Saphan Hin is an area of parks and public facilities where Phuket Town meets the sea. It’s a charming little area where Thai families go and have picnics. It used to be full of thick woodland where Thai couples would go to sin, and it was associated with gangs, violence and robberies until it was cleaned up. By day it’s one of Phuket Town’s gems, but come the weekend and it transforms into something else.

There’s a large car park area where there is a weekend market during the day. There are basketball courts and a few old skate ramps – nothing out of the ordinary for Thailand. But at weekends this same area plays host to some serious car enthusiasts. South Thailand’s top suppliers of car parts showcase their ultra-modified wagons here at a kind of all-night rave.

The stereo systems are turned up full whack, anything that can flash is made to do so, bonnets are raised, boots are opened, and coyote girls dance in front of the cars – it’s Thailand’s answer to a Max Power convention.

One of the guys there when I went said that people come from all over Thailand to show off their wheels at Saphan Hin, although most of the top motors are from local shops.

There’s huge amounts of money behind these cars, going up into the millions of baht. The atmosphere at Saphan Hin was a lot calmer than what I’d expected. I’d gone thinking it would be full of gangs and shady characters, but it was just a bunch of kids drinking beer out of cans looking at the dozens of cars on display.

I know absolutely nothing about cars but managed to feign a wealth of knowledge and everyone was pleased to have me take photos of their cars.

The things that stood out to me were the pickup trucks with “Back to the Future” doors, modified minibuses and sound systems that made my brain vibrate. These machines are the kings of Thailand’s roads.

Techno’ tags: Thailand, Phuket, Cars in Thailand, Driving