Blue Dolphin were sailing to HaiYai before, seems like that route were not lucrative, Then it was schedule for a Chomphon-Tao-Phangan-Samui route in 2021, which to my knowledge never began due to the Covid-pandemic. Exciting if the are car passengers enough from Chonburi Province to Samui...????

 

I would have thought some place close to Bangkok would be a much better harbor, for passengers that wish to bring their car to the island, but also wish to avoid around 10 hours driving plus two hours ferry from the mainland, I was actually suggesting that about 14 years ago...????

10 hours ago, webfact said:

boat is fully fitted with a bar, karaoke bar, and a disco.

Sound proofed, I hope, for those that want to rest their head after a long drive.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

takes approximately about

Strange wording?

A photo of a boat and some vague information. No photos inside? 

https://www.facebook.com/Samui-Cruise-109621371798282

 

Edited September 12, 20223 yr by Sametboy2019

I was driving south down the 36 about 1pm today & had passed under the 331 when an entourage of rescue vehicles were flying up the other way all with their blues & twos flashing.

I reckon there were at least 15 of them including one lorry with flashing lights & RESCUE emblazoned down the side of it but what was even stranger was that 5 or 6 of them had small boats on tow so I was thinking that there may have been a serious incident either in Pattaya bay or Banglamung port.

 

On 9/11/2022 at 11:23 PM, khunPer said:

Blue Dolphin were sailing to HaiYai before, seems like that route were not lucrative,

 

That must have been an interesting route considering that Hay Yai is inland quite a few kilometers.

51 minutes ago, Hanuman2547 said:

On 9/12/2022 at 1:23 PM, khunPer said:

Blue Dolphin were sailing to HaiYai before, seems like that route were not lucrative,

 

That must have been an interesting route considering that Hay Yai is inland quite a few kilometers

Hua Hin 

1 hour ago, Hanuman2547 said:

That must have been an interesting route considering that Hay Yai is inland quite a few kilometers.

Apparently, Hatyai is what the news said, it docked in Songkhla...????
"The Blue Dolphin" Ferry From Hatyai, Songkhla to Sattahip by Seahorse Ferry Co., Ltd.

Link to introduction video on Youtube HERE.

Link to Hatyai Life Society news-story (Facebook) about the new ferry-route HERE.

On 9/12/2022 at 3:48 AM, gearbox said:

586 passengers and 15 rooms...that makes 39 passengers per room. Interestingly what kind of rooms they are????

There are about 17 rooms of various sizes/styles as this was designed as a day ferry. But there are 80 sleeping pods, 80 VIP (Business Class) aircraft seats and around 350 standard aircraft style seats. A lot of people didn't sleep and instead sat drinking/talking all night in the restaurant and Sky Deck. 

On 9/12/2022 at 5:25 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Sattahip not Pattaya, like a girl telling you she's 40kg but really 60kg

Its a 30 minute drive, so not that stressful.

On 9/12/2022 at 5:52 AM, RichardColeman said:

Seems odd to me. 200 cars could have 580 people in them easy, leaving no room for walk ons - either that or the ferry is about to be overcrowded with an extra 4-500 people

During the test run 40 passengers sailed to experience the facilities, they had 17 cars and 2 motorcycles between them.

2 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

Its a 30 minute drive, so not that stressful.

40 mins+ at 80

On 9/12/2022 at 6:04 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Not going to Songkla, that's a shame, got a few friends down there. 

 

We could restore with Sattahip/Samui/Songkhla/Samui/Sattahip as an option. Will update in October.

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

40 mins+ at 80

When they finish the new roads will be 30 mins, or new expressway is definitely 30 mins. I do it frequently.

On 9/12/2022 at 6:44 AM, bdenner said:

They forgot the pollution control. Belching as much smoke as a Bangkok bus. Do I get the reward for "dobbing" them in?

The smoke occurs when changing over the fuel to a lighter low sulphur diesel oil.. hopefully when its being operated regularly that will reduce dramatically.. but have you seen the black smoke kicked out by the other ferries operating at Samui?

On 9/12/2022 at 6:04 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Not going to Songkla, that's a shame, got a few friends down there. 

 

We could restore with Sattahip/Samui/Songkhla/Samui/Sattahip as an option. Will update in October.

 

 

On 9/12/2022 at 6:37 AM, JohnOFphon said:

Put in a casino and I'll go.

If the government eventually allows, absolutely why not.. 

18 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

There are about 17 rooms of various sizes/styles as this was designed as a day ferry. But there are 80 sleeping pods, 80 VIP (Business Class) aircraft seats and around 350 standard aircraft style seats. A lot of people didn't sleep and instead sat drinking/talking all night in the restaurant and Sky Deck. 

This information was saved in the OP... quality reporting????

On 9/12/2022 at 7:22 AM, Peterw42 said:

I'm confused, the same company and same boat, has so far announced a Sattahip to Songkhla service, a Sattahip to Prachuap Khiri Khan service (Pattaya to Hua Hin), and Pattaya to Samui service. Last time I looked Sattahip is 30-40 ks from Pattaya and actually closer to Rayong.

