This is the one many of us are waiting for.

From 22–25 October 2026, Rainbow Weekend returns with beach parties, pool parties, themed nights, merit-making, beach cleanups and the familiar migration of friends, regulars and beautiful strangers back to one of Thailand’s favorite island escapes.

If you have been before, you already know.

If you haven’t, pack lightly.

Pavilion Resort Pool Party, which is usually where the weekend starts losing any remaining sense of formality.

The weekend gets underway with Red Carpet on 22 October, before things get more interesting on the 23rd with Ebony & Ivory.

The dress code is refreshingly simple. Black and/or White, for reasons I’ll leave to your imagination.

Then, Silver Sand turns rainbow for Pride Night, while The Final, billed as “the last fun party of the year”.

At night, the trees around Silver Sand glow with colored lights, music spills across the sand and the beachfront starts to feel like an enchanted forest with better bodies and stronger drinks.

That is the Samet I know.

But one of the things I have always appreciated about this weekend is that it is not only about nightlife.

A merit-making activity will be held on Saturday, 24 October at 2:00 p.m., and beach cleanups are part of the weekend too.

Merit-making at Wat Ko Kaew Phitsadan

Those cleanups matter.

Every night, thousands of people enjoy the beach. Every morning, somebody has to make sure it still looks like paradise.

The Enchanted Forest

That quiet effort is one of the most appreciated parts of the weekend, and it says something good about the community that has grown around this event.

The other great Samet tradition, of course, is trying to find a room.

At the moment, many places appear heavily booked, particularly around Silver Sand, Ao Phai and Tubtim.

That does not necessarily mean you are out of luck.

Rooms have a funny way of appearing at the last minute.

Someone cancels. Someone changes plans. Someone booked for a friend who suddenly cannot come. Then a post appears on Facebook and, ten minutes later, the room is gone again.

So if you are still looking, keep looking.

Samet rewards persistence.

The weekend has grown over the years, but it still feels remarkably personal.

You see old friends, familiar bartenders, regular visitors and people you met years ago and somehow only ever see on this island.

Bird and Dr Scott, catching up during Ko Samet’s Rainbow Weekend.

One of the people helping keep that spirit alive is Samart “Bird” Henthanont, one of the driving forces behind Rainbow Weekend and someone who genuinely cares about the island, the community and the people who return year after year.

That combination is what makes the weekend work.

Yes, there are parties.

Yes, there will be very little clothing.

Yes, Silver Sand will be packed.

But there is also friendship, tradition, merit-making, beach cleanups and a sense that, for a few days, half of Bangkok has relocated to the same stretch of sand.

And that is exactly why we keep coming back.

October 22–25. Koh Samet.

Black.

White.

Rainbow.

See you on the beach.