Video: Glimpse of the future - from Pattaya to Hua Hin in one hour

[eddie61]

Its a real pity that this service (like hi speed rail), aims too high for the development level of the market.

 

1/2 the speed, twice the time and 60% of the price would work I believe.. A lot of time is wasted waiting for and loading a ferry, whether it travels at the speed of sound or of a fishing boat. 

 

3 hours from drive in to drive out of Terminal would be a commercial success I believe, but if the specs of the Ferry and the resulting prices are  Startrek stuff, it will be a commercial failure, for sure.

 

 

[harleyclarkey]

Can anyone enlighten me as to why Thailand doesn't have a full on ferry service....not those dangerous speed  junkers that ply the islands. 

 

The scope for services must be huge. Far easier, and often more comfortable. to hop on a ferry and usually go center to center. Interservice plying; Bangkok/Hua Hin/Vietnam/Cambodia/Don Sak/Trat area/Pattaya, etc. etc., 

 

Rather than taking an hour to the airport, a two hour check in, a one-hour flight and another hour at the end. 

[Crossy]

Or you could build your own:-

 

 

[harleyclarkey]

Just now, Crossy said:

Or you could build your own:-

 

 

 

 

They could rent these out on Patong beach?

 

Imagine the scam price when you return it!!!!

[Crossy]

Just now, harleyclarkey said:

 

They could rent these out on Patong beach?

 

Imagine the scam price when you return it!!!!

 

At least it would fly OVER swimmers, it may scare them to death but wouldn't hit them.

 

[alexlm]

Can it fly to space?

[monkey4u]

You don't understand, any of you

This service will be very popular with hi so's who wish to flee the scene of their latest accident

It wasn't me!

I was on the other side of the gulf 

 

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, gamini said:

a good and wonderfull project bashed as usual by a small group of bored Thai bashers.

 

We can all understand your frustration with the "small group of bored Thai bashers", but unfortunately for you, they are right. Every so often, a story comes out with an idea that has been tried several times before and failed several; times before. The first thing that raises peoples scepticism level is the name of the vessel shown and the speed supposedly they will travel at 148km/h. Yes that's right in old fashioned terms 90 miles an hour.

As others more knowledgeable in marine speeds have pointed out, that's really "very" (scary) fast for  avessel carrying hundreds of passengers and cars.. 

More can be learned here if interested. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_craft

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboJET

I do not believe this service is designed for the expat that wakes up in Pattaya, has breakfast on the ferry,d plays a round of golf in Hua Hin and can still be back in Pattaya for Happy Hour at The Tahitian Queen.

If the ferry had reasonable priced fares for passengers and vehicles, it may well have a chance, but telling people they will be travelling at ridiculous speeds is simply dishonest.

These stories, like the High Speed Train series all have to be taken with a large pinch of salt. But it does make for entertainment on TVF.

[Xircal]

Britanny Ferries has a regular catamaran ferry which can carry 835 passengers and 235 cars at speeds of up to 42 knots (77kph) which sounds realistic.

 

But I can't imagine that there would be that many passengers with vehicles that would want to make the journey from Pattaya to Hua Hin on a regular basis which would make it a viable proposition.

[Asiang]

148 km/ is purely impossible, How stupid can be these people to keep talking shiiite all the time ?

[melvinmelvin]

148 km/hour is 79 and bit knots, hopefully that is a misprint that slipped through QC/QA

 

like said above; a bit less than half the speed and a bit more than double the time and

you are approaching something that can be realised with exisiting commercial equipment

 

and it would still be very fast

 

[Nielsk]

2 hours ago, Grubster said:

This is ridiculous, even if they can do, which they can't I will never be on a boat that travels anywhere near that speed.

 And You never fly.  Just as ridiculous if you ask me....

[khunPer]

40 knots (74 km/h), 1400 passengers, 350 cars, and 40 trucks is possible – i.e. double the travel time from 148 km/h – re one of our Danish services to the island Bornholm by Leonora Christina (the ferry is build in Australia). The are other newer catamarans in service, but they are not faster, only sleepy 36 knots.

[Basil B]

Researching the fastest ferry I come up with the Frncisco

Quote

The Rio de la Plata estuary between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay, is about to welcome an incredibly fast and luxurious new arrival.

A 99-metre long 'Wave Piercing Catamaran' will soon be whizzing up to 1024 passengers and 150 cars between the two cities at a maximum speed of 58.1 knots, or 67 mph.

And the manufacturers of the 450-tonne ferry say that is it 'certainly the fastest ship in the world.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2351454/Meet-Francisco-The-fastest-ferry-planet-jet-engines-propel-1000-passengers-150-cars-67-MPH.html

 

My guess 48Km/h but as the distance as the crow flies from Pattaya to Hua Hin is 67 miles (107Km) and the ferry will have to accelerate up to speed and slow down again, and also comply with port authority speed limits I think the travel time of one hour to be wildly optimistic, actually a kid in first year of kindergarten will tell you it is impossible.

[cracker1]

"The boat would be able to travel across the Gulf of Thailand at speeds up to 148 kilometers an hour"

There is no way this service will travel across the Gulf of Thailand  at the published speed !

[bokningar]

5 hours ago, hansnl said:

A cat going 148 km per hour?

Really?

