Full Moon Parties – Koh Phangan, Thailand
Greet the luminous full moon on a 1km long soft sandy beach vibrating the beats of trance, jungle, house, garage and hip-hop filling the starry night and air, as 10,000 revelers make their way to this tropical paradise.
Held every full moon in the bay of Haan Rin on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand is where you can find these Thai style celebrations. Dates change every year with the tides. Once in Thailand you wont have a problem finding out when the next bash is on, as flyers galore are handed out on the streets of the mainland. Necessities for this bash include a good group of friends, sunglasses for the arising sun the next day and a good pair of flip-flops, as glass can be found broken everywhere along the beach.
The wild night rave starts with a 20 minute boat ride from the neighboring island of Koh Samui arriving at the bay as dusk falls away. You will quickly notice the club atmosphere that has been created in this outdoor arena with six stages filling along the bays cove, neon lights penetrating the sky, numerous bars and food stalls, benches for the weary and a grand set up of fireworks display for the finale.
Groove on white sands to funky tunes and DJ mixes with party animals from every continent of the globe to celebrate for one long night the magnificence of the moon in our lives.
But is this really the mentality of the party goers?
Drugs are notably everywhere here and a part of today’s clubbing scene. Don't say I didn't warn you though as plain clothed cops patrol the parties and if your caught it isn't just a simple fine, but rather imprisonment for a lengthy time in some of Thailands dirtiest prisons, not a good end to what was suppose to be a vacation of a lifetime.
There is a sad side to any event such as this, one that does not adversely affect yourselves but rather the people who have inhabited the island for years before the full moon parties were started up. Traditions are slowly flung out the door, fishing huts abandoned. Locals are slowly been driven out of there homes and subjected to the violent acts of these revelers.
Body piercing parlours are now popping up everywhere as well as cheap guest houses, tacky corner stores and nursing clinics, replacing the once tranquil setting of this oasis. Children in the islands small schools now must be taught the dangers of drugs, due to the abuse of the party goers and littering of needles.
So my message to you all, relax, unwind and enjoy the goony tunes, but be respectful of the islands people and nature as you would your own home.
For more info and upcoming dates: [->http://www.thaisite.com/fullmoonparty/]
