The Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan is at the top of many young people’s list of ‘must do’ things when they consider their itinerary for a journey to South East Asia. The area is rich in culture and has some of the friendliest people in the world. South East Asia holds Ankor Watt, the Golden Triangle, the Plain of Jars, Bangkok and a superabundance of beautiful natural scenery.
It is thus with a sad fatalism that I speak to 20 somethings starting their tour of S.E Asia and hear them rave with excitement about the prospect of going to the Full Moon Party in Haad Rin.
Yes, I’ve been a couple of times to Asia’s biggest beach party. Normally, I’m dragged along with a group of people keen to experience the crowds and ‘buzz’ of the big event. When you are staying in Koh Phangan unless you stay at one of the remote beaches such as Than Sadet, Haad Khom or Plaay Laem it is hard not to know that a ‘FMP’ is kicking off soon. The whole island seems to brace itself for the invasion of party goers and their cash that the completion of the moon signifies.
In the early days of the Full Moon Party the police largely ignored the event. The crowd at these parties was a good mix of people and the prices for Haad Rin rooms were much more reasonable. With fame comes press attention and inevitably police came from all over Thailand and even the UK to bust hippies on the beach.
Despite the heavy policing of the event all manner of drugs are still taken. Plenty of young people find themselves in a world of expensive trouble because of drug taking at the FMP.
The only constant about the Full Moon Parties has been the music. It remains mostly derivative Goan trance that people in New York and London stopped listening to over a decade ago. Most of the DJs at the Full Moon Party remain a small group of Thais and ex-pats with zero interest in varying the music or getting in big name DJs.
While the FMP is a good night out and a great opportunity to meet new people and go wild on a beach it is not actually a ‘rave’ or music event. It is more an orgy of drunkenness played out to an outdated sound track.
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