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

[Yann55]

The idea seems brilliant, however, previous attempts were failures. Which goes to prove that a good idea is never enough, what really counts is how it's implemented and then managed.

Living in Pattaya I would absolutely love to do a boat trip to Hua Hin / Cha Am once in a while, but

1/ Not if ot costs an arm and a leg,

2/ Not if it's on a boat loaded with huge groups of loud and rude tourists from mainland China and/or Russia (yep, sorry),

3/ Not if it departs and/or arrives in the middle of nowhere, meaning getting to the boat and off the boat becomes an expensive nigthmare,

4/ Not if the timetable is absurd (and I've seem my share of absurd timetables in this country).

[Konini]

I love hearing about all of these ambitious plans that never, ever materialise. I wonder if there is a special government department for them; 'OK boys, what can we feed to the plebs today?'. The only interesting thing about this is that the OP has a link to the Bangkok Post....

[craigt3365]

It sounded like a great idea at the time. I was going to try it, but it wasn't cheap. And was off and on depending on the weather. You can still see the boat from time to time at Ocean Marina harbor.

http://www.huahinmedia.com/huahinferry.php

If it was a bit cheaper, it would be the way to go. I hate the drive to HH from Pattaya. Just too much traffic.

[mongoose11]

I remember cha-am when it was a sleepy fishing village. Perfect getaway to non sexpats. Sad to see it go the way of pattaya.

[mikiea]

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

sounds like its gunna be a "new hub" of ahhhh....ehhhh......yea dats it a "new hub" of hubs :-)

[DrTuner]

Can they make one-way ferries? Who the hell would want to leave Pattaya for some unknown hamlet?

[gemguy]

Why is it, whenever I read about these major government sponsored projects I can not help but envision all the huge sums of money exchanging hands between the various ministers and administers and all their good supplier / contractor "friends" so eagerly and enthusiastically involved in such supposedly beneficial public projects while pushing so hard for such projects to be implemented.

Am I too cynical or do I have a sense of what actually goes on after living in Thailand for 25 years.

Cheers

[craigt3365]

I remember cha-am when it was a sleepy fishing village. Perfect getaway to non sexpats. Sad to see it go the way of pattaya.

Some remember Pattaya when it was just a sleepy fishing village also! LOL

[Lupatria]

Interesting how many worthless proposals come from high paid officials and ministers, while practicable and affordable projects to improve actual situations and solve the problems seem to be unappealing. No wonder people tend to avoid paying tax whenever they can.

Looking at all those stupid and unfeasible ideas either from the TAT, Board-members, or Ministries, I would refuse to employ any of these "brainstormers" even for an SME manufacturing mortars and muddler.

[jpinx]

Interesting how many worthless proposals come from high paid officials and ministers, while practicable and affordable projects to improve actual situations and solve the problems seem to be unappealing. No wonder people tend to avoid paying tax whenever they can.

Looking at all those stupid and unfeasible ideas either from the TAT, Board-members, or Ministries, I would refuse to employ any of these "brainstormers" even for an SME manufacturing mortars and muddler.

Not only in Thailand

[tolsti]

I just hate it when someone 'floats' a plan involving a ferry....

[crusty]

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?

The last thing that Samui needs is more vehicles, that's why a pure passenger (400 capacity) fast ferry at 45 knots would take just four hours for the Pattaya - Samui route. Wavemaster from Perth are already operating from Singapore to Indonesia and Satun to Koh Lanta

[The Deerhunter]

The choice of image selected to accompany that item was unfortunate. Comments from well meaning posters appreciated I am sure.

I live on the Chonburi side & it is something like a 14 hr drive to get Phuket or about 7hrs drive Chonburi to even Hua Hin/Cha-am. I have often wondered if there was a sea connection across any of the links anywhere across the bight. Next time I go to Phuket I will fly from Don Muang. To heck with a 14 hr drive to visit a close family member living in Phuket. I do doubt the demand for the service though. We will see if it "floats or not."

