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New car ferry service connecting Chonburi with Prachuap to operate 180km south of Hua Hin


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Posted

New car ferry service connecting Chonburi with Prachuap to operate 180km south of Hua Hin

 

Blue Dolphin.png

Image: JustFerries. Photo of the MV The Blue Dolphin ferry when it operated in Hokkaido, Japan.

 

More details have been released regarding the proposed new ferry service that is expected to link Sattahip, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla. 

 

A post on the page of the Hua Hin Municipality suggested that a car ferry service operated by the Seahorse Ferry Co Ltd would be run between Sattahip and the Prachuap Khiri Khan port, which is located in Bang Saphan, which is at least two hours south of Hua Hin. 

 

The start date was earmarked for later this month.

 

The ferry to be used is the MV The Blue Dolphin - announced in earlier Thaivisa reports as the vessel that would operate daily between Sattahip (Juk Samet port) and Songkhla in the south.

 

The post suggested that the ferry will be in port at 10pm and leave at 2 am the next day. Service would be daily.

No foot passengers, only vehicles would be allowed initially.

 

The ferry has capacity in a 916 meter area for 100 10 wheel trucks. It can carry 586 passengers and has cabins and eateries. 

 

It had initially been thought that the new car ferry service would be an almost de-facto replacement for the passenger service which had operated between Hua Hin and Pattaya until March last year.

 

Earlier this week, Thaivisa reported how the service, which had been operated by the Royal Passenger Co. Ltd., has been scrapped, with the company ceasing trading.

 

However, rather than connecting Hua Hin and Pattaya as was the case with the previous service, it would appear the aim of the new car ferry service is to more specifically connect Chonburi with the south of Thailand.

 

It is also worth noting that the waters around Hua  Hin, or specifically in Khao Takiab, which is the location of the pier where the Royal Passenger Co. Ltd. service operated, are not deep enough for a large car ferry. 

 

A proposed new port in the Pak Nam Pran area, some 15 minutes south of Hua Hin, is yet to be built. 

 

This port was originally touted as the location for a car ferry service back in 2018, and was said to be a key part of the proposed "Thailand Riviera” project, the Thai government's ambitious plan to develop 528km of coastline including in the provinces of Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong.
 

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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-02-20
 
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Posted

Obviously as the crow flies in a straight line this route makes sense, however how much additional distance would it have made to have a port of call at Hua Hin?   Presumably they have the business levels for the Hua Hin route from the previous ferry.  I have a place in Cha Am and agree with Jeff that it's a pain of a journey, but so would driving down to Prachuap and then a slow boat to Chin  Chonburi.

Posted
6 minutes ago, DaLa said:

however how much additional distance would it have made to have a port of call at Hua Hin?

 

If you read the OP, it would be clear that it has nothing to do with distance.

 

 

It is also worth noting that the waters around Hua  Hin, or specifically in Khao Takiab, which is the location of the pier where the Royal Passenger Co. Ltd. service operated, are not deep enough for a large car ferry. 

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Posted

It is just down the road for me. Perfect for us, we can now visit relatives in Ban Chang without the need to drive for 12 hours, and through BKK. Who cares about Hua Hin. You have the other ferry.

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Posted

[quote]

...The ferry has capacity in a 916 meter area for 100 10 wheel trucks. ...

[/quote]

 

A simple maths calculation shows this claim of 100 trucks to be absolute rubbish.  I calculated maybe 15 trucks.

  • Confused 1
Posted
11 hours ago, Susco said:

 

I guess the Titanic was also a Thai vessel, operated by a Thai captain.

 

At least, I'm sure this one will not hit a static iceberg.

Ah yes that ole  chestnut, of  course  most of the world doesn't  still  live in the safety era of 1912, except  Thailand.

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Posted
16 hours ago, Susco said:

 

If you read the OP, it would be clear that it has nothing to do with distance.

