Safety Of Phuket Ferries In Early May?

[mp413]

I am taking a long weekend May 7-12 and was planning to ferry from Phuket to either Phi Phi or Railay. I figured with this being the very start of the rainy season seas would be ok - should I be worried about the safety of ferries that time of year? I know there have been incidents deep in rainy season, but no idea whether that relates to early May.

thanks!

mp413

[Soutpeel]

I am taking a long weekend May 7-12 and was planning to ferry from Phuket to either Phi Phi or Railay. I figured with this being the very start of the rainy season seas would be ok - should I be worried about the safety of ferries that time of year? I know there have been incidents deep in rainy season, but no idea whether that relates to early May.

thanks!

mp413

I personally would be worried about the safety of the ferries at any time of year...

[ThaiEye]

The rainy season doesn't start to kick in until August/September. Don't even think about it anyway, no worries.

[souvenirdeparis]

I'm planning to do just this next year ( it'd be in the rainy season though)so I'd appreciate your impressions on the Phi Phi ferries when you're back . Enjoy your paradise trip.

[Gerryasia]

Hmmmmm...not so sure about that Mr Thai Eye.

Had a VERY, Hairy, Scary ride on a ferry to Phi Phi in June a couple of years ago, from Phuket town.

We all had vests on and the boat was overloaded and listing 20 degrees, for sure, from the wind and swells during a major squall.

Me and a couple of other farangs were talking about what to do if it pitched.

1 hour of hel_l.

Brother Ger

[smokie36]

I'd check this out the day before taking the ferry.

http://www.myforecast.com/bin/marine_forec...mp;metric=false

[Jocky]

Normally ok around May apart from the odd stormy day.

October,November in the south is normally worse although the safety issue is another matter.

[smokie36]

Normally ok around May apart from the odd stormy day.

October,November in the south is normally worse although the safety issue is another matter.

October maybe but I've had some great trips around the Andaman coast in November with no trouble at all.

[stevenl]

Why are there so many people here talking about things they obviously know nothing about.

The ferries from Phuket are safe, except for a very, very strange and probable on purpose sinking (King Cruiser in 1987) there have been no accidents with ferries in this area. If it is not safe the ferries won't go.

May-October is the season with the wind coming from the West, so the swells get higher than in the other months. Normally a few days in May and October (when the wind changes direction) are the winds gets worst, but there will be other days as well with high seas. No way to predict it though.

An overloaded ferry in June and a 20% list? Sorry, but I seriously doubt both statements.

[ivowatson]

Why are there so many people here talking about things they obviously know nothing about.

The ferries from Phuket are safe, except for a very, very strange and probable on purpose sinking (King Cruiser in 1987) there have been no accidents with ferries in this area. If it is not safe the ferries won't go.

May-October is the season with the wind coming from the West, so the swells get higher than in the other months. Normally a few days in May and October (when the wind changes direction) are the winds gets worst, but there will be other days as well with high seas. No way to predict it though.

An overloaded ferry in June and a 20% list? Sorry, but I seriously doubt both statements.

I have to agree; lots of people talking nonsense.

The ferries go out every day, even when it's not safe (to me).

I know because I have customers arriving in Phuket every day, taking the ferry to Phi Phi. I never had a trip cancelled or postponed.

Every low season (May-October) one or two ferries and about ten speedboats sink. Usually they have enough life vests for everyone on board. The press won't report all those sinkings unless it's really big news like the fire that destroyed a ferry from probably the largest company organizing ferry trips to Phi Phi in the low season of 2008. That same company had a ferry 'go down' last low season too but nothing was reported in the press. The owner is a very powerfull man in Phuket (that powerfull that they sometimes forget to pay their bills to the agents, LOL)

[stevenl]

I never had a trip cancelled or postponed.

Normally in low season a few days the ferries won't go because it is not deemed safe.

Every low season (May-October) one or two ferries and about ten speedboats sink.

Nonsense, the last ferry that sunk was the King Cruiser in 1987. Last year I know 1 speedboat sunk, but there could have been more.

The press won't report all those sinkings unless it's really big news like the fire that destroyed a ferry from probably the largest company organizing ferry trips to Phi Phi in the low season of 2008. That same company had a ferry 'go down' last low season too but nothing was reported in the press. The owner is a very powerfull man in Phuket (that powerfull that they sometimes forget to pay their bills to the agents, LOL)

You're not talking about ferry trips here.