It’s been a busy month so far here at simple life divers, [...]

The World Famous Monthly Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan

Phangan's full moon party is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Southern Thailand. If you've not already heard about it, the party occurs every month on Koh Tao's closest neighboring island - Koh Phangan.

The party occurs around the time of the full moon each month (hence the name), but not on the exact date of the full moon - this day is a reserved as a holy Buddhist day (the dominant religion in Thailand). Phangan's Full Moon Party takes place in the lively Haad Rin area at the southern end of the island, with most of the action taking place on the beach.

Many open air bars pump out music, fire dancers perform on the beach amongst displays of lights, there are foam parties, drinking and dancing. One of the most amusing bits are the many 'buckets stalls' - small local vendors who sell buckets of alcohol on the beach, and make up all sorts of interesting slogans to try to catch your attention.

Overall the party is a lot of fun. Many thousands of people flock to Koh Phangan, and as time has passed, the Full Moon Party has evolved to become a major event. At busy times of year, especially around the Xmas and New Year period the total number of people attending the Full Moon Party can exceed 10,000!

Whilst you're here for a few months taking your Koh Tao scuba diving internship, it's well worth making a trip across to Koh Phangan to view the spectacle of the Full Moon Party. The ferry journey is about 1 hour, and on the date of the party there are special boats which drop you on Koh Phangan in the evening, then return you to Koh Tao the following day. You'll be glad to get back to the comparative peace of Koh Tao the next day (perhaps with a slightly groggy head!).

Simple Life Divers have a small booking office in Haad Rin, and each month many of the staff head over to enjoy the party. Of course you're welcome to come along with us! Quite obviously there's a lot of drinking and heavy partying taking place, so it's best to try to be a bit sensible - don't take too much with you (especially no valuables) and make sure you stick with a group of friends so that you stay safe. It's a lot of fun and something that everyone should experience at least see once!

Post Full Moon Party Rush on Koh Tao

Koh Tao is much smaller than Koh Phangan. Each month, after the Full Moon Party has taken place many of the party-goers decide to make their way across to Koh Tao to check out our awesome scuba diving, either making their PADI Open Water course or enjoying some fun dives.

Needless to say this is one of our busiest times for accommodation and scuba diving on Koh Tao, and is the perfect time to get real hands on experience in a busy dive shop as part of you PADI diving internship. PADI Open Water group sizes tend to be a little bigger than average, and everyone's having a great time enjoying the diving. There's an especially vibrant atmosphere around the island following each Full Moon Party.

Other important gap year Thailand information: