From bars to blooms: Phuket’s old prison set for a green makeover
Phuket’s infamous Twilight Zone is getting a green makeover! The historic Phuket Prison, one of Thailand’s oldest correctional facilities, is being transformed into a sprawling public park in the heart of Phuket Town.
The ambitious project, led by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), will turn the 33-rai site into a vibrant recreational space featuring an observation tower, a multipurpose pavilion, and a pagoda.
A 300-space parking facility is also being constructed to ease inner-city congestion. Project contractors have already begun levelling the site and reinforcing the old prison walls.
Sayan Kaewsringam, project manager for SPM 5988 Co Ltd, confirmed that pile-driving for the observation tower is underway, with additional heavy machinery arriving next week for other key structures.
The initiative, backed by re-elected PPAO President Rewat Areerob, aligns with efforts to increase green spaces and enhance Phuket’s urban landscape.
Scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, the park is expected to become the “lungs of Phuket Town.”
Plans for the prison’s transformation date back to November 2022, when demolition of the prison walls first began. A budget of 169.5 million baht was approved in June last year to fund the redevelopment.
The former Phuket Prison, built over 120 years ago, remains a historical landmark. Former Prison Commander Krisana Thipayachan described the site as a unique piece of Thailand’s penal history. While no longer used for inmate detention, officials plan to preserve parts of the structure as a “live museum” and eco-tourism attraction.
“This will give visitors a rare insight into correctional practices of the past.”
The prison will also serve as an educational hub for those interested in Thailand’s justice system and as a vocational training centre for inmates preparing for reintegration into society, reported The Phuket News.
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