Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry service officially ends, this time for seemingly good, as contract canceled and port returned to Pattaya City

[webfact]

 

By Goong Nang(GN)

 

Pattaya – The ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin has officially stopped their service, this time seemingly permanently, due to the ongoing Covid -1 9 pandemic and lack of foreign tourists since March of last year.

 

The ferry service between Pattaya and Hua Hin was first suspended due to the Chonburi COVID – 19 Communicable Disease Committee prevention orders last year.

 

Meanwhile, a brand new ferry service across the Gulf of Thailand from Sattahip to Prachuap Kirikhan (Hua Hin) to Songkhla was test run last year. However, this is still not a permanent service and was not designed to be a replacement.

 

Full story: 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/

 

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[2long]

I didn't even know it had opened!

I'm not a fan of Pattaya, Hua Hin, or the three main islands for tourists, but I would see more of a market for a ferry or ferries from Bangkok, Hua Hin and/or Pattaya to Koh Tao, Pha Ngan and Samui.

#1 Need to wait for this Covid thing to die out

#2 I guess there's too much mafia involvement for it to actually work.

But I reckon there'd be more market for that, than from Pattaya to Hua Hin.

[Kerryd]

49 minutes ago, 2long said:

But I reckon there'd be more market for that, than from Pattaya to Hua Hin.

Especially for a ferry that only transports people, Not even moto scooters.

Most (locals) would just take the much cheaper bus. 
When it first started I was hoping they'd at least be able to transport motorcycles, which might have made it an option rather than trying to navigate the limited routes around Bangkok to get to the Western provinces.
When I saw it was just a passenger ferry I didn't look at it again. I thought (based on posts others have made on TV) that this ferry had stopped even before the covid crisis.

[MasterBaker]

That ferry was a stupid idea to begin with, maybe should've been investigated as a lamp post deals too

[Mickeymaus]

This is bad news. I think a lot of good infrastructure dies at the moment. Covid but also increased online business are the reasons. What I am wondering is that many bars are build or renovated in Pattaya at this time. A completely new project almost finished is a kind of beach club with bigger pool and saunas at the Tree Town area. No idea what new kind of entertainment and service there will be offered. So it seems that many of these investors still have a lot of money and optimism. 

[JayClay]

5 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

That ferry was a stupid idea to begin with, maybe should've been investigated as a lamp post deals too

The ferry was great. Less than 2 hours from Hua Hin to Pattaya instead of 6 hours on the bus. Dropped off right at the end of walking street instead of at the bus terminal.

 

It had it's problems though...

 

* Too expensive; 1200bt one way. They needed to find a way to get this to about half that to make it a reasonable option to use for a weekend away.

 

* Running times... It you were planning a weekend away in Pattaya from Hua-Hin it was difficult to rely on. It left in the afternoon and could be cancelled if the conditions were too poor to run. The only alternative for the single traveller, the bus, ran in the morning, so couldn't be used as a backup if the boat didn't run.

[smedly]

I used it once and it was a very pleasant fast experience priced around the same level as a taxi for 3 people but definitely a good option for 1 person, it took about 1hr50mins on a good day, nice to be able to walk around etc

 

I agree it should have been able to take vehicles but would have required a much larger investment in the type of ferry and port infrastructure 

 

hope it starts up again

[smedly]

20 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

This is bad news. I think a lot of good infrastructure dies at the moment. Covid but also increased online business are the reasons. What I am wondering is that many bars are build or renovated in Pattaya at this time. A completely new project almost finished is a kind of beach club with bigger pool and saunas at the Tree Town area. No idea what new kind of entertainment and service there will be offered. So it seems that many of these investors still have a lot of money and optimism. 

if higher prices come with it Pattaya will end up like Phuket - priced out of the market

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, Mickeymaus said:

many of these investors still have a lot of money and optimism. 

but daren't put it in the bank.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin has officially stopped their service, this time seemingly permanently, due to the ongoing Covid -1 9 pandemic and lack of foreign tourists since March of last year.

I guess it could be converted into a shrimp boat?

[sharecropper]

I can't believe this was ever launched as a viable business. It wouldn't surprise me if it was also funded by taxpayers somehow, in that convoluted tangle of middlemen and dodgy companies Thailand is so expert at deploying.

