you are arriving from overseas you will probably fly into the Thai capital of Bangkok (find cheap flights on Skyscanner). Spend a couple of nights in Bangkok to explore the temples, floating markets and the famous traveler hub of Koh San Road.

Then take the overnight bus or train south, these can be booked online or at travel agents in Bangkok. Head straight to the Full Moon Party and be sure to plan your itinerary to include spending time hoping between the beautiful beaches of the south.

Official Full Moon Party Dates 2025

Here are the official monthly dates for 2025.

• 13 January 2025 (Monday)
• 13 February 2025 (Thursday)
• 13 March 2025 (Thursday)
• 12 April 2025 (Saturday)
• 12 May 2025 (Monday)
• 10 June 2025 (Tuesday)
• 12 July 2025 (Saturday)
• 9 August 2025 (Saturday)
• 7 September 2025 (Sunday)
• 8 October 2025 (Wednesday)
• 5 November 2025 (Wednesday)
• 5 December 2025 (Friday)
• 31 December 2025 (Wednesday) (Special New Years Eve 2026 Countdown Party)

Best Places to Stay

If you choose to stay on Koh Phangan, accommodation can get really expensive around Full Moon times and the properties will often need to be booked for a minimum stay of 5-6 nights. Hotels and hostels get booked up weeks/months ahead, so get yours sorted in-advance by searching places to stay on Booking.com.

Staying on Haad Rin beach is recommended but this is also more expensive than staying further inland or up/down the coast. Don’t worry about being too far away and most accommodation offer free transport to the Full Moon Party, whilst there are also lots of taxis and mopeds.

You could also opt to stay on nearby Koh Samui (around twenty minutes’ by boat to Koh Phangan) and you’ll find Samui to have more activities and less ‘party’ atmosphere which is relaxing. For the Full Moon nights you will have to catch either a speed boat or a ferry across to the island. The speed boats are fast but frightening in the dark swell with crazy drivers, and will cost around $40 for a return ticket. Research the company you choose because some of them are incredibly dodgy and unreliable. Ferries are slower, drop you further away and don’t run at night, but would be a safer option if you plan your journey to leave in the evening and return after dawn.

Full Moon Party Tours

Do you want to have the most fun possible and party with others? Book a party tour!

These trips are recommended if you are travelling solo or just want to meet others and enjoy really memorable experience. Most trips include sightseeing, activities, accommodation and transport.

You’ll get taken to the best locations and not have the hassle of having to worry about anything – just relax and enjoy some of the highlights of Thailand.

Important Things to Know Before You Go

Atmosphere

Considering the amount of people, general lack of health and safety, and quantity of alcohol consumed, you might expect a bit of a blood bath and bad vibes. In fact, you will likely find the atmosphere to be pretty friendly. People make a lot of effort to get to the party and won’t letting anybody get them down. If you are got lucky you will not see any fights and the only injuries you might see are self-inflicted from the burning skipping rope of drunken overconfidence.

Food and Drink

Drinks are extremely cheap, especially buckets which come in at $6 for a bottle of spirit and mixer (and a coloured plastic bucket so you can make sandcastles, obviously). However these concoctions come with their risks such as spiking and the fact that the energy drinks contain ephedrine which masks the effects of alcohol until you’re flat on your face and wondering what happened.

You can also buy drinks from the many convenience stores. These are just as cheap and reduce the chances of any nasty added extra substances that could ruin the night. As for food, there are many vendors and restaurants along the streets running nearby to the beach to help with your midnight munchies. There is a range of prices and cuisines, but cheap noodles and rice are easy to find no matter what your state of disorientation.

Language

Before arriving in Thailand you might want to learn some basic Thai travel phrases, although in the tourist areas most people speak basic English.

Common Courtesies

Do not litter. The aftermath of the Full Moon Parties is pretty bad and rubbish is left all over the beach. If you have an empty can just chuck it in the bin, it’s not hard and it will save the environment, your feet, and the people that have to clean up (and might not be paid to do so).

Leave the bad vibes at home. This is an amazing night and probably one of the best parties in the world so there is no need to ruin your night and the night of other travellers by acting out.

Help out others. If you see someone struggling, offer to help them out because it can be super scary being in a foreign country and not doing so well.

Do not condescend locals. People work at stalls, shops and clubs at these parties and have to put up with lots of people just being plain rude. Say your pleases and thank yous, and remember that people are just doing their job.

Safety

The beach very quickly becomes littered with rubbish and beer bottles that sometimes smash, so wearing shoes on the beaches is important to prevent any cuts and injuries.

Keep track of your drinks and make sure you either buy them unopened or watch them being poured. Do not accept drinks from other people because this could end your night terribly. This party is an absolute marathon so make sure you cross the finish line by not going too hard, too fast.

Valuables can get stolen, lost or fall in the ocean, so only bring the minimum and keep it somewhere safe.

The flaming skipping rope… What can we even say about that? It is literally a skipping rope saturated in petrol and set alight. We are not sure why people would do this, and you probably shouldn’t because burns are serious injuries and the risk of infection is very high. It is better to sit and watch others make this mistake.

So, is the Full Moon Party Worth it?

Full Moon Parties live up to expectations and they are legendary for a reason. A total display of hedonism, if you get amongst the party atmosphere it can be really good fun. If you are in Thailand around the Full Moon we would definitely recommend giving it a go.

Get your full moon on. Check out our small group adventure trips in Asia.

Explore More of Thailand

Why not combine the Full Moon Party with seeing more of this amazing country?!

Whether your vice is shopping, partying, sunbathing, the outdoors, eating or site seeing you’ll be able to indulge yourself in Thailand – and at a price which is very easy on the pocket.

If this is your first time in Southeast Asia you must try to visit more places like Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

You might like to view our Thailand gap year trips where you can visit multiple destinations as part of the same trip. See the highlights of Thailand, make friends, enjoy epic memories, volunteer with elephants, go in search of the most beautiful beach and take in the Full Moon Party.

From the southern Thai islands you could head up to Chiang Mai for a trek through the jungle, spend time volunteering or visit the character filled town of Pai for a couple more days.