The east coast of Koh Phangan is probably the least renowned on the party island for its parties. All the big parties happen in Haad Rin and Baan Tai. In Chaloklum on the north coast there are a few lively bars and a jam night at Omega bar. On the West coast you can party the night away at Rasta Home (Haad Yao), Jack’s Bar (Haad Yao) and Eagle Bar (Haad Yao). You can also attend a free beach rave at Pirates Bar on Haad Chao Phao 2 days before the Full Moon Party. Hin Kong has open mike nights on Wednesdays and band nights on Saturdays at the Jam Bar. All of these venues and events cast the east coast as the least interesting in terms of night life.
This is particularly true since Thong Nai Pan Noi dismantled its nightlife – Hideaway closed in 2012 and Jungle Bar is a shell of its former self. The mantle of the TNP party beach was never really adopted in Yai – Game Bar is too laid back and sophisticated to really get the house jumping, and Funky Buddha only opens when it fancies – which is not often.
This leaves only one contender for the accolade of the best party on the east coast: that is Guy’s Bar in Haad Tian. Every Friday they have an all night party. The party features resident DJs as well as the semi-famous Peter G who does the Blue and Green Sramanora Waterfall Party in Ban Kai. It is a free party and it is well attended not just by a horde of Haad Rin party-people but also by the ex-pats on the island.
It is a simple bar with a corrugated tin roof, wooden furnishings and low seating and cushions – very much in a traditional Koh Phangan vein. The power for the party is from a generator.
Haad Tian is a typical east coast beach in that it is small, without an off-shore coral reef and isolated. Normally, the beautiful beach is populated by just a few people staying at one of a couple cheap bungalow resorts or the New Age Sanctuary.
You can only get to Haad Tian beach by longtail boat or 5 km jungle trek from Haad Rin. Few taxi drivers will attempt the dirt road to Haad Tian and certainly not at night to carry drunken party people. The majority of those who go to the Friday night party at Guy’s Bar come by longtail boat and stay all night and take a boat back to Haad Rin.
People choose the east coast to escape the cares of the world and the noise of the party scene, but for one night in Haad Tian something of the colour, beats and insanity of the Haad Rin/Ban Tai party zone happens on the east coast.
This is particularly true since Thong Nai Pan Noi dismantled its nightlife – Hideaway closed in 2012 and Jungle Bar is a shell of its former self. The mantle of the TNP party beach was never really adopted in Yai – Game Bar is too laid back and sophisticated to really get the house jumping, and Funky Buddha only opens when it fancies – which is not often.
This leaves only one contender for the accolade of the best party on the east coast: that is Guy’s Bar in Haad Tian. Every Friday they have an all night party. The party features resident DJs as well as the semi-famous Peter G who does the Blue and Green Sramanora Waterfall Party in Ban Kai. It is a free party and it is well attended not just by a horde of Haad Rin party-people but also by the ex-pats on the island.
It is a simple bar with a corrugated tin roof, wooden furnishings and low seating and cushions – very much in a traditional Koh Phangan vein. The power for the party is from a generator.
Haad Tian is a typical east coast beach in that it is small, without an off-shore coral reef and isolated. Normally, the beautiful beach is populated by just a few people staying at one of a couple cheap bungalow resorts or the New Age Sanctuary.
You can only get to Haad Tian beach by longtail boat or 5 km jungle trek from Haad Rin. Few taxi drivers will attempt the dirt road to Haad Tian and certainly not at night to carry drunken party people. The majority of those who go to the Friday night party at Guy’s Bar come by longtail boat and stay all night and take a boat back to Haad Rin.
People choose the east coast to escape the cares of the world and the noise of the party scene, but for one night in Haad Tian something of the colour, beats and insanity of the Haad Rin/Ban Tai party zone happens on the east coast.
