Are you planning your trip to Thailand and wondering how to get to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan from your previous stop? Traveling around Thailand is easy, as well as reaching the party island. Here you can discover the best way to travel to the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party from Koh Samui and other popular places in Thailand.
There is no airport on the island of Koh Phangan, so everyone finally arrives at the Thailand Full Moon Party venue by boat. The nearest airport is on Koh Samui Island, which is only 45 minutes away. You can also reach Koh Phangan via the airport in Surat Thani.
Several ferry companies serve the route to Koh Phangan. You can take a ferry from Donsak Pier on the mainland of Thailand, as well as from the nearby islands, Koh Samui and Koh Tao. Most of the ferries arrive at Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan. The most popular route (Koh Samui-Koh Phangan) is also actively served by speedboats that cut the travel time by half.
Before booking your transportation for a trip to Koh Phangan, explore the Full Moon Party schedule.
Booking your accommodation for the Full Moon Party first is also highly recommended, as the island often gets completely full, and most of Koh Phangan hotels require a minimum stay of 3 or 4 nights during the Full Moon Party.
How to get to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan?
Once on the island, you will see many drivers waiting to take you to Haad Rin or Full Moon Party Beach. When you want to come back, whatever time, you can ride the songthaew (taxi), many of which hang outside.
In case you are staying in a more remote area of Koh Phangan, you might need to prearrange the transportation to the Full Moon Party area with your accommodation.
From Koh Samui to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
To get to the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party from the nearby Koh Samui Island, you can choose from several ferry and speedboat options. As boats to Koh Phangan depart from different piers around the island, you might wish to choose the pier that is the most convenient for you, depending on your location in Koh Samui.
Ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan
If you are staying in Koh Samui during the Full Moon Party, it is possible to participate in the party and then go back the next morning. By normal ferry, the trip can take about an hour.
It is advisable to take one of the last regular ferries from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan and return with the regular ferry, which departs to Koh Samui at about 08:00. On the return journey, the waiting time for the normal ferry increases enormously. Unless you have a pre-booked ticket, you might have to wait several hours before you can return by ferry.
You can check the current ferry schedule and book tickets for the ferry to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan here: Ferry Koh Samui - Koh Phangan.
Speedboat to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
You can take one of the speedboats that hop all night long to get you to Koh Phangan in half an hour. You just need to go to the Mae Nam Pier, the Big Buddha Pier, or the Nathon Pier and ask for the speedboat service to the Full Moon Party. Many operators organize a party boat trip that will leave at sunset and return at dawn.
You can also book a combined ticket for a speedboat and a minibus that picks you up and returns you to your accommodation in Koh Samui after the party. You can have a stress-free journey from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan and attend the party by booking this Full Moon Party Speedboat Ticket.
From Bangkok to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is located about 700 km south of Bangkok. However, traveling on this route is relatively easy. To get to the Full Moon Party from Bangkok, you just need to get to one of the piers with boats to Koh Phangan. There are several options to travel this route, so you can choose the one that suits your needs the best.
Flight from Bangkok to Koh Phangan
There are no flights from Bangkok to Koh Phangan, as there is no airport on this island. From Bangkok, you need to fly to one of the nearby airports and transfer to other means of transportation to get to Koh Phangan from there.
For taking a flight from Bangkok, there are 3 airports close to Koh Phangan that can be considered.
The most popular option is taking a flight from Bangkok to Samui Airport (USM) on the neighboring island of Koh Samui. To get from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan, you can take a ferry or speedboat, as detailed above. To get to the ferry pier, you can book a private transfer from Samui Airport.
You can also take a flight from Bangkok to Surat Thani Airport (URT), which is located on the mainland of Surat Thani province, approximately 115 kilometers southwest of Koh Phangan. Flights on this route are much cheaper, but you additionally need to transfer to a bus and a ferry to get to the island. This is not the most convenient way since the trip takes longer, but you have more flight options on this route and can save significantly. Combined bus and ferry tickets can be booked online here: Bus + Ferry ticket to Koh Phangan.
The last option is taking a flight from Bangkok to Chumphon Airport (CJM). There are several daily flights to Chumphon from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. Even if it is a less expensive alternative than flying to Koh Samui, we do not recommend this option. Traveling via Chumphon is relatively slow and is only recommended for people who want to stay on Koh Tao before continuing the trip to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan. If you choose this route, combined van and ferry tickets can be booked online here: Van + Ferry ticket from Chumphon to Koh Phangan.
Bus from Bangkok to Koh Phangan
The cheapest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party is with a combination of bus and ferry. This is the favorite option for backpackers and budget travelers since everything is organized and you don't need to face the hassle of going through airports and transfers. However, the total journey time by bus from Bangkok to Koh Phangan, including sea transfer, is approximately 15 hours.
You can go to the Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) and take a bus to Surat Thani or a bus to Chumphon. From there, you need to transfer to a ferry that takes you to Koh Phangan. To make things easier, you can book a bus + ferry combo ticket to Koh Phangan, so you wouldn't need to deal by yourself with the transfer to the pier.
Train from Bangkok to Koh Phangan
The combination of train and ferry is a convenient and inexpensive way to travel to Koh Phangan from Bangkok, so tickets on this route are running out extremely fast. If you choose to travel by train, take a sleeper train to make the most of the trip at night. It also helps you to save a night of accommodation. If you want to cover part of the trip from Bangkok to Koh Phangan by train, you need to get to Chumphon Railway Station or Surat Thani Railway Station. From there, you will need to get to the pier to take the ferry to Koh Phangan.
There are around 10 daily trains from Bangkok to Chumphon, with departures from Krung Thep Aphiwat Railway Station scheduled between 8:00 and 22:00. The trip by train takes about 8-10 hours.
If you take a train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, the journey can take about 10-12 hours. Right next to the train station, there are a few small travel agencies that organize the transfer to the ferry pier and the ferry crossing to Koh Phangan.
Trains are a popular mode of transport in Thailand, and they are quickly getting full during peak season. It is therefore worth booking in advance, especially if you are traveling to Koh Phangan to attend the Full Moon Party.
From Phuket to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
To get from Phuket to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan, you need to use a combination of a bus, van, or private car and ferry. The total journey between the islands can take from 7 to 10 hours, depending on your location in Phuket and the type of land transport you choose. Different travel options can be found here: Transport from Phuket to Koh Phangan.
From Krabi to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan
To get to the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party from Krabi, you can also choose from several land transport options and a ferry. The total journey between these popular destinations can take from 5 to 7.5 hours, depending on the type of land transport you choose. Different travel options can be found here: Transport from Krabi to Koh Phangan.
In case you would also like to include a drop-off at your hotel, check this trip to Koh Phangan.
Other travel options
If you want to get an overview of all travel options for getting to the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan from your location in Thailand, use this search form.