Every month, thousands of people gather on a beach in Thailand to celebrate the full moon. It’s said that the party started among a group of backpackers in 1985. More and more people gathered with each full moon at Haad Rin Beach in Koh Phangan, and what was once an informal gathering has become an institution. Now, over 20,000 people attend an average Full Moon Party.
As the name suggests, Full Moon Parties last from sundown to sunup on the beach, every full moon. What happens at a full moon party? Imagine a giant dance party held under the moonlight. Vendors line up on the beach selling both alcoholic cocktails and supercharged energy drinks (Red Bull is based on a Thai energy drink formula, but the original is said to be even more powerful.)
Thai fire dancers and jugglers put on a show for the partygoers, as dance music plays. Everybody dances until they can’t dance any longer or until the sun comes up-whichever comes first. Check out this post from Gadling for a much more detailed, first-person account of the festivities.
Sound like fun? If you want to attend a full moon party, there are a few things you’ll need to do first. To travel to Thailand, you will definitely need a US passport.
You may also need a Thai visa, depending on how long you plan to stay in the country. Americans can enter Thailand and stay up to 30 days without a visa. However, you may want to stay longer, especially if you are backpacking around the region.
To stay longer, you can apply for a 60 day Thai visa before you leave. To get one, you will need the following:
- Your US passport
- A completed visa application
- 2 passport photos
- A copy of your round-trip ticket
- A copy of a bank statement showing a balance of $500 per person or $1000 per family.
At RushMyTravelVisa.com, we can research your travel needs and help you get the appropriate expedited travel visas.
Apply for your Thai visa today!
Have just returned from a great vacation to Koh Samui, stayed at Rocky Beach in the northeast part which is less busy than Chaweng, superior hotel and awesome bays. We rented a big motorbike for only 700 baht per day and would drive around the entire region. So many marvelous places to dine, our cherished spot was Ahan thai Aroy which had the most fantastic view over the beach, the staff was rather friendly and the food so delicious, we went for sunrise drinks. My husband and I had a wonderful time in Koh Samui and will be back for New Year.
March 28th, 2010 at 1:30 am