Koh Phangan
The name Koh Phangan derives from the word “ngan”, meaning ‘sand bar’ in southern Thai, for there are many sand bars offshore.
Koh Phangan has been a longtime favorite of past kings of Thailand. Rama V, or Chulalongkorn, for example, visited Koh Phangan 14 times during his reign.
The Bronze Drum of Dongson Culture (500–100 BCE) that was found on Ko Samui in 1977 is evidence that there were settlements of people on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and their islets more than two thousand years ago.
Some historians and archaeologists believe that the first group who migrated to Koh Phangan were Austronesian peoples who travelled by boat from the Malay Peninsula.
In popular culture
The Full Moon Party is a monthly dance music festival set on Hat Rin Nok Beach scheduled every month at full moon. The event primarily features electronic music and attracts
around 30,000 party-goers in a normal month.
Steps are being taken to make Koh Phangan a more family-friendly tourist destination, promoting the island’s natural attractions and also stepping up the police presence; road blocks with stop and search procedures are commonplace and undercover police also patrol parties.
There are also a Half Moon Party and Jungle Experience Party held every month. They take places in the jungle inland from Ban Tai requiring tuk-tuk, taxi or bike transport to and from.
Koh Phangan’s nightlife had a strong influence on the development to tourist industry by regular parties with local and International guest DJ’s:
Techno and House music: LightHouse
and Loi Lay Floating Bar.
Psytrance music: Ban Sabai Party.
The song “Vision in Blue” on the album The Golden Ratio by Ace of Base mentions Koh Phangan.
DJ/producer Ashley Wallbridge titled his 2012 song “Kopanang”, an anglicized version of Koh Phangan.
Best Things to Do
in Koh Phangan
Most of Koh Phangan’s attractions and activities are closely related to nature. From beaches to waterfalls to viewpoints, Koh Phangan offers a great holiday destination for those with a penchant for exploration. The expansion of tourism also brought some new opportunities for fun activities and adventures on the island.
