Eating on Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan (also spelled Ko Pha-ngan) is the island north of Koh Samui, in Surat Thani province, known for its monthly Full Moon Party; its district also includes Ko Tao. Most of what keeps you well there is the same as anywhere in Thailand: food cooked to order and served hot, no ice you can’t trace, no raw freshwater fish or raw pork. That advice, along with vaccines, food allergies and emergency numbers, is on our page on eating safely in Thailand. What is different on Koh Phangan is a water supply that runs short in dry spells, a party where drinks are the main risk, and a single public hospital for a population that swells with visitors.

On the map, restaurants shown as Low concern are places where our review found no food-safety concern in the last 12 months. It is a starting point for choosing where to eat, not an inspection or a guarantee, so check with the restaurant if you have an allergy.

Can you drink the tap water on Koh Phangan?

No, drink sealed bottled water. Health agencies advise travelers against tap water across Thailand, and Koh Phangan has a reason of its own: water is scarce.

• Where it comes from. The island’s mains water is run by the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA), Koh Phangan branch, and produced at two sites: the Khao Chak Thong water production station and the Ban Tai RO station, which supplies Ban Tai subdistrict, including Thong Sala and Hat Rin.
• Rationed in dry spells. In October 2025, the PWA announced that because of drought, a long break in the rains and very hot weather, many villages would get water only on alternate days, from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. or midnight. In June 2026 it went further: after a dry spell and extreme heat since February, raw water at both stations had fallen to a critical level, and until early August villages got water one day in six or every other day, from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• What that means in your room. The PWA asked residents to store enough water in containers for the days without supply. When the mains are off, your guesthouse runs on whatever is in its tank, which you can’t check. Use sealed bottled water for drinking and for brushing your teeth, and wash your hands with soap and bottled water, or use hand sanitizer, if the tap runs dry before you eat.

The PWA posts each new schedule on its website and answers questions on its 1662 hotline. For ice and refilled bottles, see our guide to tap water and ice when traveling.

Full Moon Party: what to watch in your glass

The Full Moon Party is held every month on Koh Phangan, and the risk there is in the drinks more than in the food.

• Spiked drinks. Germany’s Federal Foreign Office reports that the monthly Full Moon Party on the island north of Koh Samui has already seen several fatal incidents, and rapes of tourists under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and that drinks laced with drugs are used in bars and clubs, sometimes with fatal results.
• When the risk is highest. The UK government says that drink spiking and drug-assisted sexual assault happen in tourist areas around Thailand, with male and female victims, and that attacks are most common during full moon parties or similar events, and near bars late at night. Canada’s government advises being careful at night in entertainment areas, including on Koh Pha Ngan, and particularly during full moon parties.
• What to do. Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers, be wary of drinks, snacks or gum from new acquaintances, and seek medical attention at once if you think you have been drugged (Government of Canada).
• Methanol. Alcoholic drinks containing methanol have killed people in Thailand, and it can’t be detected by taste or smell (UK government): buy drinks in sealed bottles or cans from places you trust. The Thailand page has more on homemade alcohol.

Is there a hospital on Koh Phangan?

Yes. Koh Phangan Hospital is the island’s public hospital; in an emergency, call 1669 for an ambulance. When Thailand’s Office of the Ombudsman looked into public health on the island (in a report published in 2022), it found:

• More beds, but a budget for residents only. The hospital had grown from 10 to 30 beds, but its budget was calculated on the resident population, without the large number of tourists who also use it. It had also shared part of its budget and resources with Ko Tao’s hospital.
• Equipment and transfers. The Ombudsman said the hospital had to improve its patient rooms, its medical equipment and its patient referral system, the way patients are sent on to larger hospitals. A foundation set up in 2020 has since funded new equipment.

Plan for a possible transfer: the UK government advises travel insurance that covers local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation, and warns that all hospitals in Thailand require a guarantee of payment before treating patients. Have your insurer’s emergency line ready before you need it.

If food makes you ill, the warning signs that mean seeing a doctor are in our guide to food poisoning while traveling. On Koh Phangan, act on them by day rather than at night, and before you board a boat: in the rainy months, which come later on this side of the Gulf (see the Thailand page), rough seas can cancel crossings, as our Ko Tao page explains.