Thailand's Full Moon Parties have become a trashy disgrace

[oldsailor35]

I feel the same way about Phuket circa 1987. Patong was getting a bit too busy but it did not have a Macdonalds yet and there was no traffic. Now, I refuse to go back to Patong and not sure I really even want to visit Phuket at all. Samui is the same. Not going back there or Phangan. Shame really but this is progress.

The beautiful thing about Samui is that you can still find those lovely quiet beaches if that is what you want. As opposed to places like Phuket and Pattaya

[Bsd]

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Your right I did skip the speedboats so lets do some maths on those.

Your 50 minibuses, with 12 seats each assuming they are standard minibuses with people sitting on each other is 600 people, lets assume that 50 minibuses an hour from 8pm until 2am is normal for delivering people to the speedboats, that would be 7 runs to haad rin in 20 boats (your 30pax) assuming that each boat can make one return trip an hour (seems fair) that would give us 4200 extra people over the ferries.

I am going to be fair and say that the full mooners that stay on Koh Phangan will full up the ferries for 2 days (really it is a sliding scale between moonies and those just on a beach holiday over about 3-4 days) so that gives 14,000 on the ferries leaving 16,000 for the speedboats, since the speedboats only run that night and really can only do a maximum of 7 full runs each. That means 210 people per speedboat or 76 speed boats running all night to transport all the moonies. To get to the 40,000 figure you need 124 speedboats

you forget, that there are many tourists allready on KPG for holidays and many are joining the FMP even for a short while

You will note that I gave had 14,000 people staying on the island taking the ferries over the next couple of days...

Now I don't have figures for the number of hotel rooms on Koh Phangan, but the article linked to in this forum post (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/628730-hotel-occupancy-on-koh-samui-68-for-2012/) gives 17,479 rooms on Samui, now Agoda lists 556 hotels opn Samui and 214 on Koh Phangan so lets be nice and say that Phangan has half the number of rooms as Samui, so 8739 rooms, which at an average of 2 people a room takes us back to capacity for 17,500 people staying on the island of which I am saying 80% go to the full moon party. I know Haad Rin the figure will be 100% (minus that one guy who didn't realise) but in other parts of the island it is 25-66% depending on the season (families in high season don't go).

In the speed boat section we had 16,000 people coming over from Samui for the night, which appears to be almost half of the hotel capacity. 40,000 people would require ever room one Phangan and 60% of Samui to attend.

If anyone has better numbers I am happy to update my figures.

17,479

17,479

17,479

[tomacht8]

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Your right I did skip the speedboats so lets do some maths on those.

Your 50 minibuses, with 12 seats each assuming they are standard minibuses with people sitting on each other is 600 people, lets assume that 50 minibuses an hour from 8pm until 2am is normal for delivering people to the speedboats, that would be 7 runs to haad rin in 20 boats (your 30pax) assuming that each boat can make one return trip an hour (seems fair) that would give us 4200 extra people over the ferries.

I am going to be fair and say that the full mooners that stay on Koh Phangan will full up the ferries for 2 days (really it is a sliding scale between moonies and those just on a beach holiday over about 3-4 days) so that gives 14,000 on the ferries leaving 16,000 for the speedboats, since the speedboats only run that night and really can only do a maximum of 7 full runs each. That means 210 people per speedboat or 76 speed boats running all night to transport all the moonies. To get to the 40,000 figure you need 124 speedboats

you forget, that there are many tourists allready on KPG for holidays and many are joining the FMP even for a short while

You will note that I gave had 14,000 people staying on the island taking the ferries over the next couple of days...

Now I don't have figures for the number of hotel rooms on Koh Phangan, but the article linked to in this forum post (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/628730-hotel-occupancy-on-koh-samui-68-for-2012/) gives 17,479 rooms on Samui, now Agoda lists 556 hotels opn Samui and 214 on Koh Phangan so lets be nice and say that Phangan has half the number of rooms as Samui, so 8739 rooms, which at an average of 2 people a room takes us back to capacity for 17,500 people staying on the island of which I am saying 80% go to the full moon party. I know Haad Rin the figure will be 100% (minus that one guy who didn't realise) but in other parts of the island it is 25-66% depending on the season (families in high season don't go).

In the speed boat section we had 16,000 people coming over from Samui for the night, which appears to be almost half of the hotel capacity. 40,000 people would require ever room one Phangan and 60% of Samui to attend.

