Koh Phangan Full Moon Party Thailand Dates 2026 and 2027

Thailand’s Full Moon Party is still going strong every month on Koh Phangan island. Check dates of forthcoming Full Moon Parties for 2026 and 2027 and get tips on where to stay and how to get to Koh Phangan

If you like to party, Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party is one of the world’s great bucket-list experiences — 30,000 people on an 800-metre beach, a dozen sound systems, fire dancers, UV paint, and enough energy to keep you going until sunrise. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to come to the Full Moon Party in 2026 and 2027.

📅 Full Moon Party Dates 2026

Good news for 2026: a change in Thai law means all Full Moon Parties are now held on the actual night of the full moon, rather than being shifted a day or two around Buddhist holidays as was previously the case. The only exception is the New Year’s Eve party, which always falls on December 31st regardless of the lunar calendar.

Note: Dates are confirmed by the Haad Rin Business Association. Always double-check closer to the time as occasional changes can occur due to unexpected public holidays.

📅 Full Moon Party Dates 2027

The 2027 dates below are based on the lunar calendar. The Haad Rin Business Association typically confirms the official schedule closer to mid-year, so check back if you’re planning a trip for the second half of 2027 — occasional adjustments do happen.

🚢 How To Get To Koh Phangan

There’s no airport on Koh Phangan, so everyone arrives by sea. The island is in the Gulf of Thailand, south of Bangkok, and there are several ways to get there depending on your budget, time and starting point. Here’s a breakdown of every realistic option.

✈️🚤 Option 1: Fly to Koh Samui, then Ferry to Koh Phangan

Best for: Speed and comfort. This is the quickest door-to-door option.
Total journey time: Around 3–4 hours from Bangkok including check-in
Cost: Higher (Bangkok–Samui flights run $60–150+, plus ferry ~$10–15)

Bangkok Airways operates most flights into Koh Samui Airport (USM) — it’s a private airport and tickets are pricier than low-cost carriers, but the experience is smooth. From Samui, regular ferries and high-speed catamarans run to Koh Phangan all day. The crossing takes 20–30 minutes by speedboat or around 45–60 minutes by regular ferry.

✈️🚤 Option 2: Fly to Surat Thani, then Ferry to Koh Phangan

Best for: Saving money on flights.
Total journey time: Around 4–5 hours from Bangkok including transfers
Cost: Lower — AirAsia and other LCCs fly Bangkok–Surat Thani from $25–60, plus ferry ~$15–20

Surat Thani Airport (URT) is served by AirAsia, Nok Air and Thai Lion Air at much lower prices than Koh Samui. The catch is that you then need to get from the airport to Donsak Pier (around 45–60 minutes by minibus or taxi), and then take the ferry across to Koh Phangan, which takes about 2–2.5 hours. Total travel is longer than the Samui route, but the savings on flights can be significant — especially if you’re a group.

🚌🚤 Option 3: Overnight Bus + Ferry from Bangkok

Best for: Budget travellers who don’t mind the journey.
Total journey time: 12–14 hours overnight
Cost: $20–35 all-in for bus + ferry combined ticket

You can buy combination bus-and-ferry tickets from Bangkok’s Khao San Road to Koh Phangan or Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal to Koh Phangan to take you overnight to the Surat Thani ferry terminal, with the transfer between bus and ferry handled for you. You wake up at the pier and board the morning ferry to Koh Phangan. It’s a long journey but you save a night’s accommodation, and the combined tickets are genuinely well-organised.

The overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani followed by the morning ferry is another option if you like trains — a soft sleeper berth is comfortable and scenic. It’s slower than flying but a much better night’s sleep than the bus. Check train + ferry options on 12Go →

🏨🚤 Option 4: Stay on Koh Samui, Speedboat to the Party

Best for: People based on Koh Samui who want the Full Moon Party experience without staying on Phangan.
Total journey time: 20–30 minutes each way
Cost: $30–50 for a return speedboat transfer including the return trip at ~2–4am

If you’re already on Koh Samui — or prefer its wider range of hotels — you can do the Full Moon Party as a night trip. Speedboats depart Samui in the evening, drop you at Haad Rin, party, and return in the early hours. It’s popular and well-organised, but be aware the pier gets extremely crowded at the end of the night and the return leg can be choppy in rougher sea conditions.

