Thailand's Full Moon Party Is Everything Music Festivals Should Be, but Aren't

The most famous party in the world offers more than just photo opps and debauchery.

Thailand’s Full Moon Party has been a destination for backpackers since the ‘80s, but it recently skyrocketed in popularity after being featured on The White Lotus.

At first, nobody seemed to have good things to say about Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party. In the days leading up to my attendance, just about everyone I met—from tourists to expats to guides—warned me that the party was overrated, fratty, filled with a “too young” crowd, and just plain dangerous. They told me that I was bound to get soaked by overzealous partygoers celebrating Songkran a few days too early and that I needed to hold my bag tight lest I be robbed.

But honestly? Their horror stories could not have been any further from my experience.

I’m not discrediting others’ negative experiences. Just before my own visit to Thailand, a partygoer was sexually assaulted at the Full Moon Party. Furthermore, countless tourists complain of the pickpockets, burglaries, and even robberies roaming Haad Rin Beach while the party’s in full swing. My point is not that these crimes don’t occur, but that in my own experience, the Full Moon Party is far from the dystopian hellscape that people make it out to be.

Ahead, my Full Moon Party experience, including my unadulterated reactions and tips for making it the best, most memorable time possible.

Full Moon Party is like a sprawling city, open to anyone and everyone.