[Gsxrnz]

Thai water conveyances often have an issue with the concept of continual flotation, so I avoided the Hua Hin ferry and preferred to drive.  More than one or two have even come unstuck while at their berth - the engine ran out of juice and the bilge pumps failed.

[DefaultName]

1 hour ago, Gsxrnz said:

........ an issue with the concept of continual flotation ............

Love that phrase.  ????

[fulhamster]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

but daren't put it in the bank.

Not from today...

[mrmicbkktxl]

5 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

That ferry was a stupid idea to begin with, maybe should've been investigated as a lamp post deals too

Actually not to stupid if they used a car ferry

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Especially for a ferry that only transports people, Not even moto scooters.

Most (locals) would just take the much cheaper bus. 
When it first started I was hoping they'd at least be able to transport motorcycles, which might have made it an option rather than trying to navigate the limited routes around Bangkok to get to the Western provinces.
When I saw it was just a passenger ferry I didn't look at it again. I thought (based on posts others have made on TV) that this ferry had stopped even before the covid crisis.

Indeed. A car ferry to the islands with a stop off at Hua Hin makes more sense, and IMO it should go from Bkk. Fly in to Swampy and bus to ferry. Avoid staying in Bkk altogether. Win win for those wanting to go to Gulf islands, and don't want the rip off Bkk Air prices.

Should have sleeping options for overnight trips.

[VocalNeal]

6 hours ago, smedly said:

I agree it should have been able to take vehicles but would have required a much larger investment in the type of ferry and port infrastructure 

Many years ago I went from Penang to Medan. No special port facilities motorbikes were simply manhandled onto the boat.

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and don't want the rip off Bkk Air prices.

How much would Air Asia charge if they had to pay Samui private airport landing fees? 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, VocalNeal said:

How much would Air Asia charge if they had to pay Samui private airport landing fees? 

No idea.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Isn't this the second Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service to fail within the past 15 years ????

[redwood1]

The ferry was just to expensive.......

 

Lets see, it would cost a family of 4 about 9600 baht round trip...

Or

 A family of 4 could go to Koh Larn for 240 baht round trip.....

 

The ferry ran with no more than 30-40-50% occupancy most of the time..

With loads of overhead costs....

Edited August 11, 2021 by redwood1

[sandyf]

9 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Especially for a ferry that only transports people, Not even moto scooters.

Most (locals) would just take the much cheaper bus. 
When it first started I was hoping they'd at least be able to transport motorcycles, which might have made it an option rather than trying to navigate the limited routes around Bangkok to get to the Western provinces.
When I saw it was just a passenger ferry I didn't look at it again. I thought (based on posts others have made on TV) that this ferry had stopped even before the covid crisis.

The boat being used was supposed to be temporary with the long term plan to be a vehicle carrying service, but they screwed it up, both on price and location. Putting the HH pier so far away from the town for a passenger service was the height of stupidity.

We went to HH a couple of years ago with a friend who was over and staying in Pattaya. At the end he took the ferry straight back to Pattaya, we struggled with directions to the pier and had he been on his own would have just taken the bus.

[Skeptic7]

Good

[impulse]

6 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

and don't want the rip off Bkk Air prices.

How much would Air Asia charge if they had to pay Samui private airport landing fees? 

Since BKK Airways owns and operates Samui airport, doesn't that cast the onus completely onto them?  They could reduce the fees they charge themselves...

[maimeepom]

6 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Isn't this the second Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service to fail within the past 15 years ????

Yes, you are quite correct. But possibly in the 90's

There was fast ferry that operated Bangkok-Pattaya-Hua Hin. 

Hua Hin was was mainly a Thai weekend resort then, so the venture failed.

The vessel was transferred to the Phuket-Penang route,  which operated successfully for many years. 

6 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Isn't this the second Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry service to fail within the past 15 years ????

 

 

[Carlos Primeros]

I think one of the catamarans is moored in Bangrak in Samui since a few monts already. The Pattaya - Huahin Ferry writing is not there anymore. But about 1 year ago or so, the two of them were moored at the same pier for a few weeks with the full name on them still....