If anyone has better numbers I am happy to update my figures.

17,479

17,479

17,479

I live since 1989 on KP. In the past (around 1998 to 2004) we had on Peek Season - Chrismas/New Year Week - definitely around 35.000-40.000 party people. For the last year, I would estimate that we had 7.000 (May) -20.000 (Dec/Jan) party people. Many people from Samui and Koh Tao do not book rooms. The are comming only for one night. Also we have here a lot of private houses for rent!

[Birdman]

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Your right I did skip the speedboats so lets do some maths on those.

Your 50 minibuses, with 12 seats each assuming they are standard minibuses with people sitting on each other is 600 people, lets assume that 50 minibuses an hour from 8pm until 2am is normal for delivering people to the speedboats, that would be 7 runs to haad rin in 20 boats (your 30pax) assuming that each boat can make one return trip an hour (seems fair) that would give us 4200 extra people over the ferries.

I am going to be fair and say that the full mooners that stay on Koh Phangan will full up the ferries for 2 days (really it is a sliding scale between moonies and those just on a beach holiday over about 3-4 days) so that gives 14,000 on the ferries leaving 16,000 for the speedboats, since the speedboats only run that night and really can only do a maximum of 7 full runs each. That means 210 people per speedboat or 76 speed boats running all night to transport all the moonies. To get to the 40,000 figure you need 124 speedboats

you forget, that there are many tourists allready on KPG for holidays and many are joining the FMP even for a short while

If you are talk about the number of Party People, do not forget the locals and the 1000´s burmese workers.

They like to party too! KP hosts still the biggest regulary Beach Full Moon Party.

and don't forget the extraterrestrials and the x-man and the ones coming in with private helicopters and cruise ships and the ones digging there from other continents and the ones in the walk on water plastic balls, the ones catapulted from the mainland and the staff of Nautilus

[oldsailor35]

Haven't the full moon parties , in reality , always been a shocking disgrace ?

I would like to know, how many 30's plus go th these parties

[Pdaz]

Yes when I first went to Koh Phangan in 1987 it was wonderful. Great atmosphere and a refreshing contrast to "touristy" Koh Samui ! Fast fwd to the present day and I refuse to go as I don't want the memories of many visits in the late 80's trashed.

What has become of Koh Chang is an even bigger travesty.. When will the Govt learn that people come looking for unspoilt tropical paradise.. Not 7/11's , Indian tailors and f**kin house music/rap/hip hop !

But how do you cater for 100,000 tourist wanting to go to an unspoilt paradise??

You just dont get it: MOST PEOPLE DO NOT WANT A DESERTED "UNSPOILT PARADISE" otherwise they would not go where they go!! Most people are happy with the developed tourist places they venture to.

Personally: I like lots of people on holidays, I like crowds, I like developed places, I HATE deserted isolated places, if I want to be alone or just with my family i can stay at home and no one bothers me.

YOU can like you deserted places all you want but get a life and stop assuming the rest of humanity wants what you want.

YOU are NOT superior, smarter, better than or holier-than-thou just because you go to "non touristy" places. You can want whatever you want but you obviously do not know what others want.

Well in that case stay at home or visit your local metropolis with others of your ilk. Then your need for people and infrastructure will be saited. That is exactly my point why go to somewhere that doesn't suit then complain that it has nothing to offer. No different to me going to a city and expecting everyone to leave so I can have some peace.

It's pretty simple.

Just a shame to see locals suffer in the long run.. As for me ? Plenty of out of thevway places to visit and explore before you and your shell suited package holiday mates show up and ruin it in ten years time.

Dunno if I'm smarter but I'm sure of one thing. Judging by your strident tone I'm definitely taller than you... Bad does of small man's disease it seems ?

[oldsailor35]

Time and people move on you can never go back to the 1980’s although I am sure there are many beautiful peaceful unspoilt paradise’s still to be found on our planet, and I am also even more sure none of them are in Thailand.

Bullshit! come and have a 'good' look around Samui you have no idea what you are babbling on about !

[tomacht8]

and don't forget the extraterrestrials and the x-man and the ones coming in with private helicopters and cruise ships and the ones digging there from other continents and the ones in the walk on water plastic balls, the ones catapulted from the mainland and the staff of Nautilus.

And the divers!

Edited July 9, 2013 by tomacht8

[Farangdam]

di caprio movies make me come to thailand and meet my spouse... it has been 15 years now.. 15 years of amaze, magnificent, miracles and sometimes lost in the society.. still hearing the movie song in my head attimes...

