Govt floats plans for new ferry service between Pattaya and Cha Am

[glasswort]

I have been saying this for years, absolute nightmare drive. The golf society take an annual trip to Hua Hin, i will choose the ferry any day as long as it is done right. It would be even better if it is large enough to carry cars.

Nightmare drive! You have to be joking the roads are reasonably good and the traffic moves along pretty well. I did Pattaya to Hua Hin a couple of months back in just less than 4 hours, including pit stops!

[ratcatcher]

It's about 60 miles -- the old ferry took 3hrs15mins -- needs to be under 2 hours so they need a car-carrying hovercraft or hydrofoil and backers with deep pockets to run every morning and evening, both ways, every day.

I guess this would be too small. Any water transportation experts comments/

http://www.phuketobserver.com/phuket-to-get-hydrofoil-services/

[Gandtee]

I think this would be a success if it was done properly, so far only a few half baked attempts have been tried and understandably failed.

A proper fast ferry with the ability to carry passengers plus cars would be a solution that could work, similar to the ferries that run between Scotland/England and Ireland, the distance is about 70km and some of those modern ferries could do that in just one hour thirty minutes, the initial expense being the terminals at both ends able to handle such a large vessel, the ferry could be contracted for a year to see if such a thing is feasible, obviously the fare will also be a big factor, too expensive and it would never get off the ground

the problem I see with all of this as regards fast ferries for cars etc is your water depths, if you start using "big vessels" going to get rather problematic if they are not regularly dredging channels into the terminals, which get very expensive

the only other option is "flat bottomed" ferries and they are not fast by any stretch of the imagination, and what happens when the weather comes up ?

Hovercraft? This would do away with having to build a deep water port. Laem Chabang would be OK as it already has one.

[ratcatcher]

I think this would be a success if it was done properly, so far only a few half baked attempts have been tried and understandably failed.

A proper fast ferry with the ability to carry passengers plus cars would be a solution that could work, similar to the ferries that run between Scotland/England and Ireland, the distance is about 70km and some of those modern ferries could do that in just one hour thirty minutes, the initial expense being the terminals at both ends able to handle such a large vessel, the ferry could be contracted for a year to see if such a thing is feasible, obviously the fare will also be a big factor, too expensive and it would never get off the ground

the problem I see with all of this as regards fast ferries for cars etc is your water depths, if you start using "big vessels" going to get rather problematic if they are not regularly dredging channels into the terminals, which get very expensive

the only other option is "flat bottomed" ferries and they are not fast by any stretch of the imagination, and what happens when the weather comes up ?

Hovercraft? This would do away with having to build a deep water port. Laem Chabang would be OK as it already has one.

Hovercaft to Pattaya can land on the beach discharge passengers and return to Hua Hin. If cars are involved they can build a dock in Pattaya near the marina, Pattaya visitors don't want to end up miles up the coast in LC container port and then have to endure traffic jams to get down to Pattaya. Less travel time equals more fun time in the bars with beer and babes.

[jpinx]

It's about 60 miles -- the old ferry took 3hrs15mins -- needs to be under 2 hours so they need a car-carrying hovercraft or hydrofoil and backers with deep pockets to run every morning and evening, both ways, every day.

I guess this would be too small. Any water transportation experts comments/

http://www.phuketobserver.com/phuket-to-get-hydrofoil-services/

Looks like the russian-made ones that used to run up and down the Adriatic coast some years ago. It's passengers only, which is not ideal, but would work well if there was a slower car ferry in tandem. Catamarans don't need such a depth of water as a "normal" ferry, so might manage a minimal infrastructure jetty. The hydrofoil needs a fair depth of water when it's down on its hull coming into harbour, so that might be a consideration for where it lands.

Yes - i've done ferry service planning before

[wgdanson]

If this was a viable route wouldn't somebody have already sewn it up?

There was one a few years back, but it went bust cos nobody used it . Too expensive. That's nice looking ship on the top photo isn't it !

[crusty]

It's about 60 miles -- the old ferry took 3hrs15mins -- needs to be under 2 hours so they need a car-carrying hovercraft or hydrofoil and backers with deep pockets to run every morning and evening, both ways, every day.

