Phan Thiết is a city in southeastern Vietnam, at the mouth of the Phan Thiết river. The city is the capital of Binh Thuan Province. It has a population of 350,000 people (2011 estimate).
Phan Thiet, Vietnam
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S%C3%B4ng_C%C3%A0_Ty_trong_TP.Phan_Thi%E1%BA%BFt.JPG Author: Nguyen Dong Son
The city of Phan Thiết has a history going back over a thousand years, when it was a settlement of Cham people. The Vietnamese moved into the area during the 17th century. At that time, there was a Cham village here called Hamu Lithit, which means "village in the field by the sea". Hamu Lithit was a village within the Cham principality of Panduranga.
The Vietnamese attached the prefix "Phan" to an abridged form of Lithit, creating Phan Thiết. The Vietnamese also transliterated Panduranga into Phan Rang. A Cham fortress called Po Thit is also similarly pronounced as Phan Thiết.
Phan Thiết is today the base of Vietnam's fishing fleet. Its port area extends along both sides of the Phan Thiết river. During the Vietnam War, the US forces had a base here called Landing Zone Betty.
Visiting Phan Thiết
You can reach Phan Thiết by taking a bus from Ho Chi Minh City. The distance is about 200 km (125 mi).
Places of Interest in Phan Thiết
Mũi Né Main resort area in Phan Thiết, with seafood restaurants and pubs.
Thap Poshanu The southernmost group of Cham ruins.