[oldsailor35]

What's wrong with listening to house, techno and trance music, I have been since 1988 and I DJ too. I've never been to the Full Moon Party, but went to a Half Moon Party in Chaweng in 2010, very enjoyable!

There's nothing wrong with this music. It is the music of our time.

I think the real issue here is the murders, rapes, drink spikings and young fools who become macho and want to fight after a few drinks. F@@cking embarrassing!

Good point, I've never been to koh phangan, seemed a like a lot of hassle with the dodgy boats and thefts from the accommodation.

I prefer Narz in Bangkok, the progressive house and trance room, it has the feel of The Gallery @ Turnmills in the late 90's and early 2000's, smashing stuff!

probably needs a little "pot" to help things along.

[catweazle]

Let's face it: Most places on earth were nice and pristine before we (the white men) came... But we are oh so educated and oh so civilized - civilized my @$$ - it seems the only thing we can do well is to destroy. The Mexicans call the white men "Gringos", because it means "green goes" wherever we civilized whities go.

[evadgib]

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Your right I did skip the speedboats so lets do some maths on those.

Your 50 minibuses, with 12 seats each assuming they are standard minibuses with people sitting on each other is 600 people, lets assume that 50 minibuses an hour from 8pm until 2am is normal for delivering people to the speedboats, that would be 7 runs to haad rin in 20 boats (your 30pax) assuming that each boat can make one return trip an hour (seems fair) that would give us 4200 extra people over the ferries.

I am going to be fair and say that the full mooners that stay on Koh Phangan will full up the ferries for 2 days (really it is a sliding scale between moonies and those just on a beach holiday over about 3-4 days) so that gives 14,000 on the ferries leaving 16,000 for the speedboats, since the speedboats only run that night and really can only do a maximum of 7 full runs each. That means 210 people per speedboat or 76 speed boats running all night to transport all the moonies. To get to the 40,000 figure you need 124 speedboats

& the D-Day assortment from Chumpon & Koh Tao...?

Edited July 9, 2013 by evadgib

[connda]

its old style the full moon parties , people have some new ideas, its funny for kids and teenager

I'd actually enjoy the old full moon parties better. But let the Gen X and Ys have their fun.

[evadgib]

Haven't the full moon parties , in reality , always been a shocking disgrace ?

I would like to know, how many 30's plus go th these parties

IME not more than 15%

[evadgib]

Time and people move on you can never go back to the 1980’s although I am sure there are many beautiful peaceful unspoilt paradise’s still to be found on our planet, and I am also even more sure none of them are in Thailand.

Bullshit! come and have a 'good' look around Samui you have no idea what you are babbling on about !

Or see Samuijimmys photos in the pinned section!

[mjj]

Let's face it: Most places on earth were nice and pristine before we (the white men) came... But we are oh so educated and oh so civilized - civilized my @$$ - it seems the only thing we can do well is to destroy. The Mexicans call the white men "Gringos", because it means "green goes" wherever we civilized whities go.

Yeah.

Oh, you forgot discovering medicines, inventing marvellous machinery, discovering wonderful things and exploring far away seas and space. But yeah, the white man is only good at destroying things.

Lets look to Africa and Asia for guidance shall we? Lets start with genocide........

[monkeycountry]

Full Moon Party organizers are a great example of locals wanting to cash in at our expense. After all is said and done, they hate the destruction the event brings. I was recently told by a hotel owners in Koh Phangan that the hotels charge a three day minimum charge for bookings. They know most visitors are going to stay only a day or two. The owner claimed this is true, but the island is quiet for the rest of the month, so the hotels have to make up the revenue somehow...

My thinking was, why don't the hotel owners market more than just the Full Moon Party?

The response I got was the hotel owners don't wish to work daily cleaning rooms, catering to foreigners, and having to deal with us throughout the year, ect, as is the case on Koh Samui.

I was shocked at the owners honesty, but not surprised really.

The only way the hotel staff are remotely interested in looking after us at all,

is for the service charges they receive every month.

If that wasn't in place, then the monthly salary wouldn't provide the level of service we do receive,

when we're lucky to come across the thai's that want to work at all, and not just smile, making us think they like our presence here.

And the true story. The hotel owner you asked did not want to admit that he is unable to attract customers the rest of the month, so in order to save face he told you he in fact did not want customers the rest of the month.

