Night Life In Koh Pha-Ngan

Koh Pha-Ngan, despite being a small island, has a fairly vibrant nightlife scene for its size. Hat Rin being the center of the nightlife scene.

All around Hat Rin are beach bars but not much in the way of girly bars. Typically on this island and Koh Tao, the small size and more secluded nature means that this side of the night scene is fairly low-key and a cottage industry. Outside of Hat Rin the nightlife tends to be of the surreal dippy-hippy mushroom shakes and wacky backy bars that the backpacker hordes often covet.

Hat Rin Beach

This is the main islands harbour town and where all the action is. Development is progressing, but at a slower rate than other islands The bar scene here has the best of what the island has to offer.

The Full Moon Party

Famous the world over for being a mad, anything-goes, rave on the beach this event always gets people going. From the nearby Islands of Koh Tao and Koh Samui, the mainland and beyond see's people all cram aboard a boat and head for the Full Moon Party.

DJs, Thais, tourists and travellers along with BGs on the make travel here every full moon.
Every bar in Hat Rin and beyond pumps up the volume and the bar wars commence!
Make no mistake, this is hedonists paradise and if you expect a refined night out you are in for a massive surprise. Gap-year students, neo-hippies and 'global tribe' types along with prima donna's trying to look cool are everywhere!
The maddening and bewildering tunes and ravey style music that the masses sway and move to on the beach, at the shoreline and indeed in the very water cannot hide the dope flying around!
The police do set-up check-points for bikers and pedestrians coming to and fro the the main approach road/trail and are thorough but the dope still gets through!
Be warned that the fines for a drugs bust are steep, we're talking at least five figure numbers (baht) in fines if you're lucky.
Every bungalow on the island is usually booked up and people end up sleeping on the beach and in bars!
The next morning resembles a mass exodus as a thousand or more migraine-ridden heads clamber on board boats to escape the hedonists paradise.

Koh Pha-Ngan and Beyond...

If the new-age dopers and full-moon madness are getting to you then get off the rock before you turn into one yourself!

Nightlore: Watch yourself riding back and forth on the main road. It is a highway (despite the other bypass one) and many farang have ended their days riding drunk and been side-swiped on the way home.