[ratcatcher]

The choice of image selected to accompany that item was unfortunate. Comments from well meaning posters appreciated I am sure.

I live on the Chonburi side & it is something like a 14 hr drive to get Phuket or about 7hrs drive Chonburi to even Hua Hin/Cha-am. I have often wondered if there was a sea connection across any of the links anywhere across the bight. Next time I go to Phuket I will fly from Don Muang. To heck with a 14 hr drive to visit a close family member living in Phuket. I do doubt the demand for the service though. We will see if it "floats or not."

7 hours from Chonburi to Hua hin seems like a very slow journey.

http://www.distancesfrom.com/distance-from-Hua-Hin-to-Chonburi-Province-Thailand/DistanceHistory/5193883.aspx

270kms at 80kmh/hr should only take 3.5hrs.Let's say 1 hour stop to drain the lizard and have a coffee., still only 4.5 hrs. Add an hour for a nap and we are up to 5.5 hrs.

[DefaultName]

Could be a nice easy way for non-drivers to have a few days away from Pattaya without being crammed into a minibus. Songkran comes to mind.

[bendejo]

This could work if the do-it-yourself vactioners pick up on it. If it gets declared cool on the backpacker websites and in the Lonely Planet guides then it becomes a must do -- be there or be square. I'm not talking about the Koh Pagnan crowd, I mean the youngsters who come over for a month to follow the party trail, or the young European couples with their three kiddies in tow. They may not be known for big spending by western standards but I'd say most drop upward of US$1,200 while here, many spend more on beer than they do on food and accommodation. Also, following the crowd is a big part of it. If you want to get an idea of the numbers go to Khao San area any night around 6 and you'll see all the buses there to dispatch them down the isthmus to boats to take them to Koh Tao/Pagnan/Samui. This is the way Lonely Planet says to do it. By contrast, go to Sai Tai Mai and notice how few farang tourists you see there.

So yeah, the ferry can be a route to the southern islands for those coming from the Cambodia and the Thai islands east of Pattaya. It's going to have to be promoted, though. I don't know about a car-carrier ferry, that would involve building an infrastructure of loading ramps, more expensive boats, more fuel...

Then of course there will be the taxi mafias dealing with the remote port areas, fares costing nearly as much as a boat ticket.

[techboy]

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

So lemme get this straight. In reality you got no idea whether this feasable or a good idea. So in the interest of negativity you are implying that it is not good because it is not there already?

[longstebe]

The choice of image selected to accompany that item was unfortunate. Comments from well meaning posters appreciated I am sure.

I live on the Chonburi side & it is something like a 14 hr drive to get Phuket or about 7hrs drive Chonburi to even Hua Hin/Cha-am. I have often wondered if there was a sea connection across any of the links anywhere across the bight. Next time I go to Phuket I will fly from Don Muang. To heck with a 14 hr drive to visit a close family member living in Phuket. I do doubt the demand for the service though. We will see if it "floats or not."

I'm not 100% but can't you fly Bangkok airways from Pattaya U' Tapao airport to Phuket?

[kiwikeith]

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?

Cha Am is a nightmare on the weekends with visitors from Bangkok you cant get near the place, so with a ferry Pattaya can take a load over for the weekend how joyful it will become

For every person leaving Cha Am on a Pattaya bound ferry, there will be others to replace them on the return trip. If you want joyful, I doubt Cha Am is the place. It is a seaside town favored by Thais.

exactly Thais will be able to flock to Pattaya for the week end on the ferry.

[Soutpeel]

The choice of image selected to accompany that item was unfortunate. Comments from well meaning posters appreciated I am sure.

I live on the Chonburi side & it is something like a 14 hr drive to get Phuket or about 7hrs drive Chonburi to even Hua Hin/Cha-am. I have often wondered if there was a sea connection across any of the links anywhere across the bight. Next time I go to Phuket I will fly from Don Muang. To heck with a 14 hr drive to visit a close family member living in Phuket. I do doubt the demand for the service though. We will see if it "floats or not."

