Thailand Full Moon Party 2024: Red terror alert for world-famous party in Koh Phangan popular with Brits - why has a warning been issued?

Thai authorities have warned of a plot to carry out a terror attack at a so-called Full Moon Party. Police on Ko Pha Ngan island have bolstered forces amid fears the popular event on Friday (15 November) could be targeted.

Officials are putting in place emergency protocol for 10,000 Israelis on the island who they believe could be under threat. Authorities have been tracking possible plans to attack Israelis staying on Ko Pha Ngan since July 2023, it is understood.

A red alert for a potential terror attack at the famed Full Moon Party scheduled for Friday has now been issued. The all-night beach party event draws huge crowds, and is popular with both British backpackers and young Israelis.

The National Security Council has issued a travel warning for the whole of Thailand. It has urged Israelis to report any suspicious activity, avoid Israeli markings and stay away from crowded gatherings.

The island of Koh Phangan is known for its huge full moon parties, where beaches are packed into the early hours of the morning the night before or after the appearance of a full moon. It is a world-famous beach party in Thailand with music, dancing, and fun under the moonlit sky.

It takes place on Haad Rin Beach on the southern tip of Koh Phangan Island. There will be fire shows, buckets of alcohol, DJs playing a variety of genres, and partygoers covered in neon paint.

The terror warning comes weeks after Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka received a warning to evacuate from the Arguam Bay area due to fears of a terrorist cell operating in the area. According to an indictment filed in the US, Iran planned a mass shooting attack on Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka around the anniversary of the October 7 massacre that sparked a year of brutal fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Iranian national Farhad Shakeri, 51, was charged by the FBI not only with planning to target Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, but also planning an assassination attempt on President-elect Donald Trump. He and two other individuals were arrested in connection with the threat.