Pattaya-hua Hin Ferry?

[Riptide]

Hello All,

I've made the trip a few times BKK-HH & once made the trip over there from Pattaya and then back the next day. What a haul!!!

Anyhow, I have a friend in the boatbuilding business in Pattaya, and he's recently designed a new type of boat that would make the water crossing from Pattaya to Hua Hin and vice versa in 2 1/2 -3 hrs.

Now, before you develop images of a bone jarring, tooth rattling, loud, wet and miserable 3 hour speedboat ride, let me explain.

This design concept is pretty new for Thailand.

It's a trimaran (one main center hull with 2 outriggers). The passengers would ride in it much like they would in a bus or airplane, except they would enter from the top down a set of stairs (like exiting a large tour bus).

The roof would be tinted plexiglass. Theoretically, it would be powered by a 300hp diesel with mucho sound proofing in place and seat 36 passengers.

The small prototype of this design is currently performing its tests quite well.

The trimaran design adds tremendous stability and comfort. It is also constructed quite a bit "over-long" and has a very narrow, very pointed portion forward of the passenger compartment, which adds to stability on the forward/up & down axis. It doesn't slam from wave to wave like a typical speedboat.

My friend has dubbed it the "Wave Piercer" design.

He's looking for some capital as well as management to help him with this potential Pattaya-Hua Hin ferry route, and that's where I come in.

Is this something that would garner a lot of interest?

[terdsak_12]

Sounds like a good idea. I live in Bangkok, but if I lived in either Patters or Hua Hin it would be a nightmare traveling between the two places. Tell your mate to plug on with his idea, it should be a winner.

[asanee]

Sounds like a good idea. I live in Bangkok, but if I lived in either Patters or Hua Hin it would be a nightmare traveling between the two places. Tell your mate to plug on with his idea, it should be a winner.

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[asanee]

Sounds like a good idea: read on, not the first time this idea spruced up.

I live in Bangkok, me too for this time of year. Pattaya to Hua Hin is a nightmare traveling between the two places: if you think passing BKK is, yes, then. BUT; there is hardly a soul, except some package tourist that actually does want to do that trip . Tell your mate to plug on with his idea, it should be a winner: IF he lives there for longer as 2-3 years (asuming khon Thai??) then he should know that this service [also with a fairly advanced boat, though not as futuristic as this 1) has been tried out twice (if not more) the last 5-7 years, and each trial was capped even before official announcing, due to complete lack of passengers, and also way too high fares compared to overland (a major factor for calculating Thai). And of course that airportbus syndrome; took some 2-3 years before guidebooks, the farang grapevine, etc, got the idea and started mentioning it and it started to gain customers, and then only on the route to KhaoSarn, the others are still mostly empty.

[Simmo]

Hi.

I lived in Hua Hin last year and one of the bar owners on the pool league started a short lived Pattaya - Hua Hin ferry service. He had some initial interest but not long enough long term to make a go of it. He was catering more towards the cruise market than a direct passenger speed run. From his telling of it there was a lot of trouble with mooring fees on the Pattaya side as well as the correct permits / licenses for the boat. He also marketed it on the Hua Hin side whereas I thought you would get more business promoting on the Pattaya side.

[davethailand]

I'll definatley use it.

[cdnvic]

Hopefully it will be the one ferry in the country thats not overloaded and running through storms.

cv