Black Moon Party

[Beer Chang]

Last night I went to the Black Moon Party on the beach at Mac's in Ban Tai on Ko PhanGan.

It's an all night rave held on the darkest night of the year. Techno music, 500 baht admission includes one drink, decorated to be a very trippy scene.

Much smaller than the Full Moon Party over in Had Rin.

I was alone and quite a bit older than everyone so it wasn't the best party for me. But I would have had a great time with a group of friends.

Went at 1AM and was quite crowded. Left to go elsewhere at 2AM but went back at 5AM and there was plenty of people still there.

Well behaved crowd except for the guys urinating in the Gulf of Thailand.

It's pretty easy to get there if you're staying northwest by motobike but if staying in Had Rin better to take a songtaew as the roads are too hilly for a motobike at night if drinking.

[Thaimo]

Their Full Moon parties are famous in Thailand. Have you experienced any there? If yes, what can you tell us?

[Beer Chang]

I was at one about five years ago, we came over from Samui on a speedboat for the night. But my friend didn't like crowds so was not at the party for too long. I would say about 10,000 people on the little beach

Unlike the Black Moon Party, the Full Moon Party is free. I might check it out on the 30th if I'm still on KPG but I'll have to take a special songthew as I'm not comfortable taking my motobike on the mountainess road from Ban Tai to Had Rin. Lots of farangs come back in bodybags from that road.

Bottom line it's a can't miss event for backpackers and ravers.

[Beer Chang]

Their Full Moon parties are famous in Thailand. Have you experienced any there? If yes, what can you tell us?

I left KPG the night before the Full Moon Party but I went to Had Rin the night before and there were lots of people partying on the beach at midnite.

First off, if you are not staying in Had Rin don't drive your motorbike there. The hills leading to Had Rin are VERY dangerous and should not be attempted at night, when drinking, when raining, or if you don't drive a motorbike in your home country. However, motobikes are a grerat way to get around the west side of the island as long as your nort of the Had Rin hills.

Anywho the night before the beach was crowded with farngs jumping thru fireropes, drinking SangSom buckets, and having a good ole time. But it's a young backpacker and flashpacker crowd.

I found most of the Thais outside HadRin to be extremely friendly but the locals in Had Rin were not and often looked like thugs. Guess they're tired of the drunk and cheap farangs.

Think KPG outside HadRin is a great place to relax but the downside is that on most beaches you need to walk out a couple hundred yards to get to deep swimable water.

I suspect there is a correlation between farang who like Songkran and farang that enjoy the extremely crowded Full Moon party. Don't go barefoot because of broken glass and beware of pickpockets because seconds after pickpocketing one can disappear into the crowd.