Speedboat Plan To Ease Ride To Phuket Airport

[IrishIvan]

“Traveling by car usually takes about an hour. In rush hour, it takes 90 minutes. But traveling by speedboat would take only 25 minutes, and by tour boat would be only 40 minutes,” he suggested.

I wonder if any of these people have actually asked a mariner how long it would take. The sea route would be almost 20 miles. Boats don't travel at the speed of taxis.

On a hydrofoil probably about 25 minutes from Patong. Also no traffic. A scenic route. It ticks all the boxes and I would love to see the faces of the taxi idiots with lost revenue. They would probably try and get their jetski twit friends to ram the boat

[Halion]

This project will become complex and convoluted in order to satisfy the greed and graft of the local establishment. As an earlier poster has so aptly stated they should consider Hovercraft which have the ability to negate the need for deep water berthing and secondary transportation to the air terminal. Using Hovercraft you have access to almost all the beach front locations.

Hydrofoils would be far better suited for longer runs.

They could quite quickly set up a central departure staging area for west coast traffic .

It is doable providing you have a will and the ability think things through.

[sydneyjed]

Just in: first photo of the blockade by Phuket Tuk Tuk drivers to protest the planned introduction of water services between the airport and Patong.

sunken-tuk-tuk.png

Getting more like a James Bond movie every day on Phuket..and that's not even including the Russians...

[lavender19]

Brilliant. Lets see the taxi muppets try and blockade a hydrofoil.

P.S. The last time I saw a hydrofoil around here it was parked on the bottom of Patong Bay after the tsunami.

It's Ok as long as it is within the Airport boundary but if outside you will still have to run the gauntlet of the taxi ********s to get to the pier.

[Loptr]

I've heard of some lame-brained ideas in my life, but this one is right up there.

I can think of a few logistical issues with this rube goldberg like approach to transporting tourists from the airport. Such as, where ever this thing drops off tourists, they will still be at the mercy of the tuktuk clan.

[lavender19]

“Traveling by car usually takes about an hour. In rush hour, it takes 90 minutes. But traveling by speedboat would take only 25 minutes, and by tour boat would be only 40 minutes,” he suggested.

I wonder if any of these people have actually asked a mariner how long it would take. The sea route would be almost 20 miles. Boats don't travel at the speed of taxis.

Well the way the traffic is going it will probably cut the travel by road time in half.

[harrycallahan]

I've heard of some lame-brained ideas in my life, but this one is right up there.

I can think of a few logistical issues with this rube goldberg like approach to transporting tourists from the airport. Such as, where ever this thing drops off tourists, they will still be at the mercy of the tuktuk clan.

Seems OK to me. A big bus was never going to drop them all outside their hotel.

[Cuban]

Thai boat operators have such a good safety record, not!

Exactly how will they fit a plane load of passengers and their luggage into a hydrofoil in a timely manner then transport them to presumably the airport's pier/passenger terminal to another such terminal in the hotel zone. Are the passengers acting as luggage loaders/sorters?

This plan has the foresight of a Myopic Mole, for passengers that have transferred planes in BKK will they really like going through the luggage transfer process three times within an hour of landing in Thailand? And still be facing some sort of wait and vehicle transport from the Southern pier/passenger terminal to their hotel anyway?

I can see a situation where the taxi drivers etc will still have their transfer to the hotel fare, but just be charging 1.000 Baht for a 5-10 minute trip.

It will not end well.

Improved roads is a cheaper option.

[NamKangMan]

Just in: first photo of the blockade by Phuket Tuk Tuk drivers to protest the planned introduction of water services between the airport and Patong.

sunken-tuk-tuk.png

Getting more like a James Bond movie every day on Phuket..and that's not even including the Russians...

Yeh, the movie will be called, "The Man with the Golden Tuk-Tuk."

[FritsSikkink]

They could use a Russian boat. Then the russkies really would be taking jobs from Phuket thieves.

Apart from that; what a brilliant idea. Would be a beautiful way to travel after being on a plane for hours. Pray it happens;

It cuts congestion, makes money, and pleases the customers. Let's have some more ideas olike it.

Try it on a day with a lot of wind and rain.

[FritsSikkink]

Brilliant. Lets see the taxi muppets try and blockade a hydrofoil.

P.S. The last time I saw a hydrofoil around here it was parked on the bottom of Patong Bay after the tsunami.

You could get in trouble with the jetski people.

[bigbamboo]

Silly man, what kind of fool would use this kind of craft. The best way would be to use small hovercraft that could load off the beaches and drop passengers right at the runway terminal. But I guess his crones don't own a hovercraft.

Hovercrafts are very hard to steer

Not if you've had lessons!

[zaZa9]

There is already a sea born mafia and its called 'The Longtail Boys'.

They approached us when we were snorkelling off Banana Rock once , demanding to know how much our friend the boat owner was charging us , and warning him against 'working'.

These simple men 'own' the sea you know , and will require payment , OR the 'Airport Ferries' WILL sink.

[Cardiff1963]

“Traveling by car usually takes about an hour. In rush hour, it takes 90 minutes. But traveling by speedboat would take only 25 minutes, and by tour boat would be only 40 minutes,” he suggested.

I wonder if any of these people have actually asked a mariner how long it would take. The sea route would be almost 20 miles. Boats don't travel at the speed of taxis.

they do

[fire and ice]

Brilliant. Lets see the taxi muppets try and blockade a hydrofoil.

