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Full Moon Party dates
Upcoming party nights on Haad Rin. Past dates are removed each time the site is rebuilt.
| Party night | Event | Status | Full moon (Thai time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| 1 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| 2 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| 3 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| 4 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| 5 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| 6 | Full Moon Party | Provisional | |
| Full Moon Party | Provisional | ||
| 7 | Countdown Party (New Year) | Provisional |
Provisional: the source has not confirmed the date yet. Check it again before booking.
Notes
- Full moon day 21 Feb is Makha Bucha (public holiday, substitute day off 22 Feb). The party is listed for the next night.
- Full moon day 20 May is Wisakha Bucha (public holiday). The party is listed for the next night.
- Full moon day 18 Jul is Asarnha Bucha; 19 Jul is listed as the Asarnha Bucha Day holiday (CalendarLabs). The party is listed for 20 Jul; no reason given. Recheck in 2027.
- Astronomical full moon is at 06:03 Thai time on 16 Sep, as the listed party night ends.
- Astronomical full moon is 15 Oct (20:47 ICT). The source lists the next night and gives no reason.
- Astronomical full moon is on 14 Nov (Sunday). The source lists the night before and gives no reason.
- New Year countdown party on Haad Rin. Not a full moon night.
Sources: thaiest.com (party dates), aa.usno.navy.mil (full moon times). As of .
The table above gives the 2027 Full Moon Party nights on Haad Rin, each marked provisional, next to the astronomical full moon. In about half of the months the party falls on the night of the full moon; in the others it moves by a night or more. Reconfirm the date before you book flights, ferries or a villa.
How the party began is a story of its own: the sources date the first one anywhere from 1983 to 1988, and our history and legends of the island sets their accounts side by side.
How the party date is set
According to Thaiest, the dates are announced by the Haad Rin Business Association. The party is held on the full moon unless that day coincides with a Buddhist holiday, an important election day or another event of national importance. The same source says the party can sometimes be held days before or after the full moon. Wikipedia describes the usual shift as one night earlier or later when there is a significant religious holiday.
The astronomical dates in the table are based on the US Naval Observatory moon phase data for 2027. The party dates come from the Thaiest schedule, which attributes them to the Haad Rin Business Association. The two are kept separate on purpose: the astronomical date tells you when the moon is full, and the schedule tells you when the party is listed.
Months where the party moves away from the full moon
Two schedule pages, Thaiest and fullmoonparty-thailand.com, list the same 2027 party dates. The holiday dates below come from the CalendarLabs list of 2027 Thai public holidays.
February, May and July: a holiday near the full moon
- February: Makha Bucha is listed on 21 February, with a holiday on 22 February. The party is listed for Monday 22 February.
- May: Wisakha Bucha is listed on 20 May. The party is listed for Friday 21 May.
- July: Asarnha Bucha is listed on 18 July, with a holiday on 19 July. The party is listed for Tuesday 20 July, one day after that holiday.
The July case is the least clear of the three, because the party is listed a day later than the holiday, not on the full moon day itself. Neither schedule source gives a reason, so check this date again closer to the time.
September, October and November: no reason stated
In September the party is listed for Wednesday 15 September, and the astronomical full moon falls at 06:03 Thai time on 16 September, as the party night ends. In November the party is listed for Saturday 13 November, while the full moon is on 14 November. In both months the schedule sources give no explanation for the difference.
October is listed for Saturday 16 October. The CalendarLabs list has no holiday on 15 October, so we cannot say from these sources why the party is on the 16th. Treat the date as provisional.
31 December: a party without a full moon
Both schedule sources list a New Year countdown party on Friday 31 December 2027. The fullmoonparty-thailand.com page notes that there is no astronomical full moon on that night but that the party is still large.
