Party Zone

The Nation Thailand – Cloud gathers over Koh Pha-Ngan’s Parties


Koh Phangan The Nation 01
The Nation Thailand - Cloud gathers over Koh Pha-Ngan's Parties

Finally, the “party zone” issue on the island of madness, formerly also known as Koh Phangan Paradise Island, has received nation wide recognition by one of Thailand’s leading newspapers “The Nation“ Thailand’s biggest business daily.

Saturday 22nd March 2008 the friendly and supportive team of un-corrupted and un-censored journalists, Oliver Benjamin and Phoowadon Duangmee, from the Thailand nation wide newspaper The Nation, took an even closer look on current “Party Zone” activities on Koh Pha-Ngan Island in the South of Thailand.

Beneath the troubled Moon!

Suddenly Koh Phangan’s rave parties are being shut down early. Is this a peace that will last?

The residents of Koh Phangan and the backpackers who gravitate there see the full moon differently. For the visitors, it’s the signal for a wild and possibly once-in-a-lifetime beach party. For the citizens, it means yet another sleepless night.

The once-quiet little fisherman’s island in the Gulf is now world-famous for the full-moon rave parties that can draw 20,000 young travelers – and plenty of money.

The sheer variety of moon-theme parties on Phangan is amazing, each one touted on loud psychedelic flyers and posters all over the island – the Half Moon, the Black Moon, the Shiva Moon – and each one a bacchanal of all-night techno music, half-naked foreigners and unabashed drug and alcohol indulgence.

The problem, of course, is that not everyone on Koh Phangan wants to dance all night and sleep on the beach all the next day. Most residents are involved in agriculture and everyday commerce and like to get to bed early.

The fat-moon parties used to be lawless enough that huge signs advertising “special mushroom omelettes” and “amphetamine tea” were tolerated, but the local cops began cracking down on drugs and other craziness in the mid-1990s.

Residents of the village of Baan Tai wrote to the governor of Surat Thani last November, complaining that the parties were depriving more than 100 households of sleep.

“What’s worse is the drug dealers who hang around the guesthouses pushing marijuana to the tourists on party nights,” they said, adding that theft was becoming common and more sober-minded tourists were shunning the island.

Then, last Saturday, right out of the blue, everything changed.

The police showed up at the Half Moon Party in Baan Tai and ordered the organizers to shut it down because it was “after hours”. The next night they did the same at the Baan Sabai Day party.

The exact cause for the policy change wasn’t immediately known but, given the massive amounts of money involved, local residents are skeptical that the mandate will hold.

Nevertheless, they see it as a welcome development – a signal that someone is listening to their complaints – and a good precedent for future protests.

“The governor of Surat Thani is concerned about the complaints,” says Colonel Wuthichai Hanhaboon, head of the Koh Phangan Police Station, “so the police stopped several parties and ensured that the revelers would cause no trouble.”

Generated by huge loudspeakers, the dance music can shake the ground for a kilometer in all directions, and for years it seemed to have deafened everyone in authority to whom complaints were directed.

The administrators of Baan Tai School complained about the Black Moon party, and the event was moved into the dense woods of Baan Khai jungle – but attendance dropped, so it was promptly shifted back to its original location.

There was considerable publicity when an irritated nun at Wat Khao Tham managed to shut down the Shiva Moon party, but then she mysteriously withdrew her objections and the techno-thunder resumed as usual.

“We try to bring some order to the parties, but the organizers don’t listen – they’re making a fortune,” says Threerayuth Plaisuwan, head of the civic administration in Baan Tai, home of the original full-moon parties.

“They get Bt300 per ticket, and the corrupt authorities get a Bt100 cut to turn a blind eye to the problem.”

Thus, a handful of people on Phangan bank a bundle of cash from “techno-tourism” while the vast majority suffer the headaches and sleepless nights with nothing to show for it.

“The communities earn hardly anything from the parties since we can’t tax the organizers,” Threerayuth says. “And then we have to pay for the beach clean-up afterwards too!”

A “party zone” has been suggested. Instead of staging the events in or near the central villages of Baan Tai, Baan Nok and Baan Nuea, organizers could get together and carve out a specific area in the dense jungle environs some distance away. Choosing a spot behind natural hillside would muffle the sound.

Critics of the monthly noise assaults find it ironic that the raves are festooned with messages of multiculturalism, tolerance and “getting along”. It’s a message the locals wish the revelers would take to heart – so they can get a decent night’s sleep.

OLIVER BENJAMIN

PHOOWADON DUANGMEE

THE NATION

Below a scan from the original newspaper article published Saturday 22nd March 2008

Koh Phangan The Nation 02
The Nation Thailand - Cloud gathers over Koh Pha-Ngan's Parties

5 thoughts on “The Nation Thailand – Cloud gathers over Koh Pha-Ngan’s Parties

  • Anonymous

    Everybody is talking about party. Are you blind? Look at the pictures, this is the biggest monthly mess the world has ever seen, these events are mega-disasters, a sure recipe for big trouble, total anarchy, … definitely something to celebrate!?!?! is that what the phanganers are so proud of???
    Besides millions of untaxed baht these “parties” are also generating a massive number of fatalities caused by fights, accidents and excessive drug- and alcohol abuse, crime is increasing rapidly. But that dark side is covered as quick as possible and leaves the island only accidentally. All in the name of the Almighty: the money! Congratulations. So come on everybody, let’s pa…aaarty!!!

    Reply
  • Anonymous

    March FMP 2007 – an Israeli tourist stabbed to death.
    March FMP 2008 – an Indian tourist stabbed to death and a Scandanavian rape and a British rape.
    Maybe better to boycott FMP’s during the month of March????
    The Embassies of EU are soon to blacklist Koh Phangan as a no-go zone – then the authorities and businesses on the island will be crying into their empty wallets.
    When is someone in senior authority going to understand that the corruption, coverups, cons, rip-offs and pay-offs undertaken by island officials and police CANNOT continue.
    The Police support the Thai locals and get paid money when a motor vehicle or jet-ski is damaged by the tourist and the poor travellers are having to pay excessive amounts for small damage.
    It is the responsibility of the authorities and police to PROTECT those foreigners visiting this island!
    The FMP needs policeing properly but how can this be achieved when the Police are more corrupt than the criminals?
    When will they start to understand????
    This island is committing suicide and those involved in the corruption deserve what they will get very soon.

    Surat Thani and Bangkok Authorities need to address this URGENTLY! Get onto this island and sort it out – NOW!!!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      Time to move out of there, next year will be haveing an “alternative party” on the mainland-20-30 mins away from Don Sak pier….no more than 1500 party people-back to the old days!!!!stay tuned for more info…..

      Reply
  • Anonymous

    GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS
    “Bluemoon Party”, now in Koh Tao !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      hahahahahaha paaarrrtttyyyyyyy time!!

      Reply

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