New Car Ferry Service Songkhla - Chonburi

[pontious]

Any rumors when it will actually start.?

[phuketsub]

On 3/1/2021 at 8:42 PM, pontious said:

Any rumors when it will actually start.?

Nothing yet, but I'll post if I come across it. 

[treetops]

On 3/1/2021 at 1:42 PM, pontious said:

Any rumors when it will actually start.?

 

There are another couple of threads discussing it with some input from a guy who appears connected with the operation somehow.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/profile/85174-hammerman/content/?type=forums_topic_post&change_section=1

 

[spidermike007]

On 1/26/2021 at 7:27 PM, soi3eddie said:

 

My first thought was that it would benefit semi-truck transportation. The demand for passenger and private car, transport would be minimal IMO. Pricing will be a very important factor as to whether it's popular. Maybe not enough revenue to make it a success.

  

I am not so sure. That is a horrendous drive. There is a ridiculous amount of traffic and congestion, and I would do nearly anything to avoid that trip by car. Alternatives are always a good thing, and Thailand desperately needs alternatives to the highways. This represents progress in a nation that has far too little of it, and this is a good step in the right direction. I would use it, if it were more convenient. I think Don Sak or Surat to Chonburi makes more sense. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by spidermike007

[Salerno]

On 2/1/2021 at 2:48 PM, BKKBike09 said:

Some pics of the exterior / interior here as well as estimated pricing.

 

Call me shy, but wouldn't be too keen on taking a dump onboard 555

 

[BKKBike09]

9 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

Call me shy, but wouldn't be too keen on taking a dump onboard 555

 

 I'm only 3' 9" so not too worried there. Plus I've spent time in China (and boarding school) so cubicle doors? Luxury! 

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

 I'm only 3' 9" so not too worried there. Plus I've spent time in China (and boarding school) so cubicle doors? Luxury! 

 

Still not 100% sure what they are, assuming work desks?

[pontious]

It is not going to Songkhla  anytime soon.  If ever.  it is going PKK only.

[grain]

19 hours ago, pontious said:

It is not going to Songkhla  anytime soon.  If ever.  it is going PKK only.

Can't see many using it then. People living in Pattaya/Chonburi/Rayong maybe. Nobody from Bangkok or above is going to drive all the way to Sattahip when they can just drive straight down to PKK from where they are.

Edited March 21, 2021 by grain

[YT3k72Em]

On 3/20/2021 at 7:28 PM, pontious said:

It is not going to Songkhla  anytime soon.  If ever.  it is going PKK only.

What is PKK?

[Stocky]

2 minutes ago, YT3k72Em said:

What is PKK?

Prachuap Khiri Khan

 

The other abbreviation you'll often see in the Southern Thailand forum is NST which is Nakhon Si Thammerat

[Henryford]

On 3/1/2021 at 8:42 PM, pontious said:

Any rumors when it will actually start.?

 

Or what is will cost. Will it be worth taking the ferry compared to flying from Utapao?

[MarcelV]

Forget about Songkhla. The ferry won't be going there, like ever.

If you wanna visit Songkhla, just fly to Hat Yai. Fast and simple. Most visitors to Songkhla in normal times are from Malaysia and Singapore anyway and they all drive overland or fly in to Hat Yai.

As for goods, there wouldn't be close to enough capacity even if the ferries ran 24/7.

[dabhand]

So many topics on this subject.

 

A recent post on this other topic suggests that Songkhla may yet be an option for the ferry. But, who knows?!!

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1204193-sattahip-to-songkhla-car-ferry-service-set-to-begin-by-march-prachuap-khiri-khan-misses-out-for-now/page/4/#comments

[MarcelV]

I don't believe for a minute that Songkhla will be an option as long as the insurgency is still rife and the Malaysian border closed. Who are they catering for really?

Why not extend the ferry all the way to Tak Bai and into Malaysia then? At least when things are back to normal there might be enough of a market to transfer goods to Kelantan and beyond. And vice versa too.

[kuma]

On 2/4/2021 at 8:37 AM, phuketsub said:

Thanks for all the additional info guys. Again, I apologize for the translation slip on the length in the OP.

Good day PS

Thanks for the thread. I too wait for this service to start.