P.S. The last time I saw a hydrofoil around here it was parked on the bottom of Patong Bay after the tsunami.

Actually the tuk tuk mafia will love it - typical Thai planning with no thought into what happens once they get off in Patong !?!?

Well now you are off the hydrofoil and have lugged your bags all over the place and lifted them on and off the boat, You now have to pay 65,000 baht to get a tuk tuk 750-metres to your *%ing hotel and again lug your bags again because the driver is too good to lift your bags (no air-conditioning either and you are still wearing jeans from the plane).

Who wants to lug bags on & off extra modes of transport when they are on holidays?? This is as badly thought out as the Bangkok airport train - why would tourists get a train that costs them more than a Bangkok taxi and involves loads of extra hassle??? The main reasons get airport trains in other cities is because taxis cost as much there as tuk tuks in Patong, they get the airport train to save money.

But deep down this is perfect plan - the planners will all get tea money from it.

Edited March 28, 2013 by fire and ice

[weegee]

The photo of said Hydrofoil, looks like one of the wrecks that SOMETIMES travel down the Mekong in Vietnam....

If they are thinking about buying those....stick to Tuk Tuks.....it's safer.

[NamKangMan]

The photo of said Hydrofoil, looks like one of the wrecks that SOMETIMES travel down the Mekong in Vietnam....

If they are thinking about buying those....stick to Tuk Tuks.....it's safer.

Yeh, and guess what, they are Russian hydrofoils. :)

[rbrooks]

I propose hovercraft! just as reliable and just as probable as this ridiculous suggestion. Instead of fixing the REAL bloody problem lets waste money on creating a new one

Why not a space shuttle: Phuket will become a hub for space launches.

A local technical college could become a training center for space cadets, and the provincial administration could replace monkeys in low gravity research (not sure about the IQ though, conditions apply!)

Space is even less crowded than the sea.

A bullet train would be good too.....Maybe all three solutions, all together.

In the development phase a road solution could also be tried...... No That is impossible, it would require a functioning brain and a fight with the taxi mafia

Space Shuttle, I don't think so. They already dismissed NASA from their country. Maybe they will get their best scientists together from their local technical school and fabricate their own space shuttle as suggested. Pity the test pilot on their first voyage.

[KarenBravo]

“Traveling by car usually takes about an hour. In rush hour, it takes 90 minutes. But traveling by speedboat would take only 25 minutes, and by tour boat would be only 40 minutes,” he suggested.

I wonder if any of these people have actually asked a mariner how long it would take. The sea route would be almost 20 miles. Boats don't travel at the speed of taxis.

I think a hydrofoil would beat a taxi to Patong easily. No traffic lights, no cars and a straight route.

[retell]

I propose hovercraft! just as reliable and just as probable as this ridiculous suggestion. Instead of fixing the REAL bloody problem lets waste money on creating a new one

Why not a space shuttle: Phuket will become a hub for space launches.

A local technical college could become a training center for space cadets, and the provincial administration could replace monkeys in low gravity research (not sure about the IQ though, conditions apply!)

Space is even less crowded than the sea.

A bullet train would be good too.....Maybe all three solutions, all together.

In the development phase a road solution could also be tried...... No That is impossible, it would require a functioning brain and a fight with the taxi mafia

Space Shuttle, I don't think so. They already dismissed NASA from their country. Maybe they will get their best scientists together from their local technical school and fabricate their own space shuttle as suggested. Pity the test pilot on their first voyage.

oohh AAAH AH AH ( monkey sounds)

[SeaVisionBurma]

Careful......

[market trader]

actual cost about 100 million bahts. But when completed and everyone paid off 180 million bahts.

[Rickster]

Just in: first photo of the blockade by Phuket Tuk Tuk drivers to protest the planned introduction of water services between the airport and Patong.

sunken-tuk-tuk.png

I thought it was a hydrofoil service not a submarine......just sayin

Anyhow about as much chance as the patong tunnel happening......

Edited March 28, 2013 by Rickster

[shawndoc]

All of you thinking this will somehow stick it to the Tuktuk mafia, are just plain wrong. Tourists still need to get from the pier to their hotel, and you'll have the TukTuk's demanding B1000 for a 2 block trip. They'll probably also blockade the pier demanding they get a cut of all boat revenue.

Just look at their blockades of the pier the cruise ships were using, and the concessions they won.

[JetsetBkk]

Did we leave out Monorail?

Er.. no!

[Guest]

Let's think out of the box for an while.

There has been couple of new solutions to solve the traffic problems in Phuket. I think this is great. Not because these will happen, but because people are now getting more innovative how to get around the mafias. This might give out an message, that there will be time to really push the tuk-tuk mafia out of it's power.

The change will not happen in next few months or years. The main point is that the seed of antimafia is now slowly growing. That's good news.

[Gary2164]

Brilliant. Lets see the taxi muppets try and blockade a hydrofoil.

P.S. The last time I saw a hydrofoil around here it was parked on the bottom of Patong Bay after the tsunami.

The jet ski scum will blockade

[Gary2164]

As much as they need something , I think 180 mill can be used on better roads , getting rid of the tuk tuks , bring in baht buses, I know iam dreaming.

[me313]

I realize it's not a priority with city planners, but speed boats kill marine life caught up in the propellers.

[Judo Chop]

In 2007, some Scandinavians leased a hydrofoil and they did snorkelling day trips to Phi Phi. I joined them just as transfer service.

Pretty comfortable and they are fast even though it looked like that hydrofoil had seen better days.