I live in Japan and one of the most commonly heard stated benefits of living in Japan for an ex-pat is the fact that you can take your holidays in Thailand. My wife and I have been doing just that for over 10 years. Each trip to Thailand we try and check out a new beach. This year we decided to give Haad Rin in Koh Phangan a go.
The choice of Haad Rin came about because a friend of ours was going to be in Thailand at the same time and he was keen to go to the Full Moon Party.
After an overnight bus journey from Bangkok followed by 2 hours on a ferry we got to Thongsala in Koh Phangan. Most of the taxis were going to Haad Rin. I had read that it was the most popular tourist place on the island and this was quickly confirmed when we arrived in Haad Rin. The small town was bustling with people. The streets were lined with bars, restaurants and shops. There is a strong commercial feel to Haad Rin compared to the other beaches we’ve visited in Koh Phangan which tend to be just a small collection of bungalow resorts and a couple of shops.
Because it was nearing the full moon we had problems finding a place to stay. Everywhere on Haad Rin Nok beach was full. Eventually, we found a hotel near the quieter Haad Rin Nai beach called Phanganburi Resort and Spa. We got the cheapest bungalow but were still shocked that it cost $125 a night. We were used to paying no more than $30 for bungalows in Koh Phangan.
The main beach at Haad Rin was good. It had soft sand and the swimming was good. The beach tended to get busy in the afternoon. By early evening one of the bars would fire up their sound system to draw the full moon crowds.
The same was the case in the town. There were lots of places offering DJ music, pizzas and happy hours to get the punters in. Despite the wide selection of restaurants in Haad Rin we didn’t find a place that was particularly memorable.
On the night of the party our friend arrived. He couldn’t get a place to stay for love nor money. In the end he just left his stuff in our bungalow and the 3 of us went to the party.
I thought I would hate the Full Moon Party but I ended up quite enjoying it. We found a place playing drum and bass and we stayed there most of the night. It was amusing watching the never ending parade of fluorescent painted bodies dancing, drinking and passing put on the sand. It was hedonistic to say the least.
The next day we checked out and had an argument about ‘minimum stay requirement’. In the end we bargained them down to half the price. The 3 of us took a boat up to Than Sadet and spent a blissful week on a virtually deserted beach. The bungalow was $30 a night.
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