Getting to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party
Wondering how to get to the Full Moon Party? We want to welcome you to the best party in town but first, you need to know how to get there, because it ain't a party if you didn't show up. The Full Moon Party takes place in Koh Phangan, at Haad Rin Beach to be exact, it is a beautiful place that you can reach from any place in Thailand and there are a variety of ways in which you can arrive at your destination.
Koh Phangan has no airport of its own, so every route ends the same way: a boat crossing to the island. What changes is how you reach the pier — by plane, bus, train, minivan or ferry from a neighbouring island. Below you will find the main starting points, plus practical notes on timing, luggage and getting from the island's arrival piers down to Haad Rin.
Contents
- From Phuket
- From Patong
- From Koh Phi Phi
- From Krabi
- From Koh Tao
- From Donsak
- From Chumphon
- From Hua Hin
- From Koh Lanta
How to get to the Full Moon Party from each starting point
From Phuket
The most comfortable way is to take a flight from Phuket to Koh Samui, the airways have 3 flights a day, but keep in mind that flight schedules change based on seasons. A cheaper option is to call a travel agency and buy a joint ticket, and by a joint ticket we mean by boat and bus that goes directly to Koh Phangan, travel agencies coordinate your journey, but this takes more time than flights.
The best way is to book a flight (takes about an hour) from Bangkok to Koh Samui or Surat Thani province and then buy a bus and boat ticket from the airport itself to Koh Phangan. A cheaper option is by bus, you can buy a joint bus and boat ticket from a travel agency in Bangkok, Kao San Road is known to have travel agencies, the bus takes off at (18:00 pm) and you will arrive the following day at noon.
Or another cheap option is by train, buy a joint bus, train and boat ticket directly to Koh Phangan from Bangkok's Train station and you will arrive at the destination the latter day. P.S busses are often available all day, you do not have to book in advance. However, trains are always fully packed on Holidays and Weekends, you should book a train at least a week in advance.
From Patong
You could get a flight to Koh Samui, and then take a ferry or a speedboat to Haad Rin, which will take about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Patong sits on Phuket's west coast, so allow extra time for the drive across the island to the airport before your flight.
From Koh Phi Phi
Buy a joint ticket and take a ferry to Krabi which will take about an hour and a half, then get on to a bus to Donsak Pier at Surat Thani this will take about four hours including rest and waiting time, then hop into a ferry one last time to Koh Phangan which will take about two and a half hours. Or buy separate tickets from Koh Phi Phi to Krabi by ferry, and after that from Krabi to Surat Thani, then take one from Surat Thani direct to Koh Phangan.
The joint ticket is the simpler choice because the connections are planned to line up. Separate tickets can give you more freedom over departure times, but you carry the risk if one leg runs late.
From Krabi
You can take a minivan or bus to Surat Thani that will take about 4 hours and then get a transfer to a ferry port which will take about 40 minutes, then get a ferry transportation to Koh Phangan which will take about 3 hours. This is a full travel day, so it is worth setting off in the morning if you want to arrive with time to settle in.
From Koh Tao
It is easy, you can take a direct ferry from Koh Tao to Koh Phangan, or a speedboat straight to Haad Rin Beach from Catamaran in Koh Tao. The speedboat to Haad Rin is the most direct arrival of any route on this page, since it drops you at the party beach itself.
From Donsak
You can book a ferry ticket at the pier directly to Koh Phangan, it is that simple. Donsak is the mainland ferry gateway for the whole Samui archipelago, which is why so many bus and train journeys funnel through it.
From Chumphon
You can buy a joint ticket including van and ferry online, or at a travel agency direct to Koh Phangan. Chumphon is a common stop for travellers coming south from Bangkok, so this route pairs naturally with an overnight train or bus.
From Hua Hin
Book a joint bus and ferry ticket from Hua Hin to Koh Phangan. One booking covers both legs, which saves you arranging a separate transfer at the pier.
From Koh Lanta
Get a bus to Krabi Town or a van, and then take a ferry further to Phangan. Once you reach Krabi Town the rest of the journey follows the Krabi route described above.
Arriving on Koh Phangan and reaching Haad Rin
Most ferries dock at Thong Sala, the island's main pier and its arrival hub for tickets, shops and onward transport. Haad Rin is on the southern tip of the island, so unless your boat goes straight to the beach you will need a short onward hop by songthaew, taxi or private transfer from the pier.
If you are travelling with heavy luggage or arriving late, a pre-booked private transfer takes the guesswork out of that last stretch. Speedboats that run directly to Haad Rin remove the transfer entirely, which is worth considering if you land close to party night.
When to book and how far ahead
Demand around the Full Moon Party is concentrated into a few days each month, and the days immediately before and after are the busiest of all. Ferries, joint tickets and accommodation in Haad Rin fill first, so booking ahead is the single easiest way to avoid a scramble at the pier.
Buses are often available all day and can be picked up at short notice, but trains are the exception: on holidays and weekends they sell out, so reserve well in advance. Flights change with the season, so always check current departure times before you build a connection around them.
Give yourself a buffer between legs. A four-hour bus followed by a three-hour ferry leaves little room for a delay, and missing the last boat of the day means an unplanned night on the mainland.
Practical tips for the journey
- Travel light where you can. Multi-leg journeys mean loading and unloading bags several times, and pier walkways can be narrow.
- Carry cash for small transfers. Pier-to-beach rides and local pickups are not always covered by an online ticket.
- Keep your ticket accessible. Joint tickets are usually checked at every leg, so keep the booking confirmation to hand rather than buried in a bag.
- Plan your departure too. The morning after the party is the busiest boat departure of the month, so book your outbound crossing at the same time as your inbound.
- Check sea conditions. Crossings can be rescheduled in rough weather, particularly during the monsoon months.
Which route should you choose?
If comfort and speed matter most, fly to the nearest airport and take a short ferry or speedboat connection. If budget is the priority, joint bus-and-boat or train-and-boat tickets cover long distances for less, at the cost of a longer travel day. If you are already island-hopping in the Gulf, the crossing from a neighbouring island is by far the quickest way in.
Whichever starting point you pick, the pattern is the same: reach a pier, cross to Koh Phangan, then make your way to Haad Rin. Brace yourselves for an unforgettable night!
Book your trip to Koh Phangan
Ready to lock in your journey? Compare live departure times, operators and prices for your route, then book in one place. Start with the Koh Phangan destination guide for arrival details, or check schedules on popular routes such as Koh Tao to Koh Phangan, Donsak to Koh Phangan, Krabi to Koh Phangan and Koh Phi Phi to Koh Phangan. You can also browse nearby hubs including Koh Samui, Surat Thani and Chumphon.
Read destination information for Koh Phangan and Haad Rin before you travel, then book your tickets early — the boats fill up fastest on full moon week.