🏨 Where To Stay For The Full Moon Party

Accommodation strategy is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for the Full Moon Party. Get it right and you’ll stumble back to your room at sunrise. Get it wrong and you’ll be negotiating a taxi at 6am in the dark.

Stay right on Haad Rin beach (best option)

Being on or within 5 minutes’ walk of Haad Rin beach is the ideal. Paradise Bungalows is the legendary spot where the Full Moon Party was born in 1987 — it’s basic but it sits right on the beach and has serious history. Tommy Resort further up the beach is another solid choice. Both fill up months in advance for party dates.

Check Hotel Availability And Pricing

Destination

Check-in date

Check-out date

Stay elsewhere on Koh Phangan (quieter, cheaper)

If Haad Rin is sold out or over budget, the rest of Koh Phangan has beautiful beaches and much cheaper accommodation. Thong Sala (the main town, about 12km from Haad Rin) has good transport links. You’ll need to arrange a songthaew (shared taxi truck) or motorbike taxi to get to and from the party — budget around 150–250 baht each way, and plan to get back before the post-party taxi scramble. See the Koh Phangan Quick Guide page for a brief rundown of the different areas and attractions of the island.

🌕 Tips To Fully Enjoy The Full Moon Party

👟 Wear proper footwear. Don’t just wear flipflops or go barefoot. There is a lot of trash on the beach as the party progresses – you don’t want to step on broken glass or similar as getting medical help will be time-consuming.

☀️ Wear sunscreen. If you’re planning to hit the beach for sunset, make sure you’ve got sunscreen on before you go — otherwise you’ll be hungover and sunburnt the next day, not a winning combination. Remember it during the day too, especially on ferry journeys if you choose to stay outside on deck.

💧 Stay hydrated. The heat and humidity don’t stop at midnight. The mix of dancing, alcohol and tropical heat is a recipe for feeling rough fast — drink water between rounds.

🦟 Mosquito repellent. Essential at sunset. Apply it before you head out and bring a small bottle. Dengue fever is present on the island year-round.

💊 Seasick tablets. If you’re taking the overnight ferry or even the Samui crossing in rougher weather, pack these. The Gulf of Thailand can get choppy and seasickness is no way to start a party night.

💵 Get enough cash before you leave for the island. ATMs in Haad Rin charge high fees and often run out of cash on party nights. Withdraw before you get on the ferry.

🍆 Bring condoms. If you’re hoping to get lucky.

🚔 Avoid drugs. Plain-clothes police regularly work the Full Moon Party crowd. Penalties in Thailand for drug possession are extremely serious. Also note: vaping is illegal in Thailand. Crazy, but true. You can be arrested and fined for vaping so be aware of who is around you. Cannabis, though no longer fully illegal in Thailand, is still a complex legal area — don’t assume it’s freely available or consequence-free at events.

🌊 Don’t swim in the sea. Bluntly: the water around Haad Rin becomes an open water toilet as the night goes on. Stay out of it.

🧥 Bring a layer for the journey. Air conditioning on Thai planes, buses and ferries is frequently arctic. A light hoodie packs small and will save you on the way there and back.

🎽 Wear something you can lose. UV paint, spilled buckets and general beach carnage mean you probably won’t want to wear your best clothes. The Full Moon Party T-shirts sold on the beach are fine for the occasion.

🌴 What To Do After The Full Moon Party

Koh Phangan is a genuinely beautiful island with a lot more to offer than one famous beach party. Give yourself at least a couple of extra days after the Full Moon Party to actually see the place.

The north and west coasts have gorgeous, quiet beaches — Haad Salad, Haad Yao and Bottle Beach are all worth the trip. The island’s interior has waterfalls and jungle walks. And if you’re still chasing the party vibe, the Half Moon Festival (held twice a month in a jungle clearing) and various pool parties run throughout the month.

After Phangan, the natural next stop is Koh Tao (45 minutes north by high-speed ferry) for some of the best and most accessible scuba diving in Southeast Asia, or Koh Samui (20–30 minutes south) for a more polished beach resort experience. See my quick guides to Koh Tao and Koh Samui to get a sense of each place.

🚀 Full Moon Party Trip Planner