Short answer
The Haad Rin Business Association lists Full Moon Parties on Koh Phangan on 24 November, 24 December and 31 December 2026, then on 22 January, 22 February, 22 March, 21 April, 21 May, 19 June, 20 July, 17 August, 15 September, 16 October, 13 November, 13 December and 31 December 2027. The February, May, July and October 2027 parties fall one or two nights after the full moon, next to Buddhist holy days with an alcohol sales ban. A schedule site lists entry at 200 baht in cash at the gate.
When are the Full Moon Parties from November 2026 to December 2027?
The Haad Rin Business Association, whose website says the Full Moon Party has run on Haad Rin beach since the 1980s, publishes the schedule as an image on its schedule page. Its 2026 list ends with three parties: Tuesday 24 November, Thursday 24 December and Thursday 31 December. Its 2027 list, online by 11 August 2026, has thirteen: Friday 22 January, Monday 22 February, Monday 22 March, Wednesday 21 April, Friday 21 May, Saturday 19 June, Tuesday 20 July, Tuesday 17 August, Wednesday 15 September, Saturday 16 October, Saturday 13 November, Monday 13 December and Friday 31 December.
A schedule and guide site run by the Full Moon Party Council gives the same dates, says it uses dates confirmed by the association and updates them when one moves. It gives the hours as 9 pm to sunrise, so a party night covers two calendar dates; it shows 22 January 2027 as Fri/Sat. Our older guide, Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, covers safety and the Samui ferries in more detail; this page is about the dates and the planning.
Why do some dates fall after the full moon?
The Hong Kong Observatory's tables give the moment of each full moon in Hong Kong time, and Thai time is one hour earlier. Most 2027 parties fall on the night of the full moon or the nearest night to it: 22 January (full moon Friday 19:17 Thai time), 22 March (Monday 17:44), 21 April (Wednesday 05:27), 19 June (Saturday 07:44), 17 August (Tuesday 14:29), 15 September (Thursday 06:04, so the party is the night before), 13 November (Sunday 10:26, the night before) and 13 December (Monday 23:09).
Four dates sit later, and each follows a Buddhist holy day. Wikipedia says the party takes place on the night of the full moon, or one night earlier or later if a significant religious holiday falls on that night. The Bank of Thailand's 2027 calendar, as the Nation reported, puts Makha Bucha on Sunday 21 February; the full moon is at 06:24 that day, and the party is on Monday 22 February. Visakha Bucha is Thursday 20 May, the full moon is at 17:59 that day, and the party is on Friday 21 May. Asalha Bucha is Sunday 18 July, the full moon is at 22:45 that night, and the party is on Tuesday 20 July, two nights later; Wikipedia lists the start of Buddhist Lent as the first waning-moon day of the same month, which is 19 July. The fourth is Ok Phansa, the end of Buddhist Lent, which Wikipedia places on the full moon of the 11th lunar month. The Observatory puts that full moon on Friday 15 October (20:47), and the party is on Saturday 16 October. We found no official 2027 date for Ok Phansa, so that one is our deduction.
The association's image gives no reasons, so this is our reading. The Nation reported on 28 July 2026 that alcohol sales are banned nationwide on five Buddhist holy days, Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa, for most shops and restaurants, with penalties of up to six months in prison or a 10,000-baht fine. Hotels, international airport terminals and licensed entertainment venues in designated tourist areas are exempt. It is not a fixed rule: the association's 2026 list has a party on 3 March, which the Nation says was Makha Bucha Day itself. The Council's site warns that dates may shift by one or two days around national holidays, so check the date with your hotel a month before you book.
What is different about the Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve parties?
The 24 December 2026 party falls on Christmas Eve. The Council's site notes that it coincides with Christmas Eve and is likely not to be rescheduled, and the Hong Kong Observatory puts the full moon at 08:28 that morning, Thai time. Christmas is not a public holiday in Thailand, as Wikipedia notes, so ferries and shops run as normal, but beds near Haad Rin will be in demand in Christmas and New Year week.
The 31 December parties are not full moon parties. The Council's site says there is no astronomical full moon on 31 December 2026 or 31 December 2027, but a large New Year's Eve party is held anyway, and the association lists 31 December in both years. The Observatory's table shows a last-quarter moon on 31 December 2026. The Council's site gives the 2026 party week as 29 December to 2 January. Wikipedia's list of public holidays includes 31 December, and the Bank of Thailand lists Friday 31 December 2027 as a bank holiday; see our Thailand public holidays 2027 guide.
How much does it cost to get in?
The Council's site lists entry at 200 baht, about 6 US dollars, paid in cash at the beach gates, with no online tickets. We found no entry fee on the association's own pages, so treat the figure as a guide and ask your hotel. Because there are no online tickets, treat any online seller of entry as suspect.
The Council's cost guide puts a budget night at about 1,500 to 2,200 baht, counting the 200-baht wristband, drinks (80 to 150 baht for a beer, 150 to 250 for a bucket) and street-stall food, and says ATMs run out of cash, so withdraw before you arrive. It also says most hotels near Haad Rin ask for a three-night minimum around party dates. These are the site's estimates, not official prices. Our ATM fee and cash guide explains the withdrawal fees.
