I went to the most insane beach party on the planet - and I've never seen anything like it
Julie West/INSIDER
It takes place once a month (and on major holidays like Christmas and New Year's) on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, an hour's flight from Bangkok. As many as 30,000 people attend the rave, which goes past dawn. Most are tourists from Europe and the US who have come specifically for the event.
The monthly influx has transformed once-sleepy Haad Rin beach into party central. The town's streets are lined with drug stores, clinics, T-shirt shops, hostels, and massage parlors. It has also become more dangerous, with reports of date rape, drowning, and even deadly shootings.
I was in Thailand during the 2016 New Year's Eve bash, and my husband and I decided we couldn't miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And it really was once-in-a-lifetime, because I'd never do it again. At 30, I felt like the oldest, most sober, and least neon person on the beach. But it was awesome to see, just once.
- I got a $40K raise using this 30-second strategy. It made me realize loud work, not hard work, always wins.
- Qatar Airways' new CEO explains why it's sticking with the Airbus A380 as other airlines retire the costly superjumbo
- Prince Harry and Meghan found out about Kate Middleton's cancer diagnosis on TV like everyone else, report says
- Consuming excessive salt and inadequate potassium, protein is making North Indians prone to life-threatening diseases: Study
- Upcoming cars and two-wheelers launching in India in April 2024
- Ice melt in Antarctica and Greenland is slowing Earth's rotation, affecting timekeeping: Study
- Elections on a plate: Poll panels fix menu & expense ceiling for Samosa, tea, biryani & more
- Regenerative farming, cover crops will help farmers increase yields, reduce stubble burning: IDH CEO