Wondering where to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party?
In this article, we cover everything you know about the best area to stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party.
Three days before the party takes place at Haadrin Beach, the island is starting to get completely full.
Many hotels demand you stay at least three days as many depend mostly on that event that takes place once a month.
Being on time also guarantees you have a room as the Full Moon Party attracts a crazy amount of party-minded travellers.
In fact, there are plenty of tourists who can’t find accommodation and often party until the early morning and catch the ferry to the other islands.
So, make sure to book in advance.
With that being said, let’s jump straight to our recommendations.
Where to stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party? Keep reading!
The days before the Full Moon Party, there are several other parties held on the island to entertain the early birds.
These parties include pool parties, the Jungle Experience and the Waterfall Party.
For those who can’t make it to the Full Moon Party, there is also a Half Moon Party available, which takes place between Haad Rin Beach and Haad Baan Tai Beach.
At the bottom of this article, we will recommend the best area to stay in Koh Phangan for the Half Moon Party.
This article is divided into different sections. You can navigate straight to each section by tapping on one of the following green links.
- Best areas to stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party
- Recommended party hostels
- Best area to stay in Koh Phangan for the Half Moon Party
- Noteworthy parties in Koh Phangan
- When is the next Full Moon Party
- Map of the best areas in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party
1. What are the best areas to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party?
The best areas to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party are Haad Rin Beach, Rin Nai Beach and Haad Baan Tai Beach.
The further you stay away from Haad Rin Beach, which is the beach where the Full Moon Party takes place, the more options you will have as most travellers want to stay as close to Haad Rin Beach as possible.
During the Full Moon Party, there are many pick-up trucks and songtaews that bring the party-goers to the beach, which causes some traffic jams on the island.
When staying at Haad Rin Beach, you don’t have this problem.
In the next paragraphs, we discuss other recommended areas to stay at Koh Phangan during the Full Moon Party.
Koh Phangan is mainly known for the Full Moon Party but is a beautiful island too with an amazing laid-back vibe.
Best areas to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party:
a. Haad Rin Beach & Rin Nai Beach
As the Full Moon Party takes place at Haad Rin Beach, there is no better area to stay than near the party scene itself.
During the Full Moon Party, everyone is heading to this beach.
You have to take a ride in a so-called songtaew, which is a form of transportation, or a pickup truck to get from your hotel to the beach.
These trucks are expensive and as the whole island is going to the Full Moon Party, you can imagine that it takes a while to get to the party.
When you’re staying at Haad Rin, you don’t have this problem.
The downside of course is that this is by far the most popular area to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party so many hotels are quickly sold out and the price for a room is much higher compared to other parts of the island.
But then again, you do get front-row seats.
Note: Under Haad Rin Beach is Rin Nai Beach, which is basically the same area. The good thing about Rin Nai Beach is that the incoming traffic to the Full Moon Party won’t come through this part.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party are visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
b. Haad Baan Tai Beach & Tong Sala Beach
During the Full Moon Party, the majority of the visitors of Koh Phangan mainly come to the party.
Sightseeing is often skipped as hangovers are forcing tourists to stay in bed until the afternoon and end up chilling at the beach for the rest of the day.
Haad Baan Tai Beach and Tong Sala Beach have more facilities than Haad Rin Beach, which makes them ideal for those who are not planning to explore the island but stay in this area during their short stay.
There are several markets nearby including a night market where you can score inexpensive tasty street food.
You are also located near the areas where Waterfall Party and the other parties are being held, which take place the days before the Full Moon Party.
In the end, Haad Rin Beach is a better option, but Haad Baan Tai beach & Tong Sala Beach are still recommended and located not that far from the actual party.
Some of the best hotels to stay in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party are visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
Once you go further away from the recommended areas listed above, you will have to travel for quite some time during the Full Moon Party itself as described in the introduction.
We would not recommend staying further than Tong Sala Beach unless you have no other choice.
But if you do stay further, the areas are much quieter and you are also located closer to the better beach options on the island.
For those who want to explore the island as well, this might be a good alternative.
Don’t forget to visit Bottle Beach as it’s among the most beautiful beaches Thailand has to offer.
2. Recommended party hostels on Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party
Koh Phangan is an amazing place to meet fellow travellers and one of the best places to meet others is at hostels, which are also budget-friendly.
Some of the best party hostels in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party are visually listed below:
Agoda is part of Booking.com, and often offers significantly cheaper options compared to its competitors. You’ll get the same service that you are used to at Booking.com, but you simply pay less.
3. Best areas in Koh Phangan for the Half Moon Party
The Half Moon Party takes place near Haad Baan Tai Beach and Tong Sala Beach. So, these are the best areas to stay in.
Alternatively, you can stay at Haad Rin Beach and Rin Nai Beach as well.
In other words, when it comes to the Half Moon Party, the recommended areas are flipped compared to the Full Moon Party.
The Half Moon Party takes place one week before and one week after the Full Moon Party.
The location of where the Half Moon Party takes place is shown on the map at the bottom of this article.
For the actual dates of the Half Moon Party, check the Official website of the Half Moon Party.
4. Noteworthy parties on Koh Phangan
There are two noteworthy parties on Koh Phangan days before the Full Moon Party which are highly recommended to join.
Jungle Experience
The Jungle is a party that’s being held in the “jungle” of Koh Phangan and is known for its Carnaval-themed atmosphere. The party starts at 10 PM and basically continues until the last man stands. On the official website of the Jungle Experience, you can find more information about the tickets, location and dates.
Most important to know: it’s being held the days before the Full Moon Party.
Party until the last man stands. The Jungle Party is WILD!
Waterfall Party
Compared to the previously recommended Jungle Experience, the Waterfall Party is more relaxed and laid-back, although you can enjoy a decent party. It’s not as massive, not as wild, but more of a gathering and here you can easily meet some fellow party-minded travellers and join together when the biggest party of the island takes place: the Full Moon Party. On the official website of the Waterfall Party, you can find more information about the tickets, location and dates.
Most important to know: it’s being held the days before the Full Moon Party.
The more laid-back party is the Waterfall Party in Koh Phangan.
5. When is the next Full Moon Party?
| Month | Date | Recommended arrival on Koh Phangan |
|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | 25th | 22nd – 23rd |
| February 2024 | 25th | 22nd – 23rd |
| March 2024 | 24th | 21st – 22nd |
| April 2024 | 23rd | 20th – 21st |
| May 2024 | 23rd | 20th – 21st |
| June 2024 | 21st | 18th – 19th |
| July 2024 | 22nd | 19th – 20th |
| August 2024 | 19th | 16th – 17th |
| September 2024 | 17th | 14th – 15th |
| November 2024 | 15th | 12th – 13th |
| December 2024 | 15th | 12th – 13th |
| December 2024 (New Year) | Saturday 31st | Extremely busy as two Full Moon Parties within a short time period. |
Are you ready for one of Thailand’s most crazy parties?
6. Map of best areas in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party
There you have it, our recommendations to your question about where to stay in Koh Phangan for Full Moon Party. If you’re interested in more party destinations in Thailand, have a look at one of the following recommended articles.
Relevant party articles in Thailand:
Where to stay in Bangkok for nightlife?
Where to stay in Koh Samui for nightlife?
Where to stay in Pattaya for nightlife?