How do you get from Phuket to the party?
We found no direct boat from Phuket to Koh Phangan. The routes to Phangan on Lomprayah's home page start in Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Surat Thani and Bangkok, and none starts in Phuket. The quickest plan is a flight to Koh Samui, then a boat. Wikipedia's page on Samui Airport lists Bangkok Airways as flying between Samui and Phuket. From Samui, Seatran Discovery says the crossing from Bangrak Pier to Thong Sala takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and it recommends booking ahead around Full Moon Party periods.
The slower plan is overland and by sea. Seatran Discovery's booking menu lists two Phuket pickup points, the Lomprayah office and Rassada Pier, among the places it sells bus-and-ferry transfers from. The Council's transport guide says to allow 8 to 10 hours from Phuket by van and ferry, to leave before 9 am and to expect a shared songthaew from Thong Sala to Haad Rin at 150 to 200 baht. The association's page gives the bus from Surat Thani to Donsak Pier as 1.5 to 2 hours and the ferry from Donsak as 2 to 3 hours. Most of that day is a transfer, so we would fly and arrive the day before.
Do not plan a same-day return. The Council's guide says regular boats between Samui and Phangan stop at about 5 to 6 pm, and the party runs to sunrise, so book a room on Phangan or a round-trip party-night speedboat. Our Samui to Phangan ferry guide lists piers and fares, and our Phuket or Koh Samui guide helps you choose a base.
Is the party safe, and what are the rules?
The UK Foreign Office says violent sexual assaults and unprovoked attacks can happen in tourist areas across Thailand, and that they are most common during full moon parties or similar events and near bars late at night. It says drink spiking happens, with male and female victims, and advises you not to leave drinks unattended, not to accept drinks from strangers and to pre-arrange transport home. It also warns that alcoholic drinks containing methanol have caused deaths, and that methanol cannot be identified by taste or smell.
The Foreign Office says it is illegal to possess or use any vape, e-cigarette, pod or heat-not-burn device, with fines typically between 5,000 and 30,000 baht, and that possessing small quantities of illegal drugs can lead to heavy fines or imprisonment. It advises never handing over your passport as a guarantee for a scooter or jet ski. Save the Tourist Police number 1155, which our Tourist Police guide says works round the clock in eight languages, and read our vape ban guide before you pack.
Which month suits you, and where do our tours fit?
The Council's site rates the weather by month: heavy rain and the smallest crowds of the year in November, showers early in December and drier later, and mostly sunny weather with a low chance of rain in January and February. March and April are hot and mostly sunny with occasional showers, May and June humid, July to September showery, and October and November 2027 the peak rainy season. Our Koh Samui in November guide covers the sea and the boats at that time of year, and the December guide is listed under Read next.
Our Samui boat days fit around a party, not the morning after. The Koh Samui Pig Island tour is from $50 per person, takes about 5 to 6 hours and starts with hotel pickup on Samui, so it is the easiest to place on the day before. The Koh Tao and Nang Yuan day trip is from $55 per person, takes about 8.5 hours and crosses open sea that can be bumpy, so we advise against booking it on the morning after a party. Neither tour goes to the party.
Practical checklist
- Check the party date with your hotel: the association lists 24 November, 24 December and 31 December 2026, then 22 January 2027, and a date can move a night or two around a Buddhist holy day.
- Book a room on Koh Phangan, ideally for three nights, and fly to Koh Samui or leave Phuket before 9 am.
- Carry cash for the 200-baht gate fee and withdraw before you arrive, because ATMs run out.
- Do not plan a same-day return to Samui or Phuket: regular boats stop in the early evening.
- Keep your drink in sight, leave vapes and drugs at home and save 1155 in your phone.
- Note the 2027 shifts: 22 February, 21 May, 20 July and 16 October fall after the full moon.
Questions and answers
When is the next Full Moon Party?
Tuesday 24 November 2026, then Thursday 24 December and Thursday 31 December, according to the Haad Rin Business Association's schedule. The first 2027 party is Friday 22 January.
Why is the February 2027 party on the 22nd?
The full moon is at 06:24 on Sunday 21 February, Makha Bucha Day on the Bank of Thailand's calendar, a day on which the Nation says alcohol sales are banned for most shops and restaurants. The association lists 22 February but gives no reason, so this is our reading.
Is there a Full Moon Party on New Year's Eve?
Yes. The association lists 31 December in both 2026 and 2027, although there is no full moon on either date. The Council's site calls it a large New Year's Eve party and gives 29 December to 2 January as the 2026 party week.
How much is entry to the Full Moon Party?
A schedule site lists 200 baht in cash at the gate and says there are no online tickets. We found no fee on the association's own pages, so ask your hotel.
How do I get from Phuket to Koh Phangan?
We found no direct boat. Fly to Koh Samui and take a ferry of about 30 to 45 minutes, or take a van-and-ferry ticket via Surat Thani and Donsak, which the Council's guide puts at 8 to 10 hours.
Can I return to Phuket or Samui the same night?
Not by regular boat: the Council's guide says they stop at about 5 to 6 pm, and the party runs to sunrise. Stay on Koh Phangan, or book a party-night speedboat.