Hydrofoils went out of fashion 20 years ago. You need a 45m. 45knot jet boat like the Aussie co. Austal from Perth build and are already running in Sweden, Macau, The Pearl River Greece, Satun to Koh Lanta, Singapore to Indon. and The Red Sea. The 5 hour trip to Samui from Pattaya is not viable as any fast ferry is only suitable for trips.no longer than two hours and then passenger fatigue sets in at those speeds and yes Austal did do a feasability study.The government eventually screwed it up by insisting the company would have to have the vessels Thai flagged and as per transport regulations could hold no more than 40% so if the Thai partner wanted to screw them, the Aussies could not get their vessels back. The Aussies said no thanks ! One wonders if Austal can have lucrative partnerships like with the countries mentioned above, the Thais will always try to screw the partner and the country misses the bus (ferry)

[tullynagardy]

For a junta that intervened to overthrow a populist left leaning government that interfered continually in the free market, they seem to be doing exactly the same thing a hell of a lot.

These are things for the private sector to do, not a transitional government, or any government.

Stop fannying about talking nonsense about high speed trains and boats to Pattaya (where these hiso types clearly have alot of money invested) and get on with fighting corruption and fixing a stagnating economy.

[shaurene]

The fast ferries from Macau to Hong Kong are fantastic, they are mostly the fast cats built in Tasmania. I used to go to Hong Kong 3 times a year for trade shows and always booked hotels in Macau, more than half the price than in Hong Kong and I would get the fast cat each morning and back to Makau in early evening.

They are all well maintained. When they replace them they would be a good secondhand ferry to buy and they are good in rough seas. The Tasmanian fast cats are used all over the world.

[gandalf12]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

im holding my breath waiting.

I wouldn't....you will certainly die!

That will be suicide

[Gandtee]

I think this would be a success if it was done properly, so far only a few half baked attempts have been tried and understandably failed.

A proper fast ferry with the ability to carry passengers plus cars would be a solution that could work, similar to the ferries that run between Scotland/England and Ireland, the distance is about 70km and some of those modern ferries could do that in just one hour thirty minutes, the initial expense being the terminals at both ends able to handle such a large vessel, the ferry could be contracted for a year to see if such a thing is feasible, obviously the fare will also be a big factor, too expensive and it would never get off the ground

the problem I see with all of this as regards fast ferries for cars etc is your water depths, if you start using "big vessels" going to get rather problematic if they are not regularly dredging channels into the terminals, which get very expensive

the only other option is "flat bottomed" ferries and they are not fast by any stretch of the imagination, and what happens when the weather comes up ?

Hovercraft? This would do away with having to build a deep water port. Laem Chabang would be OK as it already has one.

Hovercaft to Pattaya can land on the beach discharge passengers and return to Hua Hin. If cars are involved they can build a dock in Pattaya near the marina, Pattaya visitors don't want to end up miles up the coast in LC container port and then have to endure traffic jams to get down to Pattaya. Less travel time equals more fun time in the bars with beer and babes.

What beach in Pattaya? I reckon that after this years rainy season, if it comes, there wont be a lot of beach left.

[phil2407]

Floating plans for a ferry service - nice pun!!

[maidee]

mhhh, if thai captain makes the ship sink, will he flee first ?

[ratcatcher]

the problem I see with all of this as regards fast ferries for cars etc is your water depths, if you start using "big vessels" going to get rather problematic if they are not regularly dredging channels into the terminals, which get very expensive

the only other option is "flat bottomed" ferries and they are not fast by any stretch of the imagination, and what happens when the weather comes up ?

Hovercraft? This would do away with having to build a deep water port. Laem Chabang would be OK as it already has one.

Hovercaft to Pattaya can land on the beach discharge passengers and return to Hua Hin. If cars are involved they can build a dock in Pattaya near the marina, Pattaya visitors don't want to end up miles up the coast in LC container port and then have to endure traffic jams to get down to Pattaya. Less travel time equals more fun time in the bars with beer and babes.