Do you have any update? Has it started and/or any members here actually have a report, having used it?

Cheers

[treetops]

3 hours ago, kuma said:

Good day PS

Thanks for the thread. I too wait for this service to start.

Do you have any update? Has it started and/or any members here actually have a report, having used it?

Cheers

 

There are a few threads running with more current information, but no it's not started yet.  Look for recent posts from "Hammerman" to find the latest news.

[kuma]

19 hours ago, treetops said:

 

There are a few threads running with more current information, but no it's not started yet.  Look for recent posts from "Hammerman" to find the latest news.

Hey thanks for the update, will look deeper

Cheers

[phuketsub]

According to a report in the Thai language site Singkor Review (via my wife and Facebook), the service is now underway to Songkhla...however, I can't verify the authenticity of the report. 

 

Also, the report is attributed to someone named Wirot Enyepnut at 'Seahorse Ferries, Ltd", but has no info regarding contact details or on how to make reservations. That seems weird to me. 

 

I did find more here:

 

https://www.seahorse-ferries.com/Home/Home.aspx 

 

But when I tried to contact the number in Songkhla Town by phone, there was no connection. I will try to verify and update later. 

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by phuketsub

[phuketsub]

and here is a link to the booking page in English: https://www.seahorse-ferries.com/Home/blog-single.aspx?args=8F9CB7482264B41CD3BF54927B0B72322BD776495FDF3ED7047A02C536C4365F7F1AAEDD07A4FF14

 

[treetops]

6 hours ago, phuketsub said:

According to a report in the Thai language site Singkor Review (via my wife and Facebook), the service is now underway to Songkhla...however, I can't verify the authenticity of the report. 

 

Also, the report is attributed to someone named Wirot Enyepnut at 'Seahorse Ferries, Ltd", but has no info regarding contact details or on how to make reservations. That seems weird to me.

 

Maybe something lost in translation, but Wirot Enyepnut says on Facebook the ferry has done a trial run only.  This agrees with the other thread on here, and where it's also mentioned they've just lost their berth at Songkhla so things are on hold again.

[MarcelV]

According to my Songkhla-based friend the ferry service has been indefinitely postponed, possibly cancelled.

[steve187]

coming off the ferry at Sattahip after a return trip from Songkhala -

[phuketsub]

For another update check the News section (top of the Southern THailand Forum section) from a report in Daily News, which says the service has been successfully tested.

[MarcelV]

I read the project has finally been scrapped.

My heart goes out to the people behind it.

[Stocky]

Well they couldn't have picked a worse time to start such a venture. I do feel sorry for them, and hope they succeed somewhere else, but it remains perilous times for travel in SE Asia.

[treetops]

On 8/9/2021 at 6:49 AM, MarcelV said:

I read the project has finally been scrapped.

My heart goes out to the people behind it.

You may have beeen reading about the Pattaya-Hua Hin passenger ferry which is a different service altogether, and were reported today to have given up their berth in Pattaya which effectively terminates their operation.

[MarcelV]

6 hours ago, treetops said:

You may have beeen reading about the Pattaya-Hua Hin passenger ferry which is a different service altogether, and were reported today to have given up their berth in Pattaya which effectively terminates their operation.

No, that is old news.

[treetops]

9 hours ago, MarcelV said:

No, that is old news.

Published the day I posted here:

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/10/pattaya-to-hua-hin-ferry-service-officially-ends-this-time-for-seemingly-good-as-contract-canceled-and-port-returned-to-pattaya-city/

 

Maybe you could link to what you read for clarification?

[MarcelV]

3 hours ago, treetops said:

Published the day I posted here:

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/10/pattaya-to-hua-hin-ferry-service-officially-ends-this-time-for-seemingly-good-as-contract-canceled-and-port-returned-to-pattaya-city/

 

Maybe you could link to what you read for clarification?

I see. I did not even know about this news of the definitive end of the ferry.

Sorry, but I don't have a link to the piece on the Songkhla ferry, but trust me, it's not gonna happen. The farang owner Cpt. Steve is loaded and can comfortably retire in Pattaya. No big deal for him, other than some money lost on the failed ferry.

Edited August 11, 2021 by MarcelV