Ferry from South Thailand to Sattahip passes test - but it wasn't full and took 22+ hours

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Daily News were upbeat reporting that a test on the ferry between Sattahip on the eastern seaboard and Songkhla in the far south was a success. 

 

The Blue Dolphin - a 136.6 meter long 7,003 ton vessel operated by Seahorse Ferries - left Songkhla at 1 pm on Wednesday and arrived safely in Sattahip (Juk Samet) at 11.20 am yesterday - a journey time of 22 hours and 20 minutes. 

 

But it wasn't full by any means. 

 

It can carry 80 ten wheelers, 15 - 20 cars, 30 crew, and 586 passengers.

 

The test featured one truck trailer and one solitary six wheel truck. 

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Still Withaya Yamuang of the Marine Department was still bigging up this as a policy of PM Prayuth Chan-ocha and transport minister Saksayam Chidchob to reduce 2.5 PM and stimulate the Eastern Economic Corridor plans. 

 

When the actual service will start was not mentioned by the media though they said there are plans for it to drop in at Prachuap Khirikhan in the future.  

 

Attempts by Thaivisa to make a booking for a normal seat were again greeted with a version of "computer says no!"

 

The starting date was first mooted as April, then May. Your guess is as good as ours as to when the inaugural service for the public might become a reality. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-05-28

 

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[Henryford]

No mention of cost yet?

[MasterBaker]

what's a cost per vehicle then? do they burn more diesel that all those vehicles they supposed to transport? just asking...

[phetphet]

6 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

what's a cost per vehicle then? do they burn more diesel that all those vehicles they supposed to transport? just asking...

This one certainly burnt more fuel seeing as it was only carrying two trucks.

[PETERTHEEATER]

If getting from A to B without sinking is judged a success I shall decline, thank you.

[rwill]

Checking on Google maps it takes about 15 hours to drive there...

[SW Happy]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

If getting from A to B without sinking is judged a success I shall decline, thank you.

Wouldn't fancy being on it fully loaded. 

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

Checking on Google maps it takes about 15 hours to drive there...

And how are your stress levels when you get there, I did the journey from Pattaya to Satun & return, and all points inbetween both down the Andaman side & back up the Gulf coast, it took us a month of leisurely driving which was quite nice, but the stretch from the other side of Bangkok to the first available pit stop for a wee and coffee was a nightmare, plus the traffic is a joke, you lot crack on with driving if that's what floats your boat ( no pun intended ) but when I've been jabbed I will use it. 

[Excel]

9 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

And how are your stress levels when you get there, I did the journey from Pattaya to Satun & return, and all points inbetween both down the Andaman side & back up the Gulf coast, it took us a month of leisurely driving which was quite nice, but the stretch from the other side of Bangkok to the first available pit stop for a wee and coffee was a nightmare, plus the traffic is a joke, you lot crack on with driving if that's what floats your boat ( no pun intended ) but when I've been jabbed I will use it. 

I should think that by the time you have been jabbed, assuming you are meaning in Thailand, then I suspect that the service will have been discontinued

[Golden Triangle]

9 minutes ago, Excel said:

I should think that by the time you have been jabbed, assuming you are meaning in Thailand, then I suspect that the service will have been discontinued

Yes I'm in Thailand, and live maybe an hour from Sattahip so the ferry would be very handy for me & the mrs, I'm hoping to have the vaccine of our choice a bit later this year ????I think I'm a tad more optimistic than you, but hey each to their own.

 

I have no idea where you are from but myself as a youngster ie 11 or 12 years of age with a couple of other siblings would often take the ferry from Harwich to Calais, I've also done the ferry to St Malo a few times, when stationed in Germany me and the family would catch the overnight ferries from either Hamburg or Hoek Van Hollande to the UK, a similar lengthy journey on much rougher water than the gulf of Thailand, and at one point in my working life I used to catch the spirit of free Enterprise & other such RoRo ferries picking up coach passengers.

 

So as you can see, I have far less concerns than your good self. I just hate the roads in and around BKK ????

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Golden Triangle said:

Yes I'm in Thailand, and live maybe an hour from Sattahip so the ferry would be very handy for me & the mrs, I'm hoping to have the vaccine of our choice a bit later this year ????I think I'm a tad more optimistic than you, but hey each to their own.

 

I have no idea where you are from but myself as a youngster ie 11 or 12 years of age with a couple of other siblings would often take the ferry from Harwich to Calais, I've also done the ferry to St Malo a few times, when stationed in Germany me and the family would catch the overnight ferries from either Hamburg or Hoek Van Hollande to the UK, a similar lengthy journey on much rougher water than the gulf of Thailand, and at one point in my working life I used to catch the spirit of free Enterprise & other such RoRo ferries picking up coach passengers.

 

So as you can see, I have far less concerns than your good self. I just hate the roads in and around BKK ????

