It's the simple beach life which continues to attract visitors each year along with the island's reputation for full moon parties and a hedonistic approach to life.

The backpackers, budget tourists and aging hippies are beginning to give way to families and more mainstream tourists as all the beaches are fully developed.

The full moon party consists of tens of thousands in high season - all on the beach. Revelers from all over the world still flock to the world's biggest beach party every month.

The music from the multiple sound systems is made up mostly of electronic styles such as Psytrance, house, techno and drum & bass and a predominantly youthful crowd dance 'til dawn on party nights. It has been reported that western tourists have been victims of unprovoked assaults by gangs on a number of occasions, particularly around the time of the full moon parties late at night in the vicinity of bars in Haad Rin.

Other events such as the Half Moon Party and Black Moon Party also attract large crowds. Despite the special titles the events on the beach are identical every single night.

However, it is still possible to visit the island and avoid the full moon party altogether, with dozens of quiet, secluded resorts and beach huts dotted all over the island for a variety of prices. Many of the more costly resorts offer such facilities as daily yoga, yoga teachers' training, meditation, a variety of healing, healthy & natural therapies, spa massage & pampering services and herbal steam rooms.

Other activities available on the island include scuba diving with a number of companies offering very reasonably priced training courses and excursions, snorkelling, especially off the Mae Haad sandbar in the north west, wakeboarding, archery, fishing, walks in the national park or simply relaxing in the company of other farangs or the friendly locals.