Full Moon Party 2026: All the Dates, Real Costs, and What to Actually Expect
Complete breakdown of the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan — all 2026 dates, how to get there from Bangkok, what entry and drinks actually cost, where to stay without getting burned by the price surge, and what to pack.
Full Moon Party 2026: All the Dates, Real Costs, and What to Actually Expect
Here's what most people don't realize until they're booking: the Full Moon Party entry fee is ฿200. The accommodation around the Full Moon Party is what destroys your budget.
That fan bungalow near Haad Rin that's ฿600/night normally? It becomes ฿2,000 during party week. And there's usually a minimum 3–5 night stay. So before you've had a single bucket, you've already committed ฿6,000–10,000 just to sleep nearby.
Book early, stay smart, and the Full Moon Party is one of the best-value parties on the planet. Don't, and you'll spend double what you needed to.
Here's everything for 2026.
2026 Full Moon Party Dates
Big change for 2026: Thailand updated alcohol regulations so the party now runs on the actual full moon night. Buddhist holidays no longer cause date shifts. Confirm before booking on fullmoonpartythailand.com — dates very occasionally change with less notice than you'd expect.
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| February 2 | Monday |
| March 3 | Tuesday |
| April 2 | Thursday |
| May 1 | Friday |
| May 31 | Sunday |
| June 29 | Monday |
| July 29 | Wednesday |
| August 28 | Friday |
| September 26 | Saturday |
| October 26 | Monday |
| November 24 | Tuesday |
| December 24 | Thursday |
| December 31 | Thursday — NYE special |
December gets two. The regular Full Moon on the 24th and a New Year's countdown party on the 31st. Expect NYE prices on accommodation for both.
How to Get to Koh Phangan from Bangkok
No direct flights to Koh Phangan. Your options are bus+ferry, train+ferry, or flight to Koh Samui or Surat Thani then ferry. Here's what each actually costs.
Option 1: Bus + Ferry — cheapest
฿650–1,350 ($18–38) total. About 12–14 hours.
The most popular budget route. Overnight bus from Khao San Road or Southern Bus Terminal down to the pier, then a ferry across. You sleep on the bus and arrive in the morning without paying for a night's accommodation.
The Lomprayah combined ticket covers bus + high-speed ferry for around ฿1,350 ($38) and is the most reliable option. Book through 12Go Asia to compare operators and departure times.
Option 2: Train + Ferry — solid overnight option
฿875–1,575 ($25–45) total. About 12–14 hours.
Night train from Krung Thep Aphiwat (Bang Sue) to Surat Thani, then ferry to Koh Phangan. A 2nd class sleeper berth runs ฿750–950 ($21–27) upper or lower bunk. Add ฿200–500 for the ferry connection.
More comfortable than the bus, slightly more expensive. Book train tickets through the State Railway of Thailand or 12Go Asia.
Option 3: Flight + Ferry — fastest
฿2,800–6,500 ($80–186) total. About 3–4 hours.
Two options for the flight leg:
- Fly into Surat Thani (SMI): ฿1,200–2,000 ($34–57) on AirAsia, Nok Air, or Lion Air — then Lomprayah or Raja ferry to Koh Phangan (฿300–600)
- Fly into Koh Samui (USM): ฿2,500–6,000 ($71–171) — Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on this route, which is why it costs so much. Then Haad Rin Queen ferry (฿200) direct to the party beach.
If you're flying, Surat Thani + ferry is the smarter budget move. Samui saves time but you pay for every minute of it.
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Getting from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
Already on Samui, or flying in there? Here's what to take:
| Option | Price | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haad Rin Queen (Big Buddha → Haad Rin direct) | ฿200 ($5.70) | 50–60 min | Best for FMP — drops you at the party beach |
| Regular passenger ferry (Lomprayah/Seatran) | ฿275–500 | 30–60 min | Goes to Thong Sala pier, not Haad Rin |
| Speedboat party transfer (round trip) | ฿1,000–1,400 | ~30 min | Drops you at Haad Rin, picks you up later |
For the Full Moon Party specifically, the Haad Rin Queen is the move. It drops you right where you need to be.
What You'll Actually Spend on the Night
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Entry wristband | ฿200 ($5.70) |
| Bucket (Thai whisky + Coke) — near beach entrance | ฿200–250 |
| Bucket (on the beach) | ฿300–500 |
| Chang / Singha beer | ฿100–150 |
| Water bottle (on beach) | ฿30–50 |
Bucket prices vary by what's in them. Thai whisky + Coke + ice is the cheap end. Vodka + Red Bull pushes toward the top. Three buckets and you're at ฿1,200–1,500 on drinks alone.
A conservative night: ฿1,000–1,500 total ($29–43). A full send with a group: ฿2,500–3,500+ ($71–100).
Heads up: buy water at 7-Eleven in Thong Sala or Haad Rin town before you hit the beach. Same bottle is ฿10 at 7-Eleven vs ฿50 on the sand.
More importantly — ATMs around Haad Rin run out of cash on Full Moon nights. Not occasionally. Every time. Get Thai baht sorted in Thong Sala or on Koh Samui before you arrive. There's no ATM fallback at 1am on party night.
