Phuket airport ‘sea taxi’ project deemed not viable

The Phuket News

 

The news was announced at a meeting yesterday (Nov 29). Photo: PR Dept

 

PHUKET: A consortium of four expert consultancies hired to evaluate the proposal of launching a ‘sea taxi’ service from Phuket International Airport down Phuket’s west coast have deemed the project overall as ‘not viable’.

 

The news was delivered at meeting held yesterday (Nov 29) to review the results of the feasibility study, carried out by four companies: Southeast Asia Technology Co Ltd, New Asset Advisory Co Ltd, Aurora Technology and Engineering Consultant Co Ltd, and UPLUS Consultant Co Ltd.

 

The feasibility study was commissioned by the Marine Department earlier this year after Marine Department Director-General Jirut Wisanjit voiced his support for the project.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-airport-sea-taxi-project-deemed-not-viable-69515.php#tiIYX1CmqkreQoud.99 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-11-30

Of course that is not feasable.

Definitely not favored by the Chinese being offered quicker dispatching one might suspect????

Chinese would agree with you on that one!

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Of course that is not feasable.

 

No expensive study needed to know it was ‘not viable’.

19 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

No expensive study needed to know it was ‘not viable’.

Correct. But that's no reason to stop a lucrative feasibility study. 

 

Light rail, Patong Tunnel, 6 lane highway; plenty more feasibility studies yet.

You could have paid me for that information, a lot cheaper than what I bet you did pay.  A 4th grader could have given you the answer.... ????

 

What a surprise....

It would be interesting to know how much the Marine Department has spent to reach this rather obvious conclusion, and the cash flow.

Not news for anybody who knows how expensive it is to properly maintain and run boats. What is surprising is the honesty. With the possibility of consulting fees and snouts in the trough saying "NO" to a project is quite refreshing. 

Amazing how it took 4 companies and not just one.  Must have been a pretty big pie.

I could have done it for nothing- would have taken all of 2 seconds to come to the same conclusions (which is probably what it took them in reality as well).

 

On the bright side (for them) a few pockets have been filled out of this futile 'study'.

Blind Freddy could see that launching a boat from an open  beach that gets 2 metres of swell for  some months every  year was not in any way viable.

But  opening a bus service that ran East  at the side of the runway and tunneled under the main road   to end at  a wharf  where launching a boat , on  the smooth  lee side of the island , ( and somewhere east of International Wake Park)  , could have had some merits.

 

However , I wish to sing the praises of the Phuket Smart Bus ( google it ) now in operation which makes the 'need' ( if there ever was one ) for a boat , well obsolete.

They have done away with the silly pass idea and just collect cash.

The cost is 100 baht from Patong to the airport.

The staff are polite and drive safely , it has seat belts , WIFI , and good a/c.

The website is very usuable on yr phone and you can track the 6 buses running.

There is set bus stops , but many have hailed it anywhere along its route.