Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 789

THE FULL MOONERS
The full-moon parties on Hat Rin ( W fullmoonpartykohphangan.com for dates) attract up to
thirty thousand revellers a time to the beach. As there are only around five thousand rooms in
Hat Rin, you should arrive early. Note that many accommodations insist on a minimum stay of
five nights during full-moon period (all sorts of foam, pool and other parties are now
organized on the nights around full moon to keep people occupied), up to nine nights for the
big Christmas and New Year parties. Alternatively, you can forget about sleep altogether and
join one of the many party boats from Ko Samui (B700; organized through guesthouses in Ko
Samui), which usually leave between 9pm and midnight and return between 3.30am and
dawn. There's also transport from all the other beaches on Ko Pha Ngan. Partygoers not staying
on Hat Rin are charged an admission fee of B100.
On the night, Paradise at the south end of Sunrise Beach styles itself as the party host, but
the mayhem spreads along most of the beach, fuelled by hastily erected drinks stalls and
sound systems. The Back Yard club, up the hill behind the southern end of Sunrise, hosts the
morning-after.
Drug -related horror stories are common currency in Hat Rin, and some of them are even
true: dodgy MDMA, ice and ya baa (Burmese-manufactured methamphetamines) and all
manner of other concoctions put an average of two farangs a month into hospital for
treatment. The police box at Hat Rin conducts bungalow and personal searches for drugs, pays
bungalow and restaurant owners to inform on travellers whom they've sold drugs to, and
drafts in scores of extra o cers (both uniformed and plain-clothes) on full moon nights. Not
only that but the “bucket” sellers on Sunrise Beach replace brand-name spirits with dodgy,
illegal, home-brewed alcohol, which can really mess with your head.
Other tips for surviving the full moon are mostly common sense: leave your valuables in your
resort's safe - it's a bad night for bungalow break-ins - and don't take a bag out with you; keep an
eye on your drink to make sure it's not spiked; watch out for broken bottles and anchors on the
beach; and do not go swimming while under the influence - there have been several deaths by
drowning at previous full-moon parties. There have also been several reports of sexual assaults on
women and of unprovoked, late-night gang attacks in Hat Rin, especially around full-moon night.

10

for 12km from Ban Tai on the south
coast to Ao hong Nai Pan, at the island's
northeast corner. A dirt track forks east
of this road to the gorgeous small bay of
Hat Sadet , which is framed by large
boulders and within walking distance of
the beautiful haan Sadet waterfall, a
favourite of King Rama V and a great
place to unwind.
Ao Thong Nai Pan is a beautiful,
two-part sandy bay, good for swimming
and backed by steep, green hills; it has
decent budget accommodation, a few
shops, dive outfits and restaurants.
Songthaews connect with boats at hong
Sala every day.

year from the village of Ban Chaloaklam to
the lovely, secluded Hat Khuat (Bottle
Beach); you could also walk there in about
ninety minutes along a testing trail from
Hat Khom.

The west coast
Pha Ngan's west coast is lush and hilly
with good sunset views over the islands to
the west; reefs, enclosing most of the
bays, keep the sea too shallow for a
decent swim, however, especially between
May and October.
Ao Chaophao , with its narrow strand
and densely foliaged beachfront, is a nice
place to relax. Beyond, the long, gently
curved beach of Hat Yao boasts soft white
sand and clear waters, and is becoming
deservedly busier and more popular. On
the northwest tip of the island, the broad,
coarse-sand bay of Ao Mae Hat is good for
swimming and snorkelling among the
coral that lines the sandy causeway to the
islet of Ko Maa .

The north coast
Ao Chaloaklam , the largest bay on the
north coast with a vibrant fishing village,
can easily be reached by songthaew or
motorbike taxi from hong Sala, 10km
away. If the sea is not too rough, longtail
boats run three times a day for most of the