Australia's Channel 9 goes undercover at the Full Moon Party to produce a damning report

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Australia’s Channel 9 goes undercover at the Full Moon Party to produce a damning report



KOH SAMUI: -- A damming report by Australia’s Channel 9 news aired this week after a hidden camera man and a news reporter went undercover to Koh Phangans Full Moon Party.

A current Affairs reporter Ben McCormack starts the presentation by saying that that although Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Australians it is also the most deadly. He says that on average one Australian dies in the country every four days with scores more injured every day. He points out that these figures are way more than Bali and way more than Vietnam.

He goes on to say that despite the danger, hundreds of Australians hop on planes to head to a monster party that takes place in Koh Phangan every time there is a full moon.

He and his camera man go to the full moon party to film what is called as” a potentially lethal orgy” by Father Michael Kelly an Australian who works in Bangkok for a catholic newspaper but helps out Aussies in trouble in his spare time. He describes the party goers as “Schoolies on steroids”

While at the party camera man Oliver Clarke films Australians drinking buckets and getting wrapped up in a burning skipping ropes.

The sister of Nicole Fitzsimons who lost her life to a bike accident in Koh Samui, Kate Fitzsimons, a lady who campaigns in Australia for Australians to stay safe while travelling abroad with the Nicole Fitzsimons foundation says “it is just out of control in every aspect” and goes on to say “when something does go wrong it goes seriously wrong”.

Comments from Australians enjoying the party include “There is not a party in the world quite like this”, “ Its crazy, its full on, I have never seen so many people on a beach in my life”, “There must be 20 to 30 thousand people here at least, easy” Kate Fitzsimons describes it as a party with “No police, no parents, no rules, no limits”.

The crew then goes undercover to bring images of binge drinking, drugs, sex and the dangerous stunts that they say go on all night long. When asked by the reporter if Australians die here Father Michael responds “oh hell yeah”

Ben McCormack tell his viewers “If you thought Bali was bad just wait till you see this” and points out that the revelers entire aim is to get as drunk as they can, not hard in a place where he says offers “hard liquor only” and claims that buckets containing 200ml of vodka mixed with up to two bottles or red bull can be very dangerous. Father Michael says “it’s a bucket of alcohol but what else goes in it in terms of uppers and downers?”. When asked how dangerous the party is he says it is extremely dangers because it is fueled by substances that many of the party goers would not have had any experience of previously and would not recognize the taste of.

One Australian girl admits that she has been offered drugs, then the undercover reported asks a local man if he has drugs for sale, he says he has ecstasy and it costs one thousand baht, he finds several other dealers and one man in a side alley who offers him MDMA, he then comments on how many party goers are breathing in from balloons filled with nitrous oxide otherwise known as laughing gas.

The reporter then heads up to what he calls Mushroom Mountain where he buys a mushroom shake full of hallucinogenic mushrooms, he comments that as he looks around he can see hundreds of people on mushroom shakes.

More dangers lie in the party games the report tells us, such as skipping ropes that have been doused in kerosene and set on fire. One man who is not Australian but got burnt during filming said he only took part because he was so drunk.

Attention then turns to what young Australians’ parents make of them coming to the party one man tells the reporter he booked the trip before he told his parents so they could not stop him going, another young girl said that her parents were very worried and she promised to call them immediately after the part to let them know “I am alive, I made it”.

The focus then shifts to the dangers of cooling off in the black ocean, something one Australian decided to do a few years ago, adecision cost him his life. Jo Welsh was a lovely kid, father Michael said, he went on to say that he did not know what he happened but the elite rugby player lost his life to the party in 2011.

The reporter than watches young drunk Aussies go into the water, he comments on some not being able to stand up right but still manage to hold on to their drinks. One man who comes staggering out of the water, and danger, is quickly led back into the ocean by his friend before he finally collapses in the surf, overcome by the effects of alcohol.

However when asked if the party is dangerous one young female Aussie said not at all, provided you are surrounded by good friends.

