Buddha Days and the Full Moon Party provide Surat a 5-day holiday rush

Due to Covid-19 in November, the renowned Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin Beach will also take place on Friday, July 15. This will be the first time in more than two years that large crowds of young partygoers will visit the island. Airlines are increasing their travel schedules, with 19 to 24 daily flights booked from Bangkok to Koh Samui Airport and an additional 41 to 52 daily flights scheduled from Bangkok to the nearby Surat Thani Airport. The upcoming 5-day holiday is anticipated to bring financial rewards to the province of Surat Thani in southern Thailand, which is home to the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao. Despite an average stay of 3.89 nights and a 51 percent occupancy rate per TAT, Booking.com says that rooms are 85 percent full during the Full Moon Party. A five-day holiday in Thailand consists of Asanha Bucha Day, which commemorates the Buddha’s first discourse, Buddhist Lent Day on Thursday, which ushers in an amenable Friday, and the weekend. Despite the fact that the Queen Mother’s Birthday holiday on August 12 is NOT a Buddha Day and alcohol is authorized, the celebration was set for next month on August 13. This has led to miscommunications. The TAT projects revenues of 330.16 million Thai baht and 503.12 million foreign baht, which may be akin to the recent controversy regarding hotels in Thailand that have separate pricing for locals and tourists. Many visitors will also seek consolation in the relaxed ambiance of Koh Tao, which is known for its superb scuba diving, as well as the balmy beach resorts of Koh Samui.


This weekend is expected to see 74,182 travelers, comprising around 46,000 Thais and nearly 28,000 foreigners, according to the TAT headquarters. Locals will probably prolong the August Full Moon Party to two days due to the uncertainty. According to their calculations, Thais spend an average of 3,121 Baht a day compared to foreigners’ 3,700 Baht daily. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Surat Thani office estimates that over 70,000 people would visit, spending over 833 million baht. Similar numbers of people visited the Surat Thani islands in April during the Full Moon Party and the end of the Songkran event.