Will Koh Pha Ngan remain Koh Pha Ngan without full moon party?

[HooHaa]

let me reiterate:

The Full Moon Party has NEVER been cancelled, some of the ancillary were shut down for a few weeks.

To say it again - THE FULL MOON PARTY WAS NEVER CANCELLED.

[Lissos]

Glad that some people corrected Bendejo's comment that Backpackers don't make reservations. Not so. Most have been forced into the culture of booking as accommodations began to go online, and so have I had to adapt to this in certain parts of the world and in some seasons. The old days of competition where everybody arrived all at once at a bus / train station / pier and whoever got to rooms first got the rooms, are largely over. You can rush all you like, only to hear that the last room was grabbed by a couple of Swedes who booked it months ago and will arrive leisurely later that day from the airport.

In some areas like Thailand I find there is still usually enough places nearby off the online system, but in some expensive cities (even islands) if you don't get with the programming and book online you can be left out in the cold (or paying through the nose for pricier accommodation nearby)

[Kiwisailor]

Glad that some people corrected Bendejo's comment that Backpackers don't make reservations. Not so. Most have been forced into the culture of booking as accommodations began to go online, and so have I had to adapt to this in certain parts of the world and in some seasons. The old days of competition where everybody arrived all at once at a bus / train station / pier and whoever got to rooms first got the rooms, are largely over. You can rush all you like, only to hear that the last room was grabbed by a couple of Swedes who booked it months ago and will arrive leisurely later that day from the airport.

In some areas like Thailand I find there is still usually enough places nearby off the online system, but in some expensive cities (even islands) if you don't get with the programming and book online you can be left out in the cold (or paying through the nose for pricier accommodation nearby)

This may be true in high season, but we always travel in low or shoulder season and never need to book in advance. The only exceptions are KPN around full moon (and we avoid the island at that time anyway) and also BKK where we have a preferred guesthouse where it is almost impossible to get a walk-in room at any time of the year.

[jaywalker]

Maybe it's just time for a change. I have been many times and for long periods on Ko Phangan, but not anymore since some years. Haad Rin once was a really lovely beach, but now it's completely overbuilt. Parties had been very atmospheric, but then it changed to booze to death. Other beaches have also changed a lot, but not as heavy as Haad Rin.

I went to Haad Rin 16 yrs ago. Even then, a week before the FMP, there was place on the beach which pumped out techno music (with a beat triple the speed of Satisfaction). It's insane volume dominated the beach to such an extent, that for hundreds of meters in any direction, no on could have a conversation without shouting. At the north end of the beach, there was a dump spot at water's edge, with thousands of empty green Heineken bottles, many of them broken. I left to never return.

I went there in 2005, totally oblivious that Full Moon Parties even existed. Booked a room on Had Leela, thank heavens NOT Had Rin), as it was....a full moon when I was there.

Insanely loud techno thump-thump-thump all day that got annoying, from 400 yards away.

It'll be a Cold Day in Hades before I go back. I was 37 at the time, so whilst not a youngster idiot, I wasn't an old geezer either (like I am now).

I stayed for four days or so. It was amazing to watch the speedboat lights (those speedboats that had lights) at night running back and forth to Samui. They looked like the Starship Enterprise jumping into warp as it was just a big blur.

3 or 4 Swedish tourists died while I was there due to a speedboat steering cable breaking at warp speed and capsizing at said speed. Boat was rated for 2 engines, but had 3.

[spidermike007]

Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani:- Wannee said the full moon party had negative image in the past but now the party has changed so she would like the society to change their attitude towards full moon party.

Slashing 2 decades from a killers sentance before the original ink had dried and the general indifference shown each time tourists are maimed, assaulted or murdered fuel that image...

Thankfully the tech-savvie audience and their parents are finally getting the message that KPG frankly isn't safe.

If KPG is not considered safe, where does Dark Tao fit into this safety model? It is infinitely more dangerous than KPG, due to the serial killer running loose.

[jaywalker]

Glad that some people corrected Bendejo's comment that Backpackers don't make reservations. Not so. Most have been forced into the culture of booking as accommodations began to go online, and so have I had to adapt to this in certain parts of the world and in some seasons. The old days of competition where everybody arrived all at once at a bus / train station / pier and whoever got to rooms first got the rooms, are largely over. You can rush all you like, only to hear that the last room was grabbed by a couple of Swedes who booked it months ago and will arrive leisurely later that day from the airport.

In some areas like Thailand I find there is still usually enough places nearby off the online system, but in some expensive cities (even islands) if you don't get with the programming and book online you can be left out in the cold (or paying through the nose for pricier accommodation nearby)

2001 - 2004...granted the internet was still in its infancy in Thailand as far as connections went. Dial up was the best you could get.

MANY-MOST hotels had stupid websites with a stupid "Enter our Site" (Crimony who ever came up w/ that) button.

My friends would email to book a room. Show up & "no hab loom".

I have had to drive to a hotel and confirm, in person, somebody's hotel "loom" more than once.

I once booked a Hertz rental car in Seoul via a USA travel agent. Got to the airport & they said "No Hab. That's Hertz America" .

============

Booking anything online in Asia is rolling the dice, especially backpacker joints.

[Lissos]

2001 - 2004...granted the internet was still in its infancy in Thailand as far as connections went. Dial up was the best you could get.

MANY-MOST hotels had stupid websites with a stupid "Enter our Site" (Crimony who ever came up w/ that) button.

My friends would email to book a room. Show up & "no hab loom".

I have had to drive to a hotel and confirm, in person, somebody's hotel "loom" more than once.

I once booked a Hertz rental car in Seoul via a USA travel agent. Got to the airport & they said "No Hab. That's Hertz America" .

============

Booking anything online in Asia is rolling the dice, especially backpacker joints.

Sounds about right, yes. I booked a cheap room online in Bangkok a few days ago and all went well though. My loom existed upon arrival. It was through booking.com but I have heard cases in other parts of the world where people have arrived with Booking.com print outs and it isn't honoured (some excuse comes).

I can imagine it being common in parts of Asia. It has been years since I've been in India for example but they had a habit of just taking phoning booking on top of booking for one room just in case one cancelled. Once everyone did show up on the day, the games began. I remember getting into internet in Thailand around 2002 or so, but it was years before I got with the program and ever booked online or phoned ahead. I was kind of pushed into it after finding no cheap options left in somewhere like Norway or Jerusalem (or both, perhaps) on some occasions.

I still prefer the old way but