EXCLUSIVE: Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service scrapped indefinitely, uncertainty over future of Hua Hin flights

[webfact]

EXCLUSIVE: Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service scrapped indefinitely, uncertainty over future of Hua Hin flights

 

 

The ferry service which had been operating between Pattaya and Hua Hin will not return in its current format, Thaivisa understands.

 

The service, which was suspended in March 2020 due to COVID-19, had been operated by the Royal Passenger Co. Ltd.

 

At the time of its suspension, the company had indicated the service would resume once the  situation  surrounding COVID-19 had improved. 

 

However, according to a person familiar with the matter, the company is no longer operating and the ferry service has been cancelled.

 

At the time of publishing, the firm’s website was also offline and its Facebook page has not been updated since March 2020.

 

For those wishing to travel between Pattaya and Hua Hin the service offered convenience but passengers often reported the service only ever being about half full.

 

Thaivisa understands the service will eventually be replaced by the proposed car ferry service Thaivisa first reported on in October 2020 and more recently last month, which will eventually connect Chonburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla in southern Thailand. 

 

Reports in Thai media suggest the car ferry service could be operating between Sattahip and Songkhla by April 2021. 

 

The plans, as of the time of publishing, are for the ferry to be able to accommodate upto 100 vehicles and 586 passengers. The route from Sattahip to Songkhla would take between 18-20 hours, with the ferry also including cabins and dining areas. 

 

A stop at Prachuap Khiri Khan would be added at a later date. 

 

Other reports said the route would be operated by the Source Ferry Company, which has already purchased the second hand vessel from a ferry operator in Hokkaido, Japan. 

 

Press photo from the launch of the Chiang Mai and Udon Thani routes in Aug 2020

 

The news comes as transportation in and out of Hua Hin appeared to have suffered another blow with Air Asia no longer taking bookings on its website for flights from Hua Hin to Chiang Mai or Udon Thani. 

 

The airline previously announced it was suspending services from Hua Hin airport due to the new wave of coronavirus infections in Thailand. Air Asia had said flights would be suspended between 15-31 January 2021.

 

The flights connecting Hua Hin with Chiang Mai and Udon Thani were launched in August 2020, with the airline stating the routes would initially be operational until at least 26 March 2021. 

 

Passengers had been able to book flights earlier this month, but Thaivisa understands those bookings have now been cancelled with passengers given either refunds or credit vouchers.

 

At the time of publishing and according to the Air Asia website, it is not currently possible to book flights to or from Hua Hin airport. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-02-15

 

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[NCC1701A]

this is very bad news about the ferry. 

 

now I will never get out of here. 

Edited February 15, 2021 by NCC1701A

[audaciousnomad]

The vans, buses, and trains are still running. It's the long way round...but oh well. Better than nothing.

[from the home of CC]

best news I've heard this week..

[spiekerjozef]

So no nursing home resort Hua Hin anymore ?

[canopus1969]

43 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

The vans, buses, and trains are still running. It's the long way round...but oh well. Better than nothing.

Why bother?

[Pilotman]

not a surprise at all. 

[SoilSpoil]

The Thai Riviera is put on hold?

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service scrapped indefinitely, uncertainty over future of Hua Hin flights

Until covid is done and dusted it makes sense to put this on the back burner... not enough punters to make either a worthwhile venture.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

So no nursing home resort Hua Hin anymore ?

On the contrary it will remain a nursing home town... it was hoping for new blood but that's now gone.

[VBF]

59 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Until covid is done and dusted it makes sense to put this on the back burner... not enough punters to make either a worthwhile venture.

Especially as the OP said "but passengers often reported the service only ever being about half full."

And that was without the effects of Covid!

[petermik]

On 2/15/2021 at 7:54 AM, NCC1701A said:

this is very bad news about the ferry. 

 

now I will never get out of here. 

come on now...from what I hear plenty of folk only too willing to run you out of town....

[thonglorjimmy]

18 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

best news I've heard this week..

 

You made a similar comment on a previous thread, but you wouldn't say why.

 

May I ask your reason?

[thonglorjimmy]

18 hours ago, Pilotman said:

not a surprise at all. 

 

Why?

 

We've flown on the Hua Hin - Udon route a couple of times, packed every time.

 

We were due to fly on Friday, now have to fly from Bangkok.

[nickmondo]

1 hour ago, VBF said:

Especially as the OP said "but passengers often reported the service only ever being about half full."

And that was without the effects of Covid!

i would say that half full was being very kind.

more like nearly empty.

hardly anyone on it every time i used it

[Bradmeister]

A ferry from ghost town to ghost town, why bother?

 

Air service....  Does anyone remember a flight landing in Hua Hin? 

 

Air Asia is already asking for employees to voluntarily furlough until an indefinite date.

 

In April, Layoffs will begin, regardless of which airport employees are based in Thailand for domestic service.

 

International Flights have been suspended since last summer. 