 

 

It is also worth noting that the waters around Hua  Hin, or specifically in Khao Takiab, which is the location of the pier where the Royal Passenger Co. Ltd. service operated, are not deep enough for a large car ferry. 

Thank you...missed that crucial part.

Posted
6 hours ago, simon43 said:

[quote]

...The ferry has capacity in a 916 meter area for 100 10 wheel trucks. ...

[/quote]

 

A simple maths calculation shows this claim of 100 trucks to be absolute rubbish.  I calculated maybe 15 trucks.

Giving each truck approximately a 60sqm foot print? really, a 10m x 6m truck, yet to see any one them here.

Posted

I sure hope this comes to pass. That is a horrendous drive, with ridiculous traffic, unless done late at night, and even then it is a long drive. Thailand desperately needs alternative forms of transportation, and this is a small step in the right direction. Hopefully, the same people in charge of this project, are not the ones in charge of Hua Hun airport, one of the most underutilized airports in the world. 

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Posted
7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I sure hope this comes to pass. That is a horrendous drive, with ridiculous traffic, unless done late at night, and even then it is a long drive. Thailand desperately needs alternative forms of transportation, and this is a small step in the right direction. Hopefully, the same people in charge of this project, are not the ones in charge of Hua Hun airport, one of the most underutilized airports in the world. 

My prediction unfortunately is it won,t last long...more wishful thinking rather than research :thumbsup:

Posted
11 minutes ago, petermik said:

My prediction unfortunately is it won,t last long...more wishful thinking rather than research :thumbsup:

I wonder what the economics look like in terms of savings, for a car or truck, vs. the drive. It is a long drive and any chance of avoiding driving through Bangkok is a bit like a dream scenario!

Posted
2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I wonder what the economics look like in terms of savings, for a car or truck, vs. the drive. It is a long drive and any chance of avoiding driving through Bangkok is a bit like a dream scenario!


Coming from the south there is no need to drive through Bangkok. 

The outer-ring-road is a highway / expressway which circumnavigates Bangkok totally (15km from center).
 

That said anything which could avoid a 12hr drive is favorable. 
 

I wonder what the duration is of the boat trip & if seating etc is comfortable or just a crappy wooden or plastic bench seat etc

 

 

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Posted
7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I wonder what the economics look like in terms of savings, for a car or truck, vs. the drive. It is a long drive and any chance of avoiding driving through Bangkok is a bit like a dream scenario!

Every month I do a return trip from Pattaya down to our house in Trang..940 kms we leave at 4am in the morning and its around 11.5-12 hours drive...would I ever consider this ferry..no never...they say sailing time 20 hours plus getting on and off 22-23 hours minimum :sad:

Posted
3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:


Coming from the south there is no need to drive through Bangkok. 

The outer-ring-road is a highway / expressway which circumnavigates Bangkok totally (15km from center).
 

That said anything which could avoid a 12hr drive is favorable. 
 

I wonder what the duration is of the boat trip & if seating etc is comfortable or just a crappy wooden or plastic bench seat etc

 

 

It is still a nightmare drive, unless you are going through Bangkok late at night, or prior to 6am. And whether you are going around the northern loop through Ratchaburi, and Nonthaburi, to get to the NE, or the southern loop to get to Chonburi area, it is a difficult and tedious drive. 

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Posted
1 minute ago, petermik said:

Every month I do a return trip from Pattaya down to our house in Trang..940 kms we leave at 4am in the morning and its around 11.5-12 hours drive...would I ever consider this ferry..no never...they say sailing time 20 hours plus getting on and off 22-23 hours minimum :sad:

If they had nice staterooms, it would be a pleasant cruise. 

Posted
7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If they had nice staterooms, it would be a pleasant cruise. 

good luck with that...:cheesy:

  • Haha 1
Posted

Pattaya/Hua Hin there were plenty of potential passengers (including me), but didn't work because it was too expensive.

The new route is even more unlikely to work.

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