I don't have concerns about using ferries. Late sixties early seventies working in Holland I used the Harwich /Hoek service monthly. After that when working in Norway I used the Newcastle/stavanger ferry a few times and I can tell you 30+ hours on that can be an experience. Later when living on the South coast I often used the Portsmouth/ Cherbourg route when going to Switzerland so ferries are of no concern to me. However the point I was making is that there have been previous attempts to get a cross gulf ferry service running and it floundered as uneconomic and I anticipate that this Sattahip/Songla? service may well go the same way. I would hope that the vessel is maintained to international standards also , not Thai standards.

[Golden Triangle]

11 minutes ago, Excel said:

I don't have concerns about using ferries. Late sixties early seventies working in Holland I used the Harwich /Hoek service monthly. After that when working in Norway I used the Newcastle/stavanger ferry a few times and I can tell you 30+ hours on that can be an experience. Later when living on the South coast I often used the Portsmouth/ Cherbourg route when going to Switzerland so ferries are of no concern to me. However the point I was making is that there have been previous attempts to get a cross gulf ferry service running and it floundered as uneconomic and I anticipate that this Sattahip/Songla? service may well go the same way. I would hope that the vessel is maintained to international standards also , not Thai standards.

Well it appears that one of the European management team is a member on here, ask him ????

[Excel]

4 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Well it appears that one of the European management team is a member on here, ask him ????

Good idea and at the same time wasn't that the same team that promoted the Hua Hin/Pattaya service previously that ran aground also, excuse the pun.

[Golden Triangle]

7 minutes ago, Excel said:

Good idea and at the same time wasn't that the same team that promoted the Hua Hin/Pattaya service previously that ran aground also, excuse the pun.

I've no idea but I know he keeps up with these threads eventually so no doubt he will be along answer you ????

[impulse]

9 minutes ago, Excel said:

Good idea and at the same time wasn't that the same team that promoted the Hua Hin/Pattaya service previously that ran aground also, excuse the pun.

 

Hua Hin to Pattaya is a passenger/tourist market.  Sattahip to Songkhla is an industrial (offshore oilfield) market.

 

The latter could run pretty much devoid of tourists and do fine financially just on industrial traffic.  With no worries about taxi mafias, nor the "last mile" debacle on both sides that I suspect doomed HH-Patts.

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

And how are your stress levels when you get there, I did the journey from Pattaya to Satun & return, and all points inbetween both down the Andaman side & back up the Gulf coast, it took us a month of leisurely driving which was quite nice, but the stretch from the other side of Bangkok to the first available pit stop for a wee and coffee was a nightmare, plus the traffic is a joke, you lot crack on with driving if that's what floats your boat ( no pun intended ) but when I've been jabbed I will use it. 

 

And that's assuming you're one of the minority in Thailand who actually has a 4 wheel vehicle.  Think of all the tourists who would love to load their Vespas on a ferry and visit other parts of Thailand they couldn't possibly reach by road without a mouthful of bugs.

 

[BostonRob2]

55 minutes ago, Excel said:

I don't have concerns about using ferries. Late sixties early seventies working in Holland I used the Harwich /Hoek service monthly. After that when working in Norway I used the Newcastle/stavanger ferry a few times and I can tell you 30+ hours on that can be an experience. Later when living on the South coast I often used the Portsmouth/ Cherbourg route when going to Switzerland so ferries are of no concern to me. However the point I was making is that there have been previous attempts to get a cross gulf ferry service running and it floundered as uneconomic and I anticipate that this Sattahip/Songla? service may well go the same way. I would hope that the vessel is maintained to international standards also , not Thai standards.

Of course the UK ferries are totally safe. eg Townshend Thoresen : "Oh I'm Awfully sorry old bean,  we forgot to close the door"

 

Not roll on roll off, roll over. 

[Almer]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

Yes I'm in Thailand, and live maybe an hour from Sattahip so the ferry would be very handy for me & the mrs, I'm hoping to have the vaccine of our choice a bit later this year ????I think I'm a tad more optimistic than you, but hey each to their own.

 

I have no idea where you are from but myself as a youngster ie 11 or 12 years of age with a couple of other siblings would often take the ferry from Harwich to Calais, I've also done the ferry to St Malo a few times, when stationed in Germany me and the family would catch the overnight ferries from either Hamburg or Hoek Van Hollande to the UK, a similar lengthy journey on much rougher water than the gulf of Thailand, and at one point in my working life I used to catch the spirit of free Enterprise & other such RoRo ferries picking up coach passengers.

 

So as you can see, I have far less concerns than your good self. I just hate the roads in and around BKK ????

I didn't know there was a Harwich to Calais, so that  proves you are never to old to learn

[Jen65]

nice looking vessel but I note it is Thai flagged and therefore wondering about the qualifications and experience of the "Thai" officers and crew ??    It costs a pretty penny to run a ship like this to international standards nowadays (if it is?)what with safety management ,ISO 9001 etc etc plus crew certification ,training , hours of work regulations etc etc .   The vessel will probably operate a cafeteria with staff .

I can't really see this taking off and being profitable.   It will shut down as a non profitable entity after a short period of operation .

