Haad Rin is the name of the main tourist town on the tropical island of Koh Phangan. In the 1970s when the islands in the Samui Archipelago were being visited for the first time by backpackers Haad Rin was the natural choice to host the early visitors to Koh Phangan. It is the only area in Koh Phangan with both a sunset and a sunrise beach. 40 years on Haad Rin and Koh Phangan has become world famous for the Full Moon Party. Things have changed a lot in that time, so is Haad Rin still cool?
The type of visitor to Haad Rin has changed dramatically. Whereas, the early visitors were backpackers who wanted cheap and basic bungalows on the beach, now the town of Haad Rin is dominated by mid-range resorts and 3 star hotels. There are no real luxury hotels in Haad Rin, rather there are several resorts offering air-con rooms with TV, fridge and hot water and a communal pool. Every year there are less $15 a night places to stay in Haad Rin. The town and beaches of Haad Rin seem to be set up almost entirely for those young people who want swimming pools and air-con but who cannot afford private pool villas and fine dining.
The town of Haad Rin is packed with shops, restaurants, bars and guest houses. There is a good selection of restaurants to choose from – Japanese, Scandinavian, Israeli, Thai and English food are all available. Even when there is no imminent full moon the bars of Haad Rin offer plenty of diversion and different types of music.
On the down side there a number of bars in Haad Rin, especially on Haad Rin Nok beach that play their music very loud late into the night even though the bars are empty. This is a problem not just in Haad Rin but many places in Thailand. The police ignore the locals’ pleas to do something about the noise. If you find your bungalow is near a loud sound system playing to an empty bar the Thais working there will show you zero sympathy. For me this attitude reflects how tourist hubs like Haad Rin treat all holiday makers as merely sources of money.
