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

[samsensam]

thank goodness no one was around filming and poking around into what i was getting up to when i was younger! and i didnt turn out too bad

how about filming and publicising what some of the more 'mature' visitors to thailand (who should know better) get up to?!

[gemini81]

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...

I refused as a kid to take part in any of these "rites of passage" as a result I didnt keep many friends............the main one always was "hes boring"

Refuse to be a sheep, not easy in many places.

While 1% come to stare at a river and be a missionary, the other 99% come for fun and missionary position. That's what makes it Thailand isn't it?!

[mataleo]

" He says that on average one Australian dies in the country every four days with scores more injured every day."

is that accurate truth ? is it ? Thats pretty high tho...

[ThaiSanookGuy]

Nothing new except the next monkey crackdown soon...

[maidee]

how hard would it be for police to find the drug dealers? or are they part of the problem (ahum ahum)

[empireboy]

Not saying more care shouldn't be taken here but contrariwise Australia in my view has some of the trashiest journalists I've ever come across... and I have lived or long-stayed in quite a number of countries and observed the differences over the past 40 years... I've had three of my own personal good friends have their businesses irreparably damaged by the marauding Australian Press parading as the flag bearers of community best interest.

The 'Tall-Poppy Syndrome' is very much alive and thriving still in Australia, a country still affected by the values of petty criminals who spent their days in confined quarters all wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, and having pretty much the same regimen on a daily basis.

Now their grandchildren and great grandchildren in many instances still have the mentality of, if you have something I don't have, you're obviously "sucking up to the boss or you're breaking the rules somehow" and this subtle but perverse mentality still pervades the consciousness of progeny only a few generations on, and accordingly, too many of them critically tear down anything that looks like a success if they don't have it themselves!

Thankfully, inspite of their dark recent history, there are many fabulously wonderful Aussies as well.

[micmichd]

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

So, those Aussie kids probably claim a free will, even the right for collective suicide at Full Moon parties. I would let them go, it's just an initiation ritual to jump into and surive dangerous situation. This generation gap is not even modern, ancient Greeks already complained about their youth. Let them go,travel and adventure are symptoms of growing up.

Of course, Aussie institutions should hold responsible for them.

Not necessarily by holding them back, but certainly by paying the bill for necessary steps to rescue them.

[Tchooptip]

Well I'll be damned. This is the most pro thai comments I have seen ever.

Well done.

Yes true I can hardly believe it !

[Loles]

But be fair please!

These Aussy youths come here about drink and drug @ party. I have seen this by my own eyes, many times.

[Stradavarius37]

Hell - sounds like fun! I want to go now!!!!

[stevehaigh]

sounds like they should have called the film, "the nanny state goes on holiday"

[kalbz]

Typical Australian do-gooders, always trying to spoil the party. Better send to thailand a squad of their "fun police". How dare young people have fun, should keep outlawing it.

I was seriously injured for life in an accident while partying too hard when i was young. But i am responsible for my own actions, i paid the price. That does not mean all others should stop having fun. Sure there will be nasty things happen, but that's life, "sh*# can happen". They are only young once, stop wrapping them in cotton wool.

Seems to me the Aussies are running out of parties to shut down so they looking further afield for others to crash. The Aussies who don't like it can stay home in their fascist like state and watch re-runs of "home and away".

[TianBlade]

What a preposterous and arrogant attitude, and so typical of Western media:

"... 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."

It is them who are not being able to take care of their lifes themselves to blame. If you can't cope with that kind of freedom to take decisions that matter for your life yourself, than better stay home in the first place. Or even better, stay locked up in your room your whole life, because it is too dangerous out there.

Before blaming others and Thailand, just deny them leaving their beloved nanny country. That would solve a lot of problems in the first place.

[basinboy]

This is an extract from an article in The Courier Mail (Brisbane) 20 September 2014:

Thailand tops the list of deadly destinations, with 120 fatalities – nearly double the next highest locations, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The reason was the “sheer numbers” of Australians travelling there, DFAT Consular and Crisis Management Division first assistant secretary Justin Brown said.

“The number of people coming through Bangkok and Thai holiday spots is very high. And of course, people go to Thailand to retire,” he said.

Overall, Mr Brown said, “The causes of death vary but are similar to those in Australia. Most result from natural causes.”

[connda]

Ahhh, the nanny-state following it's people overseas to write this moralistic piece on 'youth-gone-bad'. 20,000 young tourists voting with their feet to leave the 'nest' in order to play. And of course, "Under-cover". The new paradigm for surveilling citizens. Come on, really? Look at Woodstock. Look at Spring Break in Cancun. Same same. No news media needed to creep around 'under-cover' there to produce a 'youth-gone-bad' piece. Pathetic reporting. Even more pathetic practices. Film in the open: nobody would give a rip.

Edited December 11, 2014 by connda

[minikev]

Every generation has had it's escape and the parents have always protested even Elvis was the devils music according to the press at the time. Let them party. It would be a boring world without a little danger.

[rmacee]

When they arrive they are sober ..They will have seen youtube ..media coverage so if you want to park you brain on the way in ..go for it and see if you come out the other end. NO worse that some European 18-30 resorts ..

[kingstonkid]

Can anyone here remember a couple of other places that are just as deadly just ot maybe as often.

Can you say SPRING BREAK DAYTONA BEACH

Or for my British friends

Can you say Tenerife

[bbbbooboo]

Ummmm.....stupid IS what stupid DOES?

[hansnl]

If anyone wants to visit this kind of parties, up to them.

Why should any authority feel any compulsion to have backup emergency care if things go wrong.

Thailand is not a nanny state, nor should any state take care of idiots who want to play with their lives.