Why the dates stay provisional
Thaiest states that the schedule of the parties may change and that you should reconfirm the date before booking the trip. Parties can also be cancelled altogether. Wikipedia reports that the October 2017 party, and all other parties and music activities on Koh Phangan, were cancelled out of respect for the cremation ceremony of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The 2020 party was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and parties resumed on 16 April 2022.
fullmoonparty-thailand.com also shows each party with a pair of nights (for example “Fri/Sat” for January) and a five-day window, which it lists as the pre- and after-party period, noting that events run 5 to 7 days. The page does not explain the paired nights. Both are a reason to allow some flexibility. If your plans depend on one specific night, book refundable options where you can.
What to plan around a party date
Accommodation and arrival
Thaiest says the island fills up around party dates, especially the areas closest to Haad Rin. It reports that many hotels and guesthouses require a minimum stay of 3 or 4 days around the party, and it advises arriving a few days in advance. That advice is written for hotel rooms, but the same logic applies to a larger group: the earlier you arrive, the less you depend on one ferry on one day.
Thaiest describes the December Full Moon Party as one of the busiest and notes that the high season starts in December, so hotels can be hard to find. Both December dates (13 and 31 December) fall in that period.
Ferries
The sources we checked do not publish ferry or catamaran capacity for party days, so we cannot give a figure for how full boats get. According to Thaiest, Koh Phangan has no airport and no road link to the mainland, so it can only be reached by boat. For a group of 8 to 16 people travelling with luggage, book the crossing early and check the operator’s timetable for your date, especially if you arrive on or just before a party night.
Quiet nights
Wikipedia gives the party’s size as about 5,000 to 30,000 people and says it finishes at sunrise the next day, with bars on Sunrise Beach in Haad Rin playing music through the night. The same page reports that in 2015 local residents complained about noise from the large parties on the island.
The sources do not map noise by village. What they do support is that Haad Rin is the party’s location and that the areas closest to it are the most crowded. If you want quiet nights, choose a base further from Haad Rin and ask the host about noise before you book. Thaiest also lists other parties on the island, including the Half Moon Festival, which it says takes place every two weeks, and the less intense Jungle and Black Moon parties, so the full moon is not the only party night on the island.
If you want to attend
Thaiest says some visitors stay on Koh Samui and cross for the party: speedboats leave at sunset and return at dawn, and the package normally includes minibus transfers. Wikipedia reports that break-ins at bungalows sometimes occur while partygoers are away from their rooms, and that the British government has warned tourists to exercise caution at the parties. If part of your group goes out for the night, make sure the rest of the group, or the villa staff, know when people will be back, and lock up.
How we checked
We compared the Thaiest and fullmoonparty-thailand.com schedules, the US Naval Observatory moon phase data for 2027, the CalendarLabs holiday list and the Wikipedia article on the party, all read on 4 October 2026. The party dates are provisional until reconfirmed, so check them again before you book.
Questions and answers
Is the Full Moon Party always on the night of the full moon?
No. The schedule is set by the Haad Rin Business Association, and in some months the party moves because a Buddhist holiday falls on the full moon day (thaiest.com). Wikipedia describes the usual shift as one night earlier or later.
Are the 2027 Full Moon Party dates confirmed?
Treat them as provisional. The source behind the table states that the schedule may change and advises reconfirming the date before booking the trip. fullmoonparty-thailand.com says its dates come from the Haad Rin Business Association but may shift 1 to 2 days around national holidays.
Where is the Full Moon Party held?
On Haad Rin, on Koh Phangan. Wikipedia describes it as an all-night beach party, with bars on Sunrise Beach in Haad Rin playing music until sunrise.
Why is the 2027 July party on 20 July when the full moon is on 18 July?
The holiday list at CalendarLabs shows Asarnha Bucha on 18 July and a holiday on 19 July. The two schedule sources list the party for 20 July, but neither states the reason.
Is there a party on 31 December 2027?
Yes, both schedule sources list a New Year countdown party on Friday 31 December 2027. It is not a full moon night.