The staff get a low salary because they get service charge too, not the other way around. Ie. the salary has been lowered to a point where the salary plus the service charge amounts to a normal salary without service charge. This is also why many hotels operate with a minimum service charge paid to the staff.

[monkeycountry]

Remember most posters here as well as the guys who write the travel articles are way to old for this kind of party. I bet few if any of them ever go to discos etc. and if they did they would also describe it as a crazy loud place full of drunk young people out of control. Yet for some reason discos are quite popular all over the world (amongst young people), and generally the crazier the party is, the more popular it is :-D

[Bsd]

I live since 1989 on KP. In the past (around 1998 to 2004) we had on Peek Season - Chrismas/New Year Week - definitely around 35.000-40.000 party people. For the last year, I would estimate that we had 7.000 (May) -20.000 (Dec/Jan) party people. Many people from Samui and Koh Tao do not book rooms. The are comming only for one night. Also we have here a lot of private houses for rent!

Those numbers I can believe.

The people from Samui and Tao would presumably just stay the night catching ferries in and out the day of the party and the day after and so would be in the 7000 people each way limit that I mentioned existing. I have also encountered people who didn't book on the night but did the following day, but these are a rounding error.

My point when I started throwing number around was that the 30,000 - 40,000 people does not line up with what I have seen in the past year or two in terms of being able to get people on and off the island and that the party does not have as big of a presence as some people make it out to have.

[monkeycountry]

di caprio movies make me come to thailand and meet my spouse... it has been 15 years now.. 15 years of amaze, magnificent, miracles and sometimes lost in the society.. still hearing the movie song in my head attimes...

So a movie from 2000 made you come to Thailand and meet your spouse 15 years ago? :-D

[samuijimmy]

Full Moon Party organizers are a great example of locals wanting to cash in at our expense. After all is said and done, they hate the destruction the event brings. I was recently told by a hotel owners in Koh Phangan that the hotels charge a three day minimum charge for bookings. They know most visitors are going to stay only a day or two. The owner claimed this is true, but the island is quiet for the rest of the month, so the hotels have to make up the revenue somehow...

My thinking was, why don't the hotel owners market more than just the Full Moon Party?

The response I got was the hotel owners don't wish to work daily cleaning rooms, catering to foreigners, and having to deal with us throughout the year, ect, as is the case on Koh Samui.

I was shocked at the owners honesty, but not surprised really.

The only way the hotel staff are remotely interested in looking after us at all,

is for the service charges they receive every month.

If that wasn't in place, then the monthly salary wouldn't provide the level of service we do receive,

when we're lucky to come across the thai's that want to work at all, and not just smile, making us think they like our presence here.

Only true about the minimum three day stay, generally in Haad Rin and Ban Tai.... but not all resorts in those areas (most do.... but not all... it's a lot of shopping around, although the ones that don't are usually poorer standard)

... Other resorts around west and north coast of KP do not do the three day minimum stay...... also most have organized taxi service to get people to the FMP from those areas ....

[monkeycountry]

Just imagine what We experienced when we were there in 1964-65. Pattaya had one small hotel and a US military guest house.

The beach was mostly empty.

When I went back the first time in 1988 it was already ruined.

Raybo

I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I have been to several empty and unspoiled beaches in Thailand, and there is still plenty around. After a swim and a look around I get bored. I too get nostalgic when looking at pictures from Thailand many years ago, and I am sure Pattaya was very different in 1964-1965, but I also think there was no or very little "action", which is after all why many if not most people go there.

In short, a place can get too crowded no doubt, but it can also be too unspoiled and empty

[ghworker2010]

I have to agree that this party is no good. I arrived at 3am sober and was shocked. After a few beers I eventually found some music I liked and stood there watching the scene and I took my thongues off and stood in the sand. I youngster farang off his face came over 5min later and tried to take my thongues saying 'but ive lost mine'. I gave him an evil stare but them on my feet and walked off. 10 min later I was walking down the sand looking at the ocean and there was a guy in the water urinating. Another feral young farang walked right up behind him and started urinating on this guy. Then a fight occurred.....

2 examples of the randomness of this party and how things get out of control.

Guys bar party on friday nights and the Eden bar party is 1000 times better than full moon...

[Soi Sauce]

Sadly, the old idyllic Asian destination that was Thailand died a few years back.

If you want sex, drugs, noise, congestion, rip offs, overcharging, and pollution, there are plenty of resorts to choose from.