Kate Fitzsimons believes that it is Thailand’s no rules attitude that causes the problem and said her sister would never have considered riding a bike with no helmet at home, she says that the rules in Australia are what protects Aussies and the lack of them in Thailand is what causes the dangers. She spends a great deal of her time highlighting the dangers faced by young Australians in schools around the country. She reports telling the kids of Oz that in Thailand there is not the same support systems and medical and emergency services available at home.

As the report comes to a close a bunch of party goes getting onto a water taxi with no lifejackets and safety briefing is observed as well as 12 young Aussies in a tattoo parlor about to immortalize their trip with some tattoos they have no idea how their parents will react to.

The report ends with Ben McCormack saying that “despite the dangers and the deaths and pressure from th Australian government Thai authorities have refused to crack down on what goes on here,

While the dangers were reported no mention was made of the hundreds of thousands of party goers who experience no problems at the monthly full moon parties and no blame was placed on the decisions of those who wish to let it all go on the beach. Although of course it is the responsibility of any party organizers to ensure help is on hand in the event of an emergency surely some responsibility must fall onto the shoulders of anybody who takes the decision to get drunk or stoned, or get on a motorbike with no helmet in any foreign land, even if they would never consider doing such things at home, which judging by some of the party goes from Australia, seems unlikely.

You can watch the Channel 9 report by clicking here

-- Samui Times 2014-12-11

[daoyai]

Ho- hum, it is a rite of passage for some, drinks, drugs and gathering at the beach has been going on for a couple thousand years, the human species still survives.... if only the music were better...

[Squeegee]

It's a not so new Role-Playing Game called Retards & Reactionaries.

[terryp]

its about time all forigners were banned from thailand ..how dare they make the thais do these things like selling drugs etc

[Suriya4]

This film will promote more young tourist to thailand. Thank you.

[ExPratt]

Kids like to enjoy themselves, but need some kind of protection from themselves also. Having that many people in an uncontrolled environment with access to drink ans drugs is an accident waiting to happen. We had similar "Parties" in the UK in 88 and 89 which the Government shut down, funnily enough not many people were drinking though'

Its a massive money maker I'd imagine and no one is going to do much about it , until there's a serious enough incident

[sscsamui]

This story of the Fully moon Party and all that goes on is very true and there is much more and dangerous activities that happen there as well. I use to go to the parties many many years ago and they where fun 20 25 years ago. But.... It is not the same and yes i am older... I truly would be for banning the Full Moon Party.... There is a lot of people making Big money and Yes the local police and Stuffing there pockets full of it. This is why it is still going on each month with no police presents.

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan have helmet laws but are not enforced except maybe once a month when the police need to make payments for their kids school or for some jewelry for the Mia noi. Also the roads are the worse in all of Thailand. This contributes to the many road fatalities and accidents that accrue daly. I have lost many friend from motor bike accidents here on Samui...

Keep smiling and be Safe people....

[mihalis]

CH 9, must not have to many news options in Australia, i dare say, going undercover at rave parties, where that young girl died not so long ago would be better..

[harrycallahan]

Everyone should know that in Australia A Current Affair (and it's deceased sibling Today Tonight RIP) are infamous for their trash journalism. Does provide good fair for comedians though, who have even gone so far as to produce an entire parody series around the format.

[Manbing]

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CH 9, must not have to many news options in Australia, i dare say, going undercover at rave parties, where that young girl died not so long ago would be better..

I am not convinced Channel 9 A Current Affair is a credible news source. Their sensationalist rubbish is often inflamatory and spun to create just this type of hype.

[Mavrix]

Rubbish reporting on a rubbish program on a rubbish TV Station.....l will give them one thing....they are consistent with their content....which of course is rubbish !

[Khun Paul]

AS the reporrt states it is up to the individual, but also the authorities should have some back up in case of emergencies, I saw NO mention of any BACK-UP services for the badly injured etc, if the amount fo ,naey being made is true then one would think they would provide something. Which knowing Thailand I doubt if they do or even will.

[Suradit69]

This story of the Fully moon Party and all that goes on is very true and there is much more and dangerous activities that happen there as well. I use to go to the parties many many years ago and they where fun 20 25 years ago. But.... It is not the same and yes i am older... I truly would be for banning the Full Moon Party.... There is a lot of people making Big money and Yes the local police and Stuffing there pockets full of it. This is why it is still going on each month with no police presents.