( from a Master Mariner Class 1 , 40 years experience , Marine Surveyor ,Pilot and Port Operations - retired !! )   

[Golden Triangle]

17 minutes ago, Almer said:

I didn't know there was a Harwich to Calais, so that  proves you are never to old to learn

That was 56 years ago, my timetable could well be out of date, and of course the Euro Tunnel was still a dream then, we lived in Romford, Essex, got the train to Harwich and then crossed on the ferry, can't remember how long the crossing was, got there in time for lunch, then a bit of shopping and back on board for the return leg, we used to get, I think they were 50 pence brown passports from the post office ???? as a 12 year old, saving my hard earned cash from various jobs, paper round, milk round, worked in a corner shop similar to Arkwright's but a hardware store ( I even had the brown long jacket with pens in the top pocket ) and also did babysitting for family friends in our street.

 

France then was a whole new world, I was fascinated by it, and that kicked off my love of travel, my family weren't rich by any means and anything I did I had to pay for, but I cherish those days with brothers & a sister, some bloody good times ????

[Golden Triangle]

7 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

nice looking vessel but I note it is Thai flagged and therefore wondering about the qualifications and experience of the "Thai" officers and crew ??    It costs a pretty penny to run a ship like this to international standards nowadays (if it is?)what with safety management ,ISO 9001 etc etc plus crew certification ,training , hours of work regulations etc etc .   The vessel will probably operate a cafeteria with staff .

I can't really see this taking off and being profitable.   It will shut down as a non profitable entity after a short period of operation .

( from a Master Mariner Class 1 , 40 years experience , Marine Surveyor ,Pilot and Port Operations - retired !! )   

I can't argue with you or the obvious credentials you hold, I just find the constant negativity so boring, mundane, pointless.

 

You never know, now you've looked over the parapet they may offer you a position ????

[Jen65]

17 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I can't argue with you or the obvious credentials you hold, I just find the constant negativity so boring, mundane, pointless.

 

You never know, now you've looked over the parapet they may offer you a position ????

thanks, but no thanks , I've already dropped my anchor !

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

I've no idea but I know he keeps up with these threads eventually so no doubt he will be along answer you ????

@HammerManthis is the other new thread, not sure if you've seen it ????

[Excel]

9 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Hua Hin to Pattaya is a passenger/tourist market.  Sattahip to Songkhla is an industrial (offshore oilfield) market.

 

The latter could run pretty much devoid of tourists and do fine financially just on industrial traffic.  With no worries about taxi mafias, nor the "last mile" debacle on both sides that I suspect doomed HH-Patts.

 

Only time will tell

[Ireland32]

19 hours ago, rwill said:

Checking on Google maps it takes about 15 hours to drive there...

Wear and tear no thx , Il fly and pick up or just sleep

on it , was that from Pattaya 

[tifino]

less to lose, only having 2 vehicles on a smoke test  

I wonder how the motorcycles of the sea (weekend yachts) coped with the new obstruction?

[tifino]

 had really expected to suddenly see a bunch of retired Penang Ferries be acquired for this quest ???? 

[HammerMan]

As usual a mix of badly informed persons, trolls and sensible people..

Clearly some people are anti Thai no matter what they do.  

This project has taken almost 5 years to reach this point and it's been carefully planned and thought out, but unlike many countries most Thai ports were built away from cities and in remote areas. This creates challenges especially as everyone knows water depths within the Gulf of Thailand coast lines are very shallow, limiting options on vessel sizes and workable port locations, hence the massive delays.

Covid-19 has also created delays and challenges.

 

As the vessel will operate on a "Domestic" basis its governed by law to be Thai Flag, Thai Crew and Thai Class. However, this does not mean its destined to sink, flounder or fail simply because its Thai... The management is totally professional, the Officers and Crew have all sailed on vessels owned/operated by Foreign Owners and their qualifications are accepted to be international standards. The vessel is also strictly monitored by the Marine Department to ensure it meets the highest safety and maintenance requirements. The owners, managers and operators of The Blue Dolphin all come from solid Maritime backgrounds with in excess of 50-60 years experience each. The current delays are due to finalising licences for the port operators to accept a vessel of The Blue Dolphin's size.  

Prices have not been shown simply because at this stage under Covid-19 regulations we're limited to operating with Trucks + 1 Driver per truck.  Cars/passengers etc.. are not permitted at this stage.  In reply to one comment, The Pattaya/Hua Hin "ferry" was strictly carrying passengers only and operated by a Chinese/Thai connection, absolutely nothing to do with Seahorse Ferries.  We are hoping to start operating by early June once the ports receive the necessary permits and then time will tell who was right and who was wrong. 

 

[Almer]

Seeing the lorry coming of there is little room over the cab for larger loads, or is it an optical illusion?

[HammerMan]

4 minutes ago, Almer said:

Seeing the lorry coming of there is little room over the cab for larger loads, or is it an optical illusion?

The safe clearance is 4.2 meters.. so agree its tight and limits load heights. In other countries there would be a dedicated ferry berth with a 'Linkspan' between the vessel and jetty to control the angle of the ramp.. unfortunately we do not have at this stage such a luxury due to the dreaded words "Environmental Impact Assessment", which could take years to complete.