If you are after hospitality, seclusion, beauty, and quiet, as was available before, please tell us all where to go coz u can't find it here.

Welcome to the Costa del Sol and Ibiza of the East.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Soi Sauce

[kohphangan]

Please do not exaggerate the numbers even more than has been of 30,000.

Numbers to this event are written by someone who can not count and gets a bit excited at seeing a lot of people. Numbers have declined over the years and do vary from month to month.

Guide books also put this figure of 30,000, one I read a while ago 40,000 . But I think we all know about guide books, written by idiots that spend 1 day at a place!

Koh Phangan don't get 30-40 thousand tourist all month never mind one night! More accurate numbers would be 5,000 to 10,000 again depending on which month. ( And no I also did not count them) but have showed my face 24 times over the years.

Without even going to the full moon party I would have to agree that the numbers cannot be 30,000 to 40,000. Here is some basic maths.

Raja list the passenger capacity of Raja2 and the similar ferries that they run to Thongsala as 350 pax.

times 5 sailing out a day = 1750

Assume the same capacity for the other major ferries (Lomprayah 7 trips, Seatran and Songserm 4 each) = 5250

that gives a total of 7000 people a day which the ferries can move on and off the island (plus the haad rin queen)

so even if the ferries were only carrying people who ant to go to the full moon party they would be fully booked for 4 days after the party to get everyone off the island, assuming 30,000 people at the party, other than December 31st the passenger only ferries are never fully booked for more than a day.

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Don't start to try and make the numbers up mjj. How many have you been to ? where do you live ?

Muppets like you and Toscano ( shocking disgrace) and BSD quoting "I was told".... believe everything you hear BSD have never been because you prefer to sit in a bar where you can throw money at a girl who tells you " Your handsome man" Truth being if you ever went to the party you would never get a girl and moan, about 99% of the people are having a great time.

Yes it gets messy at times....... But just read what's going on every night!! in places I mentioned before.

Just for once stop and listen to someone who knows what he is talking about. Or even still go to next month's start counting them and give me a bell.

Edited July 9, 2013 by kohphangan

[samuijimmy]

Sadly, the old idyllic Asian destination that was Thailand died a few years back.

If you want sex, drugs, noise, congestion, rip offs, overcharging, and pollution, there are plenty of resorts to choose from.

If you are after hospitality, seclusion, beauty, and quiet, as was available before, please tell us all where to go coz u can't find it here.

Welcome to the Costa del Sol and Ibiza of the East.

Rubbish!...... Easy to find.....hospitality, seclusion, beauty, and quiet, ..... just open your eyes

[Soi Sauce]

Sadly, the old idyllic Asian destination that was Thailand died a few years back.

If you want sex, drugs, noise, congestion, rip offs, overcharging, and pollution, there are plenty of resorts to choose from.

If you are after hospitality, seclusion, beauty, and quiet, as was available before, please tell us all where to go coz u can't find it here.

Welcome to the Costa del Sol and Ibiza of the East.

Rubbish!...... Easy to find.....hospitality, seclusion, beauty, and quiet, ..... just open your eyes

Where, on a beach that ain't covered in trash?

[khunPer]

Please do not exaggerate the numbers even more than has been of 30,000.

Numbers to this event are written by someone who can not count and gets a bit excited at seeing a lot of people. Numbers have declined over the years and do vary from month to month.

Guide books also put this figure of 30,000, one I read a while ago 40,000 . But I think we all know about guide books, written by idiots that spend 1 day at a place!

Koh Phangan don't get 30-40 thousand tourist all month never mind one night! More accurate numbers would be 5,000 to 10,000 again depending on which month. ( And no I also did not count them) but have showed my face 24 times over the years.

Without even going to the full moon party I would have to agree that the numbers cannot be 30,000 to 40,000. Here is some basic maths.

Raja list the passenger capacity of Raja2 and the similar ferries that they run to Thongsala as 350 pax.

times 5 sailing out a day = 1750

Assume the same capacity for the other major ferries (Lomprayah 7 trips, Seatran and Songserm 4 each) = 5250

that gives a total of 7000 people a day which the ferries can move on and off the island (plus the haad rin queen)

so even if the ferries were only carrying people who ant to go to the full moon party they would be fully booked for 4 days after the party to get everyone off the island, assuming 30,000 people at the party, other than December 31st the passenger only ferries are never fully booked for more than a day.

