In the north of Koh Samui there is the largest shrine to Buddha this is know as the Big Buddha and measures 15m in height. This statue (erected so that the locals could come and pray to the Lord Buddha) is possibly the main religious tourist attraction in Koh Samui and is always busy, especially during the many Buddhist Ceremonies that take place throughout the year.
One such festival that you really should not miss if you have the opportunity is SongKran or the Water Festival. This takes place throughout the whole of Thailand and is a very happy festival as it represents the Thai New Year (13th – 15th April) when traditionally Thai’s travel home to see their families. The festival is marked by people throwing water at strangers as they pass by and is a great antidote to the warm (sometimes 35+C temperatures) weather at that time off year.
As well as religious festivals, there are also many special days that are dedicated to the Thai Royal Family that are celebrated within Koh Samui Culture, these include:
5th May (Coronation Day)
11th May (Royal Ploughing Day)
12th August (Mothers Day or The Queens Birthday Celebration)
23rd October (Chulalongkorn Day)
5th December (Fathers Day or the Kings Birthday) and
10th December (Constitution Day).
The full moon plays a significant role in many countries with parties,fiestas, and festivals held in its honour, this is true of Thailand where there are many parties and festivals, if you find yourself in Koh Samui around the full moon and wish to partake in the fullness of the festival and dance the night away on a beach then you will be better of leaving the island!
The neighbouring Island of Koh Phangan holds one of the worlds most ‘must do’ experiences every month where there is a massive party (between 10,000 and 20,000 people) on the beach to celebrate the full moon. If you are lucky enough to be able to get a ferry ride or a high speed boat ride over to the island then you will have a magical experience as you dance and listen to live music all night long and watch in amazement as the lanterns are lit and sent up to the sky, this is a spectacular sight
As with all gatherings of this size anywhere in the world, you should take some simple precautions so as to maximise your enjoyment of the event, these should include not getting too drunk so that you don’t know where you are or worse still who you are with! Stay away from drugs, whilst there are a few who might think that taking drugs to a full moon party in Thailand is a good idea, its not. The Thai authorities take a zero tolerance attitude to drugs and if you are caught your will face prison. There are plain clothed Thai Police officers at each full moon party – so be warned.
