No more beach parties in Surat Thani province except for Koh Phangan Full Moon Party

The famous Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan was in danger but it passed through the ban on all beach parties in the province of Surat Thani in southern Thailand. Given the institution that it has become among foreigners and the income it generates, we are not surprised !

The ban on beach parties was ordered by the governor of Surat Thani, Chatpong Chatphuti for the security of tourists. But the famous Full Moon Party that takes place every month on Haad Rin beach in Koh Phangan, is spared.

This ban is officially part of Thai authorities efforts to put an end to vice and illegal activities that put Thailand’s tourist image in danger, Mr. Chatpong said in his order.

But Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan are known for numerous injuries and ethyl comas. But no ban due to its big popularity among tourists. Many of them visit the country specifically to participate. If there is a record number of small clinics and two radiology centers in Haad Rin, it is surely because it is very safe of course. I have nothing against the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan but ban all beach parties and keep only the most dangerous one (there are also stories of rape, see eg this article from September 2013) under the pretext you want to preserve the safety of tourists, this is ridiculous !

A Koh Phangan all other parties with “Moon” in the name are also prohibited.

This ban follows the murder of a couple of English tourists a few weeks ago in Koh Tao. The investigation has been heavily criticized. The obsession of the authorities to pass the message that Thailand is a safe country for tourists led them to announce several ridiculous actions and decisions. So the inconsistency of this one is not really surprising …