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan have helmet laws but are not enforced except maybe once a month when the police need to make payments for their kids school or for some jewelry for the Mia noi. Also the roads are the worse in all of Thailand. This contributes to the many road fatalities and accidents that accrue daly. I have lost many friend from motor bike accidents here on Samui...

Keep smiling and be Safe people....

Yes and the Thai police fly to Australia and drag all these people onto the planes and force them to party against their will in Thailand. I'm sure these same kids back in Australia are models of decorum, never get drunk and never have road accidents. Probably the hospitals there don't even have emergency rooms for lack of need.

[virtualtraveller]

Are you kidding me. Australia has 5 of the world's 10 deadliest spiders, go swimming in the seas and you might get permanently paralysed by the Irkunji jelly fish, bar-room brawls are far more likely, and you can die of thirst if you broke down in the outback. No, I wouldn't recommend setting foot in Australia. Nope, never!

[Emster23]

Species goes on, it's individuals who die. Darwinism in action (unless they've already bred. Then they are expendable.)

[catmaninoz]

The real tragedy is if anyone ever takes "ACA" seriously.

How many died that night?

More fodder for the Helen Lovejoy crowd.

Kids will be kids. Live and let live. Etc.

[Tanlic]

You let thousands of young people loose anywhere and anything can happen and it's nothing new........there are 60-70 year old Woodstock veterans who would right at home at a full moon party.

Where on earth do they get the figure an Aussie dies in Thailand every 4 days? Unless there was a tour buss full of abo's went over a cliff in Chiang Mai recently I find that hard to swallow.

Even if it is correct it's 92 people a year and probably, knowing the way the media love to exaggerate, probably 85 of them died from heart attacks when rooting while drunk as skunks

[hkt83100]

Sorry, but to me it sounds more or less a reporter complaining about people who leave their brain back home when going on holiday.

[Bkungbank]

Well, if compare with sharks, box jellyfish and killer whale in Australia , I think full moon party are much safer.

[SOTIRIOS]

....the ones 'in the know' risk nothing...it is the ignorant, trusting foreigners that are in peril...

...if drugs or who-knows-what are mixed into the drinks.....and people know about it...why is nothing done about it....

[Johnsy]

process of natural selection I think.....

[jayjayjayjay]

Ben McCormack wanted to go to the Full Moon Party and he worked out how to get his employer to pay. Great promotion for the FMP, expect the number of Aussie youth to quadruple as Nanny State Queensland suppresses Schoolies week!!

[PaulHamon]

Australia is a bubble-wrapped country.

[asdecas]

FMPs - tedious thirty years ago, tedious today.

[Card]

If ever proof was needed of the Theory of Evolution by natural selection, then this is it.

[gemini81]

Wonder what he engaged in once he turned off the camera? Why not expose one's country's own flaws before flying overseas and acting shocked at what is already documented?

[Tropicalevo]

Where on earth do they get the figure an Aussie dies in Thailand every 4 days?

If an Aussie dies every four days - stop reviving him!

Sorry - it is difficult for me to take this article seriously. I mean, just look at the headline

Australia’s Channel 9 goes undercover at the Full Moon Party to produce a damning report

Says it all really. Why go undercover? Just buy a ticket. (Images of famous reporter in disguise creeping around the FMP. What a joke.)

[moe666]

Thats why many of us like Thailand you are responsible for yourselves if you get in trouble up to you.

[normac44]

Just another biased report by Channel 9 without doing too much prior investigation.Have seen similar segments on their 60 minutes show about Pattaya, Phuket etc.

They picked out the worst people they could find and asked stupid questions. Saying it is worse than Bali is garbage. They are both the same, just different currency. Channel 9 can not

get anything right.They don't even televise my football team live in to Melbourne when they play here in Melbourne.They are so biased.

[Toscano]

Frankly , I don't care if they all drop dead a a Full Moon Party . The human race is pretty disgusting and their loss of life will be good for population control .