 

 

Geographically due to the very shallow water around Thailand you are limited where a reasonably sized vessel can berth. Hence Hua His was always going to be impossible. Prachuap was an option but proved too expensive, and killed off by Covid. Songkhla looked promising but issues with securing regular access to berths and issues with the local fishermen killed that too. Samui became interesting but has taken months to prepare and a lot of dredging. Hopefully this will be our new regular port.

20 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

When they finish the new roads will be 30 mins, or new expressway is definitely 30 mins. I do it frequently.

Yeah maybe with the new roads, currently traffic bad after 332 i do it twice a week

13 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

Geographically due to the very shallow water around Thailand you are limited where a reasonably sized vessel can berth. Hence Hua His was always going to be impossible. Prachuap was an option but proved too expensive, and killed off by Covid. Songkhla looked promising but issues with securing regular access to berths and issues with the local fishermen killed that too. Samui became interesting but has taken months to prepare and a lot of dredging. Hopefully this will be our new regular port.

Great to have that option to go from Samui to Pattaya with the ferry if the prices are right.

Ah, days on Indonesia/Pelni brings back memories...

 

 

 

 

I mean nightmares lol

36 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

 

 

36 minutes ago, HammerMan said:

The smoke occurs when changing over the fuel to a lighter low sulphur diesel oil.. hopefully when its being operated regularly that will reduce dramatically.. but have you seen the black smoke kicked out by the other ferries operating at Samui?

Look at the silt! Who changes fuel while manoeuvring in port?

 

Having lived in the rice paddies of Isaan for the past 21 years never seen a Samui ferry but in saying that I did work in the off shore oil industry out of Sattahip for 4 years and the Thai navy vessels were cleaner than the subject ferry!

Edited September 13, 20223 yr by bdenner
Double post

43 minutes ago, bdenner said:

 

Look at the silt! Who changes fuel while manoeuvring in port?

 

Having lived in the rice paddies of Isaan for the past 21 years never seen a Samui ferry but in saying that I did work in the off shore oil industry out of Sattahip for 4 years and the Thai navy vessels were cleaner than the subject ferry!

Actually ALL ships are obliged to change the fuel to low sulphur fuel when inside port limits all over the world. You don't have a choice. The Samui ferries primarily use palm oil as they own large plantations, which I believe is cheaper, but throws out a lot of black smoke. As for the navy vessels, the older vessels no not cleaner, but most modern ships are fitted better/cleaner engines which are more fuel efficient. Our poor ship is an old lady at 27 years.. but it was a tenth of the price for a modern vessel.

Samui would have been great pre 1995. Chav island now. Only going to get worse. Shame. Such a beautiful island.

On 9/12/2022 at 3:07 PM, Tropposurfer said:

Could be a nice, peaceful, and breezy cool way to travel between.

I'd use it to get to Phangan ( no interest in Samui any more ) in preference to going to Bkk and taking the train, the bus to the ferry terminal and the ferry to the island. That leaves only the ferry from Samui to Phangan.

I'd use the seating though, as probably no worse than a bus to Surat Thani.

On 9/13/2022 at 11:35 PM, Sparktrader said:

Samui would have been great pre 1995. Chav island now. Only going to get worse. Shame. Such a beautiful island.

It was. I always went there till it went trendy and horrible.

My first resort was JJ Palace on Chaweng, but it got burnt down a few years later. Had the most amazing restaurant.

Chaweng beach has to be as good as anywhere on Earth, but it's a shame they put the flight path right over the middle of it.

On 9/13/2022 at 6:50 PM, Hanuman2547 said:

That must have been an interesting route considering that Hay Yai is inland quite a few kilometers.

Google doesn't bring up Hay Yai, so assuming it's Hat Yai, it's not too far from the coast. I've done that trip.

Edited September 19, 20223 yr by thaibeachlovers

On 9/13/2022 at 4:19 AM, HammerMan said:

Actually ALL ships are obliged to change the fuel to low sulphur fuel when inside port limits all over the world. You don't have a choice. The Samui ferries primarily use palm oil as they own large plantations, which I believe is cheaper, but throws out a lot of black smoke. As for the navy vessels, the older vessels no not cleaner, but most modern ships are fitted better/cleaner engines which are more fuel efficient. Our poor ship is an old lady at 27 years.. but it was a tenth of the price for a modern vessel.

What sort of license is required for the one navigating the vessel through traffic. 

On 9/20/2022 at 6:32 AM, EVENKEEL said:

What sort of license is required for the one navigating the vessel through traffic. 

The ships crew are all fully licensed with International certificates, many of them having sailed all over the world on cargo/container/tanker and cruise ships. The crew are also constantly being trained on emergency routines, crowd management, fire fighting etc..  As someone who has been in the shipping industry for 50 years I can say this is one of the best crews I've ever met.