Thailand is one of the most visited countries in the world, attracting around 30 million tourists each year. But why do so many people come to Thailand?
Gorgeous beaches, incredible waterfalls, rice fields, temples, culture, activities, and parties! Thailand has some of the biggest and best parties in the world. You’ve probably even heard of some of them before.
Full moon parties, beach parties, boat parties, jungle raves, and street parties. You name it – Thailand has it. But with so much going on, where should you spend your precious time?
Here is my breakdown of the 6 best places to party in Thailand.
1. Koh Phi Phi
In my opinion, Koh Phi Phi has the best parties in Thailand. Despite not being on the same scale as the famous Khao San Road or the Full Moon Party, Phi Phi offers something that these places cannot… the proper beach party experience. It has all the crazy stuff you’d see at the Full Moon Party while being less crowded, more unique, and having much less crime.
Loh Dalum Beach is where the main party happens, where you’ll see a series of bars and party hostels spread down the beachfront. Slinky bar is the most popular, featuring a bucking bronco, cheap drinks, and great music.
Out on the sand, you can get involved in some fire skipping rope or limbo (also on fire), just like the Full Moon Party. I once saw someone set fire to their hair while trying to get under the limbo bar, so yes it is real fire!
The party will live on until early morning when you can either choose to get some sleep or just begin the next day with some activities. Koh Phi Phi is also one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, and thus extremely popular with travelers. There is plenty to do such as kayaking and viewpoint hiking.
If you’re staying in a hostel, I’d try and get into Blanco or Ibiza House Pool Party, since these have the best location and social scene. Just remember to book early on Hostelworld (or booking.com) if you’re going to be there in a popular season.
2. Koh Phangan
A similar vibe to Koh Phi Phi, but on a much bigger scale, more neon paint, and more dangerous. The Full Moon Party is one of the most famous parties in the world, and the main event in Koh Phangan.
If you’ve read my Review of the Full Moon Party, you’ll know that I do believe it to be slightly overrated due to how crowded it is and the number of pickpockets. However, it is still a good time and one of the best parties in Thailand. Despite conflicting opinions on whether it’s worth attending or not, it is definitely the biggest party in Southeast Asia. In fact, the event draws in up to 50,000 people a month!
Additionally, Koh Phangan has some great parties all over the island all year round. Ones that stand out include the beach parties at OXA (especially their full moon pre-party) and Eden Garden Party.
Not only is Koh Phangan the top dog for a big party, but it’s also a very beautiful island. There are some incredible beaches to visit during the daytime. I’d recommend renting a bike so you can do a round trip of the coastline. Be sure to check out Salad Beach and Mae Haad Beach!
3. Bangkok
The most visited City in Southeast Asia, and one of the craziest places to party. Bangkok is well-known for its outrageous nightlife and busy streets where you can go and see some pretty weird stuff. Bangkok is an absolute must-see if you’re visiting Thailand, but a night or two is probably enough.
The main tourist hub of Bangkok is Khao San Road, a large marketplace by day and extremely loud street party by night. It’s here that you’ll find the most famous bars, and sometimes famous people. You’ll find different vibes and genres of music as you sift through the crowds, including that of the ONE at Khaosan, which is shown in the picture above. You can also try a scorpion or a spider on a stick, which I know sounds gorgeous, right?!
When I mention weird stuff, you can probably guess what I’m referring to… One of the things people come to Bangkok for is its ‘ping-pong shows’. In central Bangkok, they are everywhere, and they won’t be hard to find. If you look like a tourist you’ll probably be approached by dozens of reps offering to take you there whilst walking down the street. If you don’t know what this is I’d definitely google it before you consider going to one!
4. Phuket
Segueing on from Bangkok, we have Phuket. It has its own version of Khao San Road called Bangla Road, located in Patong in West Phuket. Patong is the main area for travelers looking for a party and is home to lots of very popular and social hostels.
Bangla Road is a bit like Khao San Road, but slightly less crowded. There are lots of bars and nightclubs, lots of tourists, and lots of buckets of Red Bull and vodka. One thing that gives Bangla Road an edge over Khao San Road is the nightclub called Illuzion. As far as nightclubs go, this is one of the best you’ll find in Phuket. It’s a pretty big venue and has a great vibe.
Phuket also has plenty of Muay Thai boxing events going on all the time. You can grab yourself a drink, place a bet, and enjoy fighters competing from lots of different countries!
Bodega Hostel hosts regular social events and bar crawls, and I would highly recommend it if you’re looking to meet fellow travelers.
5. Koh Tao
Probably my favourite island in Thailand, which is saying something given its competition!
Koh Tao is a stunning little island next to Koh Phangan and Koh Samui off the East Coast of South Thailand. It’s famous for its scuba diving and gorgeous viewpoints, but it’s also a killer night out.
The party hotspot in Koh Tao is the Sairee Beach Area. Here there are several beach bars and clubs to enjoy. The most popular two are called Fish Bowl and AC.
Koh Tao also has some of the best boat parties in Thailand! Being a small island you will end up seeing a lot of the coastline just by attending one of these. It will also stop for breaks so you can dive (or backflip) into the sea!
Check out my other post on why Koh Tao is the best island in Thailand!
6. Pai
Pai is the traveler’s hub of North Thailand, and for good reason. Although the parties in Pai are not on the same scale as some of the other on this list, I had to include it due to how much of a good time I’ve had both times I’ve been.
The main walking street has several small bars which become very lively at night, especially Why Not Bar. The layout makes it perfect for a bar crawl kind of night. You can make a group of friends and hop from bar to bar until you end up at Don’t Cry. It’s a weird name for a bar but it’s a great vibe to end the night.
Pai also has regular jungle parties pretty much every Saturday night (image above). If you stay at Revolution Hostel you can hop on one of the trucks that takes you and your friends to the jungle. I’ve been to a couple of different jungle parties in Pai, some of them better than others. For the most part, they’re a good time, and the best ones even have fireshows! (See video below).
If you’re eager for a party during the day, you can also do tipsy tubing. Essentially it’s a bunch of drunk people floating down a river on rubber rings. It also has a halftime party on the riverbank where you can finally go to the toilet!
Check out my Complete Guide to Pai for everything you need to know!