Tourists wait up to five hours for ferries from Samui Island

[webfact]

PHOTO: FILE PHOTO

 

By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Koh Samui – Tourists were disappointed after waiting up to five hours for ferries from Samui Island.

 

Saturday (July 16th) at 4:00 P.M. Thai and foreign tourists were heading back from Samui Island after the long holidays have almost ended.

 

At the Sea Tran Ferry Pier, cars were in long queues many kilometers long where tourists were waiting to leave the island. The problem was because the ferry company had decreased the ferry rounds down to six, according to tourists at the scene. Normally, the ferry leaves every hour.

 

Mr. Pitasit Gargharn told the associated Thai media, “I am from Bangkok. I like to visit Samui Island but I have been waiting for five hours. This makes me bored and disappointed when visiting Samui Island.”

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/07/17/tourists-wait-up-to-five-hours-for-ferries-from-samui-island/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-07-18

 

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[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The problem was because the ferry company had decreased the ferry rounds down to six, according to tourists at the scene. Normally, the ferry leaves every hour.

 

Mr. Pitasit Gargharn told the associated Thai media, “I am from Bangkok. I like to visit Samui Island but I have been waiting for five hours.

If every tourist moaned about 5 hours wait there would have to be 30 hours in the day and the service running through the night 

[crazykopite]

The Ferries are never on time to and from the islands last week I had a friend stuck on the Raja at Phangan for 8 hours he wasn’t even compensated unlike Europe where the ferries have the responsibility to take care of you in unlikely situations “Amazing Thailand”

[robertson468]

I understand that this is because of a dispute between the Ferry Owners and the local authorities, whereby the Owners were not allowed to increase the fares.  Why the local authority should be allowed to interfere with the business of a private company is unethical, unless of course the increase was outrageously big.

[PoorSucker]

Guess it was for cars, footpassangers will always get onboard. 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

At the Sea Tran Ferry Pier, cars were in long queues many kilometers long where tourists were waiting to leave the island. The problem was because the ferry company had decreased the ferry rounds down to six, according to tourists at the scene. Normally, the ferry leaves every hour.

Great planning for the 5 day holiday period... not.

[khunPer]

Quote from the article...

Ferry companies did not immediately release a public statement to explain the delays, but traffic remained heavy to Samui over the weekend.

 

Yes the did, last Wednesday...
Due to keeping the old ferry-fares by decree, Seatran Ferry need to reduce fuel-cost by changing schedules to fewer departures from July 14th, suspend membership cards and discounts, and suspend advanced ticket sales, including fares for all vehicles...