Saphan Hin

Saphan Hin is one of the places in Phuket Town that foreigners rarely go to, but I think it's also one of the most pleasant spots for an evening stroll.

Saphan Hin, which means stone bridge in Thai, is really just a road that goes out on something like a peninsula into the sea. There's a nice park around the permitter with walkways and even a boardwalk through the mangroves on one side.

There's a great communal atmosphere at the place with many Thai families having picnics, picking clams at low tide, and just sitting around drinking in groups throughout the evening. There are several schools in the area, so there are often kids running around and using the numerous parks after school gets out. A few sports clubs, soccer fields and basketball courts, and a boxing stadium round out the sports offerings. Fishing off the rocks at the end of the park is also popular.

Frequent fairs, including the popular Phuket Food Show, and often specialized markets like a plant market, car audio equipment expo, and others mean that you'll often have something to stick around for in the evenings.

In short, it's one of the central places in Phuket for the big sort of "park" activities that are popular in the west. It won't blow a tourist away with anything spectacular, but for a lazy day at the park and seeing how Thais like to spend a day with the family, it's a great place to visit.