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Full Moon Party
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Clearly,
one of Thailand's main attractions is its diversity. Temples,
history and culture nestle safely alongside mountains, valleys,
beaches and nightlife. However, there is yet another dimension
to the kingdom… Thailand is home to the world's biggest beach
parties ever - events that in there own right bring thousands
of people to Thailand's shores every year…
Full
Moon Parties!
The idyllic
paradise of Koh Phangan is host to Thailand's Full Moon Parties
(a series of parties following the lunar cycle). The origin
of the parties is not entirely clear. Depending on who you
ask they started anywhere between 1987 and 1992. What remains
fairly constant in the story is that travelers and backpackers
staying on Koh Phangan came to the conclusion that Haad Rin
was very probably the best place in the world to experience
a full-moon and organized small parties to celebrate the fact.
These parties continued on a low-key basis for a while; just
a group of friends getting together on a regular basis to
celebrate. However, as it does, word spread. Friends of friends
began to turn up, then friends of friends of friends…
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parties spread to bungalows near Haad Rin… and then of course
the rest is history. |
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| Although
the parties became a bit notorious (the drugs scene in the early
days being a major obstacle to people in Thailand genuinely
accepting them) they got bigger and became more sophisticated.
Rather than a crowd of people huddled around a tape deck operated
by a car battery, in came sound systems, and then DJs. Some
of the world's best DJs now descend on Koh Phangan to spin house,
hip-hop, trance and techno to the willing masses. With parties
now bringing in regular crowds of 5,000 and parties held on
key celebrations like New Year's Eve, etc. bringing in upwards
of 12,000 people at a time, the Full Moon Party is now a globally
recognized event. |
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Full Moon Parties' evolution has made them better organized,
better publicized and much safer. They are now multi-venue events,
with upwards of six world-class sound systems operating at any
one time. This year the parties are reaching a new levels which
proposed mega events organized by some of Thailand's key players
on the music scene. |
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| Full
Moon Party Schedule 2005: |
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| 24
Jan / 23 Feb / 24 Mar / 23 Apr / 23 May / 21 June / 23 July
/ 20 Aug 18 Sept / 18 Oct / 16 Nov /16 Dec |
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