KARON'S first commercial full moon party was showing signs of lighting up tonight as the crowd swelled and the music grew louder.

Ot did the music swell as the crowd grew louder? We couldn't be sure . . . however, one thing was clear. There were going to be quite a few people for whom the night would become less clear as it wore on.

The Chang Regatta Moonlight Night will be a test for the formula of dance parties on Karon beach, especially as it's part of the King's Cup Regatta 2009. There were some obvious differences by comparison with the highly successful two-night Roy Fest earlier in the year.

The sound level at both events was equally high, but while the Roy Fest was free, there was a 300 baht admission charge for last night's replay.

And there was a much greater emphasis on alcohol, with a welcome drink included in the price and large bars selling Chang and Mekhong Whisky.

It was the first time we'd seen buckets of booze on sale on Phuket. Maybe we've led sheltered lives, but buckets have been more often associated with Phi Phi and other smaller island's full moon parties.

We headed home early to provide this article and photographs of the beach party as it was warming up. How warm did it get?

Are the neighbors going to complain about the noise? Did some of the happy throng have too much booze? Tell us what you thought in the comment box below.

The beaches definitely seem to be becoming the favored music venue for the multitude. There's another one, this time free, on Patong beach on December 10, according to a Facebook promotion . . . and the closing time, the Facebook entry says, is 3am.

Will people be off their faces? Is the beach party here to stay? What about the noise? Should we stay up late to try one? Please let us know what you think.