The FULL MOON PARTY is set on the tiny island of Ko Phangan on the east coast of southern Thailand. More then ten years ago, a group of tourists found that the most beautiful moon was seen from Ko Phangan. They arranged a party that formed along the stunning beach of Haad Rin to celebrate the Full Moon light. Since then, it’s become one of the largest parties in the world.
The party begins at dusk, when the round yellow moon makes its appearance over the white sand beach. In twilight, small tables are lined up on the beach and thousands of lamps are lit. As the evening progresses, the beach explodes into a dancing frenzy as different M.C.’s take their turn on the decks.
There is something for everyone here: trance, techno, drum and bass, commercial dance, and reggae. No one is disappointed. Jugglers and fire-eaters entertain the crowds as the night goes and with the brilliant fireworks display, the party atmosphere is complete.
After a few hours it could be time to chill-out for awhile, maybe grab a bite to eat from one of the many beach traders and wade out or sit down in the warm surf of the Gulf of Thailand-pure heaven. Revived and relaxed, it’s time to return to the main beach and get blown into another dancing dimension, while all around people are doing the same.
Having grown up in central Maine, the party scene wasn’t really happening, so when I walked onto Had Rin beach for the first time at the age of 18, my mouth dropped. There were so many people everywhere and music so loud it vibrated your body. Just before I made the trip to the beach, my buddies convinced me to try out a shroom shake and slowly the initial jello feeling of being on mushrooms was slowly taking my body over. I was totally overwhelmed.
From that moment, it was on. I scanned the beach, checking out different music and different clubs, trying to choose which one I wanted to groove to. Amused by the Day-Glo paint people had all over them, I danced beneath black-light tubes rigged to overhead nets.
About half way through the night, I recall sitting on the beach, drunk and tripping, talking to a great couple from Seattle. We were chatting about travels and other countries we wanted to visit, when I noticed the moon behind them. It was pinkish-red in color and I couldn’t figure why. It caught my attention for the longest time until I finally noticed a lunar eclipse was happening. How ironic. I was mesmerized by the moon. I knew I would return.
One year later, I returned to Ko Phangan. I was in need of some ultimate chillin’ and some crazy partyin’. The night of the party I hopped into the back of a pick-up with four Aussies. We headed off to Had Rin slowly climbing ridiculous hills and enjoying the scenery from above. The trip there is a roller coaster ride for 45 minutes. Normally the road is clear but on Full Moon night, there was a barricade to search passengers. Apparently the Aussies didn’t know about this and a couple of them were ready to pop in an E (ecstasy) when we arrived at the roadblock.
They squirmed around rapidly trying to put the pill away smoothly, safe and unnoticed. As we pulled up, the police noticed the chaotic movements and ordered the truck to pull over. He ordered everyone to stand up and empty their pockets. A few of us were cleared, including me, but the police searched wallets, finding and confiscating four E pills off two of the Aussies.
At this point my heart was racing because in Thailand, the legal penalties for drug offences are stiff: if you’re caught using marijuana, mushrooms or LSD, you face a fine of 10,000 baht, equivalent to $2,500 and a year in THAI jail. If you’re caught with amphetamines, the penalty can be up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
So this cocky Australian attempts to buy the pills back from the police. “I know what these bastards do; they confiscate drugs and resell them to the drug dealers. I bought those fucking pills in Amsterdam; they’re quality shit. I want my pills back”, he said. Although he’s right about the police reselling the drugs, not many level-minded people would attempt such a stupid risk. In the end he never got his pills back, paid a fine or got arrested; he just had to deal with a party without E.
The Full Moon Party is where shroom shakes, massive spliffs, and glistening capsules of E are sold like sticks of barbecued chicken. There are no barriers here, no inhibitions, just people enjoying themselves with one unified intention, to rejoice in the magic that is the paradise of the FULL MOON PARTY!
Khaled Habash can be contacted at [email protected]