Full moon party
The Full Moon Party is a large event that is organized by local discos and bars every full moon night on Haad Rin Beach, on the south-eastern end of Ko Pha-ngan Island in Thailand . The entire beach (and also the adjacent bars) is a dance floor for countless young people who dance and party to house , techno , trance , Goa , reggae , R&B and drum and bass . The event has no cultural or historical background and is usually not held exactly on the full moon, as regional religious celebrations often actually take place at this time, which would overlap with the party.
history
At the end of the 1980s, a private (birthday) party took place in a bungalow complex for the first time. A handful of tourists celebrated to psychedelic trance music . They thought the beach was a good place to admire the full moon . Because the celebration was apparently a success, the festival was soon repeated and quickly developed into an insider tip among backpackers and dropouts. In the 1990s, a separate party culture was formed around the Full Moon Party and steadily gained more supporters. On the beach of Haad Rin, more and more bars and discos joined the trend and provided their "beach section" with their music and drinks during the event. Today, a place on the beach is very popular, as it means a high income for the respective operator. However, drug deaths and violent crimes were also reported quite early on. Today the event is a mass event that is attended by 7,000 to 30,000 people (depending on the time of year, season and special occasions such as New Years) and can be found in every tourist guide. The music has also changed in accordance with the times, and now practically all common music styles are represented. The town of Haad Rin has already designed a large part of its infrastructure around the event and the prices (for accommodation as well as food and services) are rising significantly days before the party. Due to the success of the Full Moon Parties , “ Black Moon ” (on the beach), two “Half Moon”, one “ Shiva Moon”, several “Jungle Experience” (each in the rainforest) and “Oxa Beach” have recently been added “(On the beach) hosts parties, so parties are practically every evening in Haad Rin or the surrounding villages of Ban Kai / Ban Tai.
audience
While the first generation of visitors still consisted of dropouts, globetrotters, post-hippies and classic backpackers, the clientele has changed fundamentally due to the size and improved infrastructure. Especially with young travelers (and now also package tourists) between 20 and 30 years of age, the Full Moon Party is not infrequently an integral part of their travel planning due to its popularity. Locals have also increasingly discovered the event for themselves in recent years and can be found in ever larger numbers.
hazards
Although the event is usually peaceful, there have been reports of theft , drug trafficking , assault and even murder . Another problem is the tropical climate, which can be particularly dangerous for tourists from milder regions, as in combination with alcohol, drugs and vigorous physical exertion it can quickly lead to dehydration with serious consequences. The local authorities have opened an office of the tourist police on the beach and the contingent of officials has been increased significantly for the duration of the event. Crime and corruption have also developed new strategies as a result, and so it is not uncommon for alleged drug dealers to even work with the police in order to increase sales on both sides - inexperienced tourists are often set various traps here. There are now several arrests at every event for various offenses. Some streets leading to the beach ask for money to get to the party. However, this is not legitimate as there is no official organizer and the event basically only represents the sum of the small individual organizers. (However, entrance fees must be paid for entering Hat Rin during the Full Moon Party. The proceeds will be used to fund the cleaning up the following day). Many local children and young people can also be seen pursuing commercial activities (selling party items, flowers, drinks as well as offers of games and services) - many travel guides and also the authorities advise against doing business with children, as they are usually behind hide a client or even organizations. The prostitution of children and minors is not superficial, but still there and mostly takes place in the background.