Phan Thiet

Phan Thiet is the capital of the province of Binh Thuan, in the Southern Vietnam.

Get in

By train

• 1 Phan Thiết Railway Station (2½ km from the center, where you can catch the bus to Mui Ne and Ham Tien resort strip). This station only serves trains from and to Ho Chi Minh City. Trains depart daily around 06:30 from Ho Chi Minh City and arrive here 5 hr later. The return trip leaves Phan Thiet around 13:30.  

• 2 Bình Thuận Railway Station (12 km from Phan Thiet, only taxis or by thumb). All trains between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi stop at this station. (updated Dec 2023)

Taxis are abundant from both stations.

By bus

Phan Thiet Bus Station timetable (Dec 2023)

• 3 Phan Thiet Bus Station. Has several connections to the main nearby cities and tourist destinations (Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon), but also smaller towns — see timetable in the picture here. (updated Dec 2023)

By road

Both National Route A1 and the North-South railway passes Phan Thiet. Tan Son Nhat International Airport (serves Ho Chi Minh City) and Cam Ranh International Airport (serves Nha Trang) are relatively close to Phan Thiet, just off some kilometers. Both have routes to Korea, Russia, nearby big cities in Vietnam, etc.

Get around

By bus

Several public bus routes cover the city — routes are posted at some bus stop shelters.

The buses no. 1 and 9 to and from Mui Ne should either stop near Lotte Mart (roundabout?) or the next larger junction south from Lotte.

By taxi

Taxis are the easiest way of getting around the city, as Grab is rare here. A 2-km ride can set you back 70,000-90,000 dong.

Better to rely on motorbike taxis.

See

• 1 Vạn Thủy Tú temple. A whale worship/cult temple that is a tradition among the Vietnamese fishing community. (updated Mar 2018)

Buy

• 1 Central Market. The busiest market in Phan Thiet with various food and clothing stalls. Expect to do lots of haggling. More than anything, the markets are known for their fresh seafood. (updated Mar 2018)
• 2 Western Market (close to Lotte Mart). (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 Bách Hóa XANH. The supermarket popular for its daily fruit and evening meat and fish specials and in general not as expensive as Coop or Lotte. (updated Dec 2023)
• 4 Lotte Mart, Hùng Vương I residential area, Phú Thủy Ward (at a roundabout along the Hùng Vương road; it's big and locals know it, so ask them if you can't find accurate directions), ☏ +84 2523939616. 08:00-22:00. A big mall from Lotte, a corporation from Korea. It is in the heart of the city, Phú Thủy. It has a shopping mall, clothes shops and restaurants. (updated Apr 2019)
• 5 Coop Mart, Phan Thiet (corner of Nguyen Tat Thanh and Tran Hung Dao), ☏ +84 62 3835440, +84 62 3835455. 08:00-21:30. A large, Western-style grocery store that also sells books, jewellery and necessities. 

Eat

• 1 Mom's Bun Dau 62 pieces (Bún Đậu MẸT 62 chi). They serve a mixed meat platter which is very popular with the locals and comes at an incredible price. You enjoy it just with strong fish sauce or roll the available pieces and salad into rice paper and dip it into sweet, salty sauce. (Use the cucumber pieces to make the rice paper moist a little, so it can be rolled better.). 45,000 dong. (updated Dec 2023)

Drink

• 1 Street Coffee. Cà Phê Đen for 12,000 dong. (updated Dec 2023)

Sleep

Although Mui Ne is the main tourist and accommodation hotspot in this region, also Phan Thiet offers several budget and mid-range options.

However, splurge hotel or resorts are in Mui Ne, the resort capital of Vietnam.

Go next

North:

• Da Lat – The old French hill-station with "eternal" spring climate
• Nha Trang – A with Russians popular beach town about 4–5 hours away
• Quy Nhon – The inexpensive and tourist-free alternative to Da Nang or Nha Trang, yet off many people's radar and therefore still a tranquil and authentic, lively and pleasant city with much hyped beaches

South and east:

• Ho Chi Minh City – Formerly known as Saigon is about 200 km away, accessible by bus or train
• Vung Tau – A city popular with locals for access to the beach from HCMC, but also many foreigner find their way here. Many connections exist from here into the surrounding region, Southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta. There are 4 daily buses between Phan Thiet and Vung Tau.