Fastest Incat reaches 107 km/h. (58kn)

Anybody has an idea how expensive exploitation of such a vessel is?

 

No idea but they have to meet this requirements (see below). And so far no one has gone as fast as what they claim in this article yet 

 

In accordance with SOLAS Chapter X Reg. 1.3, High Speed Crafts are crafts capable of a maximum speed, in metres per second (m/s), equal to or exceeding:

{\displaystyle 3.7\times \triangledown ^{0.1667}} 3.7\times \triangledown ^{{0.1667}}

where: {\displaystyle \triangledown } \triangledown  = volume of displacement in cubic metres corresponding to the design waterline, excluding craft of which the hull is supported clear above the water surface in non-displacement mode by aerodynamic forces generated by ground effect.

[trogers]

Would be a failure!

 

Actual traffic would only be 25-30% of projection. I can understand the retirees in Huahin wanting an occasional bash at Pattaya. But why on earth would those living in Pattaya want to visit the grounds of a retiree home of Huahin?

[geriatrickid]

6 hours ago, gamini said:

a good and wonderfull project bashed as usual by a small group of bored Thai bashers.

 

It iss not being bashed. Rather people are pointing out that the promotional video is misleading and is not indicative of what the actual scenario is. People do not  appreciate when third parties attempt to manipulate and deceive them.  

 

There is ZERO possibility of the ferry technology being available or deployed on this route in the next 5 years, let alone 10 years. As well, the route traveled is busy and Thailand's small vessels are neither operated by qualified operators, nor equipped with navigational equipment and warning devices to allow the safe operation  of a ferry at this speed. What part of IMPOSSIBLE and INFEASIBLE do you not understand? As such, it is not bashing when a promotion is disproved as so many have done.

[billybog]

how long before it runs aground, runs over a few boats, smashes into the speedboats in the area...or......wait for it.....is so overloaded, it lists and sinks.

[smotherb]

I just bought tickets for the maiden voyage.

[wpcoe]

This topic has come up so many times over the years and I can't find the discussion now, but one of the later proposals was to have multiple ferries daily between Hua Hin and Pattaya (10 or 12 each direction?) each carrying >100 passengers.  Additionally there were multiple ferries between Hua Hin and Bangkok and between Pattaya and Bangkok.  Where are all those passengers supposed to come from?

 

Also, the ferry terminal had been moved from Pranburi to some undeveloped area 40 minutes north of Hua Hin.

 

Can't wait to see how/if the service actually materializes.

[hawker9000]

19 hours ago, petermik said:

"the details are still being iron out as funding is sought" ok but do not hold your breath

You know, IF it could be built & operated safely, reliably, and efficiently, I think it could be a reasonable money-maker and work to the advantage of the local economies in both cities.  I'm just not sure how you close the Chinese investment without surrendering the long-term benefits...   It'd be just an hour, and it takes longer than that just to get from Pattaya to Bangkok!  The thing is, you'd get to the terminal on the western side, and probably have to fork over a fortune to the inevitable taxi mafia to get you to your final destination in Hua Hin.

 

 

[FinChin67]

I wonder why they don't have these super fast ferries between Hong Kong and Macau.. Or to any port in China from Hong Kong.

[Grubster]

13 hours ago, Nielsk said:

 And You never fly.  Just as ridiculous if you ask me....

Maybe you should try to find statistics on fast boat travel as opposed to Air.   I have spent a lot of time on water and I can assure you conditions are much more difficult. You have wind, waves, currents, floating junk, all other vehicles are on the same elevation as you. I used a couple of these big catamarans in Mexico, but I think they travelled about 80 Kms per hour in good conditions. I have been on power boats at 90 km per hour on smooth inland waters and was scared shitless. I think they are over exaggerating the speed of this thing, but if they plan on using this speed to calculate a schedule there is no way I will get on board. I do not like flying either but stats bare out very safe travel. I think a good safe trip across would be a great asset but starting out saying they can run those speeds will require losing face when they can't,   I don't want my Captain to be worried about losing face.

[tominbkk]

Something about that promotional video creeps me out.  All those models looking so fake like they are in some alternate dimension.  Weeeiiiirrrrdddd.

[Gazman1]

I think after a ride at this speed I would require new underpants, I have been on some very fast boats and they are not built for comfort so passengers would not enjoy. I think I would sell sea sick tablets at the start and pain killers at the end

[little mary sunshine]

Been discussed to death over the past

10 years.....Don't get excited, never happen

in your lifetime!!.......Next!!

[FinChin67]

History of ferry accidents in Hong Kong's crowded harbour

http://www.scmp.com/article/548571/history-ferry-accidents-hong-kongs-crowded-harbour
 

Like this..
Rubber tyre floating in sea suspected of causing Macau-Hong Kong high-speed ferry crash that injured 124 passengers

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1872181/rubber-tyre-floating-sea-suspected-causing-hong-kong-macau

[Kiteboy57]

I guess to travel at speeds suggested, they will be engaging the services of Thailand's finest MiniBus drivers!

As for money, looks like a job for Crowdfunding to break into the Thai marketplace :)

 

KB

[Golden Triangle]

Well I for One would use it, sure beats taking your life in your hands on Thailands roads, but as has been pointed out on here, if it happens it ain't gonna be for a long long time, so I may be well past it by then