Koh Phangan island in Thailand is known for its wild, all-night parties in Thailand. These parties usually start late in the night and go on till sunrise. You’ll be surprised to see places advertising after parties for a party which goes on till 6-7 AM. What began as a monthly held full moon party at the beach, became so popular that now the island witnesses multiple parties around the month. Amongst them, the Full Moon party and the Half Moon party in Thailand attract the most crowd.
Are you headed to Thailand to attend one of these happening parties? Not able to decide, which one is more suited for you? Then this Full Moon Vs Half Moon party guide is for you.
9 differences between the Full moon and half moon party in Thailand :
A) Entry Fee
The full moon party is a free for all event whereas half moon is an organised event and is ticketed. You need to be cautious if someone is trying to sell you Full moon party tickets. In January 2020, the cost of half moon party tickets was 2000 THB per person. This is quite steep for budget travellers. Additionally you have to pay for drinks and food you consume inside the half moon party. Want you know what to expect at the Half Moon Party in Thailand? Read: Things you need to know before going to the Half Moon Party in Thailand.
B) Party Venue
The location for both parties is different. While the Full Moon party in Thailand is held at the Haad Rin beach, the Half Moon party is in the middle of a jungle.
C) Best transport option to reach these parties
Shared taxis are available all night long from both the parties in Koh Phangan. They cost between 100 – 150 THB per person one way. To get shared taxis easily in Koh Phangan island, it is recommended to stay somewhere close to Haad Rin or Thong Sala or Baan Tai. You can effortlessly get a shared taxi for any part of the island, but it would cost slightly more for other locations.
D) Full moon and Half moon party dates 2020
It is easy to figure out Full moon party dates or Half moon party dates. As their respective names suggest, the Full moon party in Koh Phangan is held once every month on a full moon night. The half moon party is held twice a month on half moon nights.
Half Moon Party Koh Phangan 2020 dates:
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- January – 3rd and 17th
- February – 1st and 14th
- March – 1st, 16th and 31st
- April – 12th and 29th
- May – 14th and 29th
- June – 13th and 27th
- July – 12th and 26th
- August – 10th and 25th
- September – 9th and 24th
- October – 9th and 23rd
- November – Closed for renovations
- December – 7th and 21st
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Full Moon Party Koh Phangan 2020 dates:
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- 9th January 2020
- 9th February 2020
- 8th March 2020
- 7th April 2020
- 7th May 2020
- 5th June 2020
- 7th July 2020
- 4th August 2020
- 2nd September 2020
- 3rd October 2020
- 31st October 2020
- 30th November 2020
- 29th December 2020
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E) Overall party vibe
Since Half moon party is a ticketed event, the crowd is slightly filtered. It is not as crazy (in a good way) like the Full Moon party. In our opinion, the Full Moon party is ideal for young people who are in college or are just out of college, have a lot of energy, don’t mind lack of basic infrastructure and want to party cheap, night after night. Whereas the Half Moon party is a comparatively more sophisticated, professionally organised event suitable for everyone.
F) Washrooms and other basic amenities
One of the major differences we felt was not only the presence of washrooms at the half moon party but the presence of clean washrooms at such an event. At the full moon party washrooms barely exist. One needs to use services at the beach bars which are filthy and paid. Not just the washrooms but the whole premise at the half moon party was clean. There were dustbins everywhere. Also, there were designated cleaners who were picking glasses, buckets and other waste left behind by people.
G) Drink at the party
Drinks inside half moon party are all branded. A 50 ml tall drink costs around 200 THB and a potent bucket drink costs 750 THB. At the full moon party lot of vendors sell bucket drinks. Do check check for seals to get genuine drinks.
H) Party surroundings
Since Full moon party is held at the beach one can enter and exit the party multiple times. There are many restaurants selling food and drinks all night and you can also pick drinks from 7/11 stores. This is not possible at the half moon party as it is in a jungle. Once you have entered half moon party you have to rely on food and drinks being sold inside the venue.
I) Narcotics
Another major difference which we felt was that drugs were not as freely available at the Half Moon party like they are at the full moon party.
Full moon party has more crazy stuff. Scenes like drunk people jumping around fire ropes and slides, are missing at the Half Moon party. So the risk of burning yourself or getting drowned after drinking and walking into the sea doesn’t practically exist at the Half Moon party.
Whichever party you attend at Koh Phangan, it would be a lifetime experience. We would highly suggest you stay and explore the Koh Phangan island beyond its parties as well. It is a beautiful island with pristine beaches and overall lazy vibe (which is quite contrary to its party image).
