With its expansive walkways and lake, Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town is ideal for a bit of date night. Evening time is the busiest in the park, with many street vendors offering delicious local foods, including fried noodles and grilled meats. And fried insects too! The View Tian Geng Shrine is also another attraction here. Many lakes and hiking trails surround Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town. Within the park is Saphan Hin Stadium, which is also Phuket’s main sports center and includes:
- A badminton court.
- Tennis and basketball courts.
- A soccer field.
- A swimming pool.
- A petanque court.
Although it doesn’t look like much during the day, at 6 pm, the park transforms into one of the busiest parks in the city. Saphan Hin Park. Visitors can also visit the Kyiv Tien Keng Chinese Shrine and the Prince Chumphon Veterans Memorial Shrine on the park grounds.
Saphan Hin is a seaside park in Phuket, about 3 km southeast of Old Town. The area was once a major trading port and played an essential role in the island’s tin mining industry. Saphan Hin Park is the main venue for most of Phuket’s annual events, including the Red Cross Fair, Loy Kratong, and a grand procession of Chinese shrines on the last day of the famous Vegetarian Festival.
Saphan Hin highlights
Saphan Hin is a popular hangout for toddlers, parents, and grandparents. It usually comes alive in the late afternoon and overnight. The setting and ambiance are lovely, with mature pine trees lining the main street. And beautiful open spaces with lawns and a path for walking or jogging. In addition, it has a preserved mangrove forest with a walkway leading to the shore and a small retaining wall delimiting the bay. All this makes it a perfect place for a picnic, a workout, or relaxing.
Saphan Hin Stadium, the city’s main sports venue, is also in the park. It has badminton, basketball and tennis courts, a swimming pool, a soccer field, and a petanque field. Usually, it opens around 4 pm.
What not to miss at Saphan Hin
The park’s landmark, the tin mine monument (many believe it to be a shell monument) in the dome, is dedicated to the memory of an Australian captain, Edward T. Miles, who brought the first dredger to Phuket several decades ago. To one side of the monument are a few dozen food trucks selling tropical fruits, Thai sweets, a variety of spicy salads, and grilled dishes. Often you will also find a stand with fried insects. It’s something the brave must try!
There are restaurants serving seafood not far from here, such as the popular Kanom Jeen. Kanom jeen is a soft curried rice noodle dish best enjoyed with fresh or pickled vegetables. Visitors will see more local restaurants. Closer to the coast towards the Chinese shrine. There are quite a several restaurants specializing in Issan (Northeast Thailand) style food and seafood (Nakorn restaurant is probably the most popular of all). There are over 20 karaoke places nearby, which get busy at night.
Good to know about Saphan Hin Park
Two places of worship in the park attract many visitors throughout the year; Kyiv Tien Keng Chinese Seaside Shrine and Prince Chumphon Veterans Memorial Shrine. The former is a must, while the latter could be more appealing due to its size, design, and location. Building, one might ask? It once bore the name of Lucky Complex but was not opened as a shopping mall some time ago before the arrival of Central Phuket Festival and Jungceylon. It is recommended not to visit Saphan Hin after 10:00 pm. To get to Saphan Hin Park from Phuket Town, head east on Phuket Road.