[DrTuner]

Ain't a party unless somebody kicks the bucket.

Too bad I'm too old for that shit, should have experienced it twenty years ago.

[sangfroid]

Channel 9. A bogan TV station catering to bogan Aussies.

[sangfroid]

Can anyone here remember a couple of other places that are just as deadly just ot maybe as often.

Can you say SPRING BREAK DAYTONA BEACH

Or for my British friends

Can you say Tenerife

Or Benidorm?

[shaggy851]

Common sense goes out the window as usual theres those that are risk takers that are drawn to the crazy partying. The same sort of people who jump on motorcycles for the first time, passenger on the back no helmets are the same ones that push the boundaries and drink more, and start doing backflips off rocks. They survive in australia with policing and good hospital services. They dont understand the dangers in foriegn countries, and they lose their lives in places like Laos, Thailand and Indonesia.

[wabothai]

Koh Pangnan party, soo much fun with mass histery of youngsters from all over the world going babanas with alcohol and drugs. I saw the mass left the next day after the party, I felt ashamed.

but I guess I am getting to old to understand this wickedness.

[k9guy62]

No I'm not going to click on this story. In fact this story makes me sick and it makes me angry. Perhaps the Australian News Crew was attempting to do something positive by their actions as they filmed interviewed people participating in the full moon party, but honestly it does not help anyone much less visiting Australian tourists or any tourist for that matter who flock to the full moon parties.

I will put it to you as simply as possible and some may be offended by these two analogies but they are true and they address the point that I am trying to make. If I invited any of you to a dog shit fight because I said to you: Come, it's a lot of fun and no will tell you what to do. Are you going to get mad and angry at the local authorities? I told you it's a dog shit fight and it's fun, but chances are you're going to get dog shit on you during the fight. If I tell you don't put your hand on the hot stove because you will probably get burned and you do it anyway are you going to get mad at my stove and interview yourself because you burned yourself after I told you, that you would get burned?

My friends western society is in decline, very bad decline I might add. It's time we started taking responsibility for our actions. Thailand is a lovely country. I love this place, people are friendly and if you treat the people with respect, they generally return the respect. This is not the Thai government's fault or it's authorities. The fault of the people getting injured and wacked out on drugs is no one else's fault but their own. The <deleted> at Channel 9 take your camera and put it where the sun doesn't shine and perhaps you might find your brains up there and start using some common sense.

[off road pat]

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....

Agreed with everything you said,....exept the roads are not so bad, but the people drive like crazy, and most tourists rent a motorbike without ever having driven one in there own country....If you learn to drive a motorbike on Samui with flip flops on your feet ... this is asking for trouble....And if you don't put on a helmet is asking for more trouble...you can live with a broken arm or leg even two broken arms and two broken legs, but damage to the head is mostly Game over....!!!... I have spent 20 years on and of on Samui and Chiang Mai....and I see the same in Chiang mai....and I also have lost to many friends and people I liked...on the roads in Thailand. RIP all.

Best Regards.

[reptile91602]

This is a lot of fun trashing the Aussies but I have to say from one American idiot, I still love them!

[Equalizer]

The Future of Hadrin Beach. This is a the section of the beach where the Aussie's listen to heavy metal.

http://brotherpriests.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Karsten-Klingbeil-Harnisch-suits-armour-group-large.jpg

[iamariva1957]

Given the present state of affairs here in LOS and the international focus it has had since the Coup and the terrible deaths on Koh Tao along with the what seems like daily instances of reports right here on this site regarding accidents, injuries, and even deaths of Farangs throughout Thailand and the constant failure (or rather total lack of even caring) of the local Plod... this story is appropriate.

However, given the the state of the world as a whole, the fighting, deaths, and misery of the thousands this story rates right up there with the pieces that most news programs save for the end of the broadcast... just before the surfing dog. So surely there has to be some other story that they could have sent a crew to (undercover or not) that would have shown their professionalism to their advertisers (who are far more important than their audience) and so elevate their standing within the news reporting community and in turn given them more credence with us their audience.

But, these parties are a real issue. That is a fact that as a whole, cannot simply be overlooked. The issues of the drinking, the drug use, the crime and the accidents are things that need to be addressed. Then there is the wholesale slaughter of the tourists' cash, belongings, 'innocents', and health. These issues cannot be ignored but then neither can the intelligence and/or stupidity of the individuals that go to these parties with the desire to let their hair down, dance, experience the adventure, or drink themselves into a stupor. So it is a quandary.

But we also have to remember that the number of deaths or injuries recorded here in Thailand (though these numbers are certainly higher given the number that are not reported) though higher (it is being reported) than elsewhere in SEA, they pail in comparison with those recorded in North America and the EU vacation spots. But this does not mean that we here in Thai do not have to respond to the issues that the Australian 'community' is being reported having to face. Though they are not in a unique position, as we all face the same or at least similar issues here in LOS, they are the only ones that seem to be saying anything about it. So for that the Australian station should be recognized for 'doing' something.

I have been many a time to these parties and have to say that what I have seen worries me. Though I like the idea of being able to let oneself go and party, there has to be a level of control and a limit to what can be experienced. But to initiate these controls by any government entity (including the Plod and the TP) certainly here in Thailand will be impossible to say the least. To expect that the tourists and/or the vendors is like pissing into the wind; worthless. So the question remains... what to do?

The only thing that we can rely upon, and that ain't much I grant you, is in fate and hope that those that do go overboard do not experience a hospital ER, having to get a new passport, calling home to ask Mom and Dad for emergency cash, enjoying the confines of a cell, or going into The Light. The only thing we do have is in ourselves. We as the 'older generation' must try to help. For we know better and we have the experience and are able to see beyond the proposed fun.