 

Thai Airways Flight and Cabin crews continue to be in a reduction of force since 11 months ago.....  

[salsajapan]

good news is that nobody had a chance to die on this old shipt yet..

 

 

[spidermike007]

This is too bad. That ferry was very convenient. And Thailand seems to be moving backwards, when it comes to improving speedier transportation options. The highways only seem to be getting busier, and Hua Hin airport, long before Covid reared it's ugly head, was one of the most underutilized airports in the world.

 

They have been talking about plans for years now. We know what the excuse was years ago, but that does not apply anymore. Now, the excuse is likely Covid. What will it be later?

[Andy from Kent]

From its  inception, I had no confidence in the success of this ferry.

[Golden Triangle]

Not been a good week for Pattaya has it ? No swanky railway station & now the ferry to Hua Hin has been kicked into touch and even flying is looking dodgy.

 

Looks like we're gonna be stuck here forever with no way to reach the outside world...........

[from the home of CC]

21 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

So no nursing home resort Hua Hin anymore ?

nah, most of em' died in their own country's nursing homes..

[Salerno]

20 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

That ferry was very convenient.

 

Strange, thought the argument against it was too expensive (especially for families) and inconvenient when you get to the other side having to rely on public transport. A roll-on roll-off at a price families could afford has a market IMO.

[Pilotman]

3 hours ago, thonglorjimmy said:

 

Why?

 

We've flown on the Hua Hin - Udon route a couple of times, packed every time.

 

We were due to fly on Friday, now have to fly from Bangkok.

We are not talking air here, talking much slower sea. Not enough point to point freight, that either originates in Bangkok or Lam Chabang ,or needs to transit the Bangkok distribution centres. Sattahip is not on either route.  Not enough of a catchment area for cars. It was predictable that the numbers would just not add up.  Hua Hin by air makes no economic sense at all.  Too short a route for the aircraft available . 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Pilotman

[Don Aleman]

Some commenters SEEM to be implying that one Thai system or another ACTUALLY EVER worked to users needs & no they have attained absolute flawless perfection in failure including but not limited to a few FIVE STAR F...UPS !

[Xonax]

For the ticket prices the passenger ferry charged, I would expect a helicopter servive could be profitable with the same prices.

[thonglorjimmy]

On 2/16/2021 at 1:42 PM, Pilotman said:

We are not talking air here, talking much slower sea. Not enough point to point freight, that either originates in Bangkok or Lam Chabang ,or needs to transit the Bangkok distribution centres. Sattahip is not on either route.  Not enough of a catchment area for cars. It was predictable that the numbers would just not add up.  Hua Hin by air makes no economic sense at all.  Too short a route for the aircraft available . 

 

But I was answering the question "Air service....  Does anyone remember a flight landing in Hua Hin? ", which I do, I've flown in and out of Hua Hin to Udon Thani, Kuala Lumpur and even Bangkok.

 

I do agree that a flight from Hua Hin to Utapao wouldn't be viable, but that wasn't what I was answering.

[Pilotman]

48 minutes ago, thonglorjimmy said:

 

But I was answering the question "Air service....  Does anyone remember a flight landing in Hua Hin? ", which I do, I've flown in and out of Hua Hin to Udon Thani, Kuala Lumpur and even Bangkok.

 

I do agree that a flight from Hua Hin to Utapao wouldn't be viable, but that wasn't what I was answering.

this post is about a proposed ferry service, that is, by sea, not air, hence the response. 

[thonglorjimmy]

On 2/26/2021 at 10:57 AM, Pilotman said:

this post is about a proposed ferry service, that is, by sea, not air, hence the response. 

 

But the thread heading includes the words "uncertainty over future of Hua Hin flights" I presumed that meant that the thread was about flights as well the now defunct ferry, hence my decision to answer the earlier post about flights in and out of HHQ.

 

As a matter of interest Air Asia are now advertising flights from Hua Hin again to Chiang Mai and Udon Thani, scheduled to resume on 2 April.

[UncleMhee]

This thread is irrelevant because planes and ferries are off the table on said route; last I heard there's gonna be a bridge so we can all drive to and fro....... 

https://livinginasia.co/thai-bridge/#:~:text=The Thai Bridge (Saphan Thai,baht (29 billion USD).

Edited February 28, 2021 by UncleMhee

[theoldgit]

16 minutes ago, UncleMhee said:

This thread is irrelevant because planes and ferries are off the table on said route; last I heard there's gonna be a bridge so we can all drive to and fro.......

 

The thread is not irrelevant at all, the original post was about two different routes to Hua Hin, one by sea to Pattaya and the flights to Udon Thani and Chiang Mai, the article is very clear about that.

 

Some people have become confused and claiming that flights to Pattya are unviable, that's probably true, but flights to Pattaya were not discussed in the original post, which mentioned the two routes that are starting again in April to Udon Thani and Chiang Mai.

 

I suspect the bridge will never happen, but who knows?