7 hours from Chonburi to Hua hin seems like a very slow journey.

http://www.distancesfrom.com/distance-from-Hua-Hin-to-Chonburi-Province-Thailand/DistanceHistory/5193883.aspx

270kms at 80kmh/hr should only take 3.5hrs.Let's say 1 hour stop to drain the lizard and have a coffee., still only 4.5 hrs. Add an hour for a nap and we are up to 5.5 hrs.

it is very slow, I used to do a run Chonburi to Chumpon pretty regularly and averaging out work on around 7 -7.5 hours to Chumpon

14 hours to Phuket ...you could be in Songkhla in that time

one suspects this poster has never driven any of these routes or is riding a bicycle

Edited March 9, 2015 by Soutpeel

[ratcatcher]

The choice of image selected to accompany that item was unfortunate. Comments from well meaning posters appreciated I am sure.

I live on the Chonburi side & it is something like a 14 hr drive to get Phuket or about 7hrs drive Chonburi to even Hua Hin/Cha-am. I have often wondered if there was a sea connection across any of the links anywhere across the bight. Next time I go to Phuket I will fly from Don Muang. To heck with a 14 hr drive to visit a close family member living in Phuket. I do doubt the demand for the service though. We will see if it "floats or not."

7 hours from Chonburi to Hua hin seems like a very slow journey.

http://www.distancesfrom.com/distance-from-Hua-Hin-to-Chonburi-Province-Thailand/DistanceHistory/5193883.aspx

270kms at 80kmh/hr should only take 3.5hrs.Let's say 1 hour stop to drain the lizard and have a coffee., still only 4.5 hrs. Add an hour for a nap and we are up to 5.5 hrs.

it is very slow, I used to do a run Chonburi to Chumpon pretty regularly and averaging out work on around 7 -7.5 hours to Chumpon

14 hours to Phuket ...you could be in Songkhla in that time

one suspects this poster has never driven any of these routes or is riding a bicycle

I agree, as Chumphon is about 270kms south of HH, basically another three hours drive.

[Dublin]

Opps here we go again "attract tourism" just like the high speed train,,, all it is is another option who wants to go on a 4 hour cruise,,, only thing of use is a car ferry with passenger access similar to what operates between Ireland, and Wales,,, its only around 100km could to a run twice a day.... thats of course if its run safely and does not sink from over loading,....

[BlackJack]

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

yes

it was tried

I went to the opening party

Mayor and All

A privately owned boat, built with 2-3 levels

but could not operate during low season or in bad weather

Low numbers and so I think now its just hired out for other reasons

I think the boat is still in the Marina near the Ambassador Hotel.

[wileycoyote]

Gets my vote ,but is it economicaly viable ?

[Bernard Flint]

It won't be long before "Beloved (unelected) Leader" will be instigating a Low Earth Orbital Space Shuttle Link between Swampy and Don Muang, the whole lot of them are off their heads! I want a pint of what he drinks!!!!! -

Never mind, pull up your chairs, settle down in front of the T.V just a few hours to go until he takes over the T.V airwaves for tonight's driveling rhetoric rambling by a complete lunatic devoid of any understanding of ordinary people, a good 90 minutes of complete rubbish, by an arrogant XXXX.

The man is a sociopath at best and maybe even a psychopath.

SIR

Someone else with similar views, well done that man

[Soutpeel]

It won't be long before "Beloved (unelected) Leader" will be instigating a Low Earth Orbital Space Shuttle Link between Swampy and Don Muang, the whole lot of them are off their heads! I want a pint of what he drinks!!!!! -

Never mind, pull up your chairs, settle down in front of the T.V just a few hours to go until he takes over the T.V airwaves for tonight's driveling rhetoric rambling by a complete lunatic devoid of any understanding of ordinary people, a good 90 minutes of complete rubbish, by an arrogant XXXX.

The man is a sociopath at best and maybe even a psychopath.

SIR

Someone else with similar views, well done that man

I didn't realize they had let old square head back in the country and made him PM again