First it was 10,000+, then 20,000+, and at latest another 10-20,000 appeared on top.

However, a lot – if not most – Full Moon Party guests comes over from Koh Samui by 30+ pax speed boats. Each one doing a round trip in less than an hour. There are quite a lot of operators and all has quite a lot of boats – just try to count Lomprayah's at Maenam. Furthermore there are the ferry-routes from Bang Rak. The limits is rather the number of hotel beds on the two islands, officially 10-15,000 at Phangang and 20-25,000 at Samui – including all the beds used by TAT “quality tourists” and others not visiting the Full Moon parties.

[kohphangan]

...

BSD you cant count either.... No way is there 35-40 thousand... Have you been down on one of those months where you say 7,000 ? Now if you say yes it looks pretty busy RIGHT?

So now please tell me where the hell do you 5-6 times this number ? And when it's a high tide month you then take into fact you loose half the beach.

Christmas, New year and July and August are busy ones 40,000 !!! Get real after 2-3 days Haad Rin is empty as is the rest of the island 8 months of the year.

[mjj]

Please do not exaggerate the numbers even more than has been of 30,000.

Numbers to this event are written by someone who can not count and gets a bit excited at seeing a lot of people. Numbers have declined over the years and do vary from month to month.

Guide books also put this figure of 30,000, one I read a while ago 40,000 . But I think we all know about guide books, written by idiots that spend 1 day at a place!

Koh Phangan don't get 30-40 thousand tourist all month never mind one night! More accurate numbers would be 5,000 to 10,000 again depending on which month. ( And no I also did not count them) but have showed my face 24 times over the years.

Without even going to the full moon party I would have to agree that the numbers cannot be 30,000 to 40,000. Here is some basic maths.

Raja list the passenger capacity of Raja2 and the similar ferries that they run to Thongsala as 350 pax.

times 5 sailing out a day = 1750
Assume the same capacity for the other major ferries (Lomprayah 7 trips, Seatran and Songserm 4 each) = 5250

that gives a total of 7000 people a day which the ferries can move on and off the island (plus the haad rin queen)

so even if the ferries were only carrying people who ant to go to the full moon party they would be fully booked for 4 days after the party to get everyone off the island, assuming 30,000 people at the party, other than December 31st the passenger only ferries are never fully booked for more than a day.

You're forgetting the dozens of speedboats that dart to/from KPG from Samui all night, each laden with at least 30 pax. I drove past the departure point (Petcherat) before midnight recently & saw around 50 minibuses hogging both sides of the road delivering "Moonies" from all over Samui who were meandering across the road in total darkness...

Don't start to try and make the numbers up mjj. How many have you been to ? where do you live ?

Muppets like you and Toscano ( shocking disgrace) and BSD quoting "I was told".... believe everything you hear BSD have never been because you prefer to sit in a bar where you can throw money at a girl who tells you " Your handsome man" Truth being if you ever went to the party you would never get a girl and moan, about 99% of the people are having a great time.

Yes it gets messy at times....... But just read what's going on every night!! in places I mentioned before.

Just for once stop and listen to someone who knows what he is talking about. Or even still go to next month's start counting them and give me a bell.

KP,

How many have I been too and where do I live? Sounds like you are offering to fight!!! :-)

I've been to the FMP about 10 times. Mind you that was over 9 years ago.

I currently live on Samui. But then again both could be lies as this is a forum!?!

Now, the numbers, 100,000. The actual number is irrelevant (yes, I just plucked it out of thin air), because what this about - and it seems to be a recurring theme - is that too many people seem to want to stop progression. Yes, nice places will get busier and busier. But that doesn't mean people should just look at the negatives, positives come of it too.

Take the FMP, now if xxxxx number of people can go and have fun (without the rape and pillage) why can't people just let them get on with it??

I first came to Samui in October 2003. I loved it. To me it was a tropical paradise, but to someone who came here 10 years earlier than me, they may have thought it was ruined because Tesco was here.

Fast forward to today and yes, Samui has changed a lot, but I still love the place. It's just different than it was.

I think I'm right in stating that Thailand had over 1,000 islands. For those that want to find the Leo 'Beach' setting, I'm sure it's here somewhere.

Also if any of us were working for the Thai Govt and we knew tourists would pour money into the country - wouldn't it be a good idea to build up the biggest islands instead of 100's (making figures up again) of little ones? Edited July 10, 2013 by angiud
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