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Accommodation: Where Most People Lose Money
The trap
During Full Moon week, Haad Rin accommodation doubles to quadruples. Most places enforce minimum stays of 3–7 nights. So you're paying inflated rates for multiple nights just to be close to one party.
| Type | Normal price/night | Full Moon week price/night |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | ฿260–450 | ฿700–1,200 |
| Fan bungalow | ฿500–1,000 | ฿1,500–2,500 |
| A/C bungalow | ฿1,000–1,500 | ฿2,500–4,000 |
| Hotel | ฿2,000–3,000 | ฿4,000–8,000+ |
The smarter play
Stay in Baan Tai, Thong Sala, or anywhere outside Haad Rin at normal prices. Take a songthaew or taxi to Haad Rin for the party — ฿150–250 each way. Get there by 10pm, leave whenever you're done. You'll spend less on accommodation for a week than most people spend on 3 nights at an inflated party hostel.
If you want to stay in Haad Rin itself, book 6–8 weeks out minimum. 12 weeks for December and NYE. Places like Slumber Party Hostel and MBar Hostel sell out fast and impose those minimum stays.
Search Haad Rin and Thong Sala options on Agoda — prices update with surge pricing so you'll see exactly what you're dealing with for your dates.
What to Pack
Specific list. This is what actually matters for a Full Moon Party night:
- Old shoes — something you'd be OK throwing away. The beach has broken glass, bottle caps, and debris from 10,000+ people. Cheap canvas shoes from a market work fine.
- Waterproof phone pouch — not optional. Your phone is in your pocket on a packed, wet beach at night. Pick one up at any 7-Eleven or market for ฿60–120.
- Cash — more than you think you'll need. See the ATM warning above.
- UV neon clothes or neon paint — not required, but everyone wears them. Face paint and UV body paint are sold everywhere near Haad Rin for ฿50–150 a tube.
- Small shoulder bag or belt pouch — don't bring anything you can't afford to lose.
- Earplugs — for sleeping before and after. The island gets loud.
- Two water bottles from 7-Eleven — you'll drink both.
Leave at the hotel: your passport (carry a photocopy), your nice camera, any valuables.
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The Things Nobody Tells You
The fire skipping ropes. They look like a good idea from a distance. They cause serious burns every single party. People leave Haad Rin with burn marks on their legs. Skip them.
Don't swim. The beach at night has dangerous currents, it's dark, and the water is packed with people. People drown at the Full Moon Party — not a rumor, it happens with enough regularity that it's the number one safety warning in every serious guide. The water is not for swimming.
Undercover police work the crowd. Thailand's drug laws are not a bluff. Possession carries hard consequences. The "friendly local" offering something is not always what they appear to be.
Spiked drinks are a real risk. Don't leave your bucket unattended. Don't accept drinks from people you just met. Buddy system.
Signal goes dead. 10,000–30,000 people in one area, all on their phones. Agree on a specific meeting spot before you split up — "at the main stage at midnight" not "I'll text you." Texts won't go through.
Total Budget: Three Ways to Do It
These cover a 3-night trip from Bangkok including travel both ways.
Shoestring — ฿5,500–7,500 ($157–214)
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bangkok → Koh Phangan return (overnight bus+ferry both ways) | ฿1,300–2,400 |
| Hostel dorm near Thong Sala, 3 nights | ฿780–1,350 |
| Party night: entry + 2 buckets + water | ฿700–900 |
| Food: street food and market meals | ฿1,200–1,500 |
| Songthaew to/from Haad Rin | ฿300–500 |
Mid-Range — ฿9,000–13,000 ($257–371)
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Surat Thani flight + ferry return | ฿3,000–5,000 |
| Fan bungalow outside Haad Rin, 3 nights | ฿1,500–2,500 |
| Party night: entry + 3–4 buckets + beers | ฿1,200–1,800 |
| Food: mix of street food and restaurants | ฿2,000–2,500 |
| Scooter rental + taxi | ฿700–1,000 |
Comfortable — ฿16,000–22,000 ($457–629)
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Koh Samui flight + ferry return | ฿6,000–9,000 |
| A/C room near Haad Rin, 3 nights | ฿4,500–6,000 |
| Full party night with rounds for the group | ฿3,000–4,000 |
| Good meals + day activities | ฿3,000–4,000 |
The Bottom Line
The Full Moon Party is worth doing once. The actual party costs almost nothing — ฿200 to get in, drinks at night market prices, free beach. The only way it gets expensive is if accommodation eats your budget.
Book early or stay outside Haad Rin. Get cash before the island ATMs run dry. Bring shoes you'll throw away. Don't swim. Everything else you'll figure out.
Planning the full trip around the Full Moon Party? Use the BahtWise trip planner to work out costs for your travel style, or crunch the numbers with the budget calculator.
Book accommodation:
- Koh Phangan on Agoda — best selection including Haad Rin and Thong Sala options
Book transport:
- 12Go Asia — compare bus+ferry, train+ferry, and speedboat schedules in one place
Travel insurance:
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — worth having if you're bouncing between islands
Planning a trip to Thailand?
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