What beach in Pattaya? I reckon that after this years rainy season, if it comes, there wont be a lot of beach left.

I thought Pattaya had lots of beaches or is that a spelling error?

[phil2407]

Is that a ferry???

Edited March 7, 2015 by phil2407

[inzman]

Nothing will ever materialize. They will fight for years over who gets the spoils and then it will all be forgotten.

[nauseus]

Oh my God..... This will lead to plenty of Quality Expats and locals alike from The Dark Side to just come and disturb the peace and quiet

What's this? "West SIde Story"

[phil2407]

Why not use hovercraft? I remember when I was young going from Dover to Calais I think and was great in choppy waters like Thailand can get as very rare hovercraft get grounded because of weather as opposed to ferries - whether the Thai engineers could maintain one and if skirt gets puncture not just put masking tape over the hole but repair properly remains to be seen!!!

[oneday]

Thailand's going to need a much better safety record before I'd trust going that distance on a ferry with a local as the captain.

[ICECOOL]

Wasn't this tried before and failed due to lack of passengers using the route ?

There was a ferry service but it was never advertised (at least not to farangs). I only heard about it the month it was closing

[crusty]

For a junta that intervened to overthrow a populist left leaning government that interfered continually in the free market, they seem to be doing exactly the same thing a hell of a lot.

These are things for the private sector to do, not a transitional government, or any government.

Stop fannying about talking nonsense about high speed trains and boats to Pattaya (where these hiso types clearly have alot of money invested) and get on with fighting corruption and fixing a stagnating economy.

Austal was also required to have their fares set by The Communications Ministry as for all transport instead of letting it float. Talk about interfering with a free market surely only the operator knows his overall costs to make the service viable. Morons !

[lensta]

This has been talked about so many times but nothing ever comes of it.

[LuckyLew]

Why do they continually make these sorts of announcements with out having done any planning and without any statistics?

Are they just trying to show they are brainstorming and are trying to come up with new ideas?

[metisdead]

Nonsense trolling posts have been removed as well as various bashing posts.

[DoctorB]

This has been tried three times before that I can recall, all unsuccessful. Sadly this would open the gates of hell unleashing the trash of Pattaya on the rest of Thailand. Best keeping it contained. No ferry for me!

I shouldn't worry. We Pattaya trash are too busy partying all night to waste time on an expensive, dreary hole like Hua Hin. You Puritans can sleep in peace.

However, genuine tourists, the ones who actually tour around, in order to see as many places as they can on their hard-earned 3 weeks off work, might actually find this idea attractive, if it is ever implemented.

[Hobiecat]

I'm guessing someone in Pattaya didn't like that.

[loonodingle]

Look at the size of that vessel, or is she thinking of a fast ferry about the size of the tender alongside the ship?

Whatever happened to these.hover.jpg

Just how many million tourists will want to travel from Pattaya to Hua Hin / Cha Am?

Or is the Tourism Minister dreaming again?

I remember going on these Dover to calais. Half the people puking their guts up. It stank terrible of sick and old sick. Never again. I got a ferry back. They still use them to get to Isle of Wight.

[asdecas]

Wasn't this tried before and failed due to lack of passengers using the route ?

You're right, this has been mooted many times and tried at least once in the last twenty-five years, failing due to lack of passengers/profits.

However, the ever-optimistic numbers that the TAT puts out have probably led to some bright spark wanting to have another crack at it.

I forecast the same result.

[mango66]

Look at the size of that vessel, or is she thinking of a fast ferry about the size of the tender alongside the ship?

Whatever happened to these.hover.jpg

Just how many million tourists will want to travel from Pattaya to Hua Hin / Cha Am?

Or is the Tourism Minister dreaming again?

please read the OP and other quotes;

1 rout is BKK to Cha Om,

Another route was SGP to Krabi and Phuket !!

one is in Thai sea,

the other in Andaman sea !!

logo ??

[Sparkles]

Wasn't this tried before and failed due to lack of passengers using the route ?

Yes it was but adverse weather conditions meant it was unreliable.If it was a bigger boat and with due diligence on safety I think it would be a great idea ,the round trip by road takes forever.