Pattaya - Hua Hin catamaran to be delivered to resort within two days

[licka]

22 minutes ago, Moti24 said:

A catamaran that holds 300+ people, but only a waiting room  for 70; good planning, that.  Now, if the catamaran held 70 people, and a waiting room was built for 300+, that I can believe; more in line with the usual Thai critical thinking.

After the first week of disappointment do you think more than 70 will want to travel 

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, khunano said:

Looking at the locally built catamaran shown on the picture I seriously doubt whether she will be able to make the 113 km trip in 1 hours 40 minutes as announced or almost 40 knots/hr! 

Not on that sea in January!

[Asiantravel]

10 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Not on that sea in January!

 

and what about in June and July?

[ezrider62]

5 hours ago, Don Mega said:

 

 

they added the  tax whilst you were in transit ?

 

No, that's the best part, no mention when you purchase the ticket either, only when you arrive are you enlightened!

[Upnotover]

37 minutes ago, ezrider62 said:

 

No, that's the best part, no mention when you purchase the ticket either, only when you arrive are you enlightened!

 

I suspect you paid the National Park entrance fee, nothing to do with tax or the ferry journey.

[Deli]

They need a car / bike ferry, otherwise it's for Chinese only

[FredNL]

7 hours ago, honoluludave said:

They used to run a Fast-Cat ferry in Hawaii. It was a money looser and did not last long. But it took a specially trained and certified crew to operate it. This is just  an accident waiting to happen without the training. 

 

No way.

Somchai will steer this thing. He is an expert and has lots of experience with high speed boats as he was steering a speedboat from Pattaya to Koh Larn for 2 weeks without any accident (reported).

[patekatek]

An assessment after 6 months of primarily high season (Jan-June) is going to look like a gold mine compared to a 6 month assessment for traffic between July and December.  I can see this operation going from daily to 3 times per week by July.  A second vessel  shouldn't even be considered until it's shown that the first boat is turning customers away due to its' popularity.

[johng]

second boat is needed for when the first one breaks down/sinks

[ezrider62]

2 hours ago, Upnotover said:

 

I suspect you paid the National Park entrance fee, nothing to do with tax or the ferry journey.

 

Never had to before, this is the first time. maybe you're right, I got hit up twice in two different locations, once at the ferry disembark before leaving the port and once by army afterwards after the motorbike was rented down the road a bit.

[sharecropper]

3 minutes ago, ezrider62 said:

 

Never had to before, this is the first time. maybe you're right, I got hit up twice in two different locations, once at the ferry disembark before leaving the port and once by army afterwards after the motorbike was rented down the road a bit.

 

I thought the army had gone in to clean up the Koh Samet Mafia. Have they just taken over instead?

[losername]

5 hours ago, bluebluewater said:

With the winds whipping around as they are now anyone on that thing is going to be getting their arse bounced around and they will need to hand out a LOT of vomit bags.

 

No thank you.

In the UK similar craft are nicknamed "Vomit Comets".

[JHolmesJr]

Its made in china…a bit worrying

[Rhys]

I trust somebody remembers to close the seacocks..

 

[300sd]

How many feet is this gem of a China ship that fits 300? What is it made of and who built it? Can I google the shipyard? Life saving equipment for 300! All the crew will be well trained in two weeks with the appropriate licensing! You know like Captains papers etc. Just curious....for now I'll pass on a boat ride in Thailand thanks. I know the sea too well.

[fforest1]

I like the free ride period but I will wait for some fist hand reports...

[roo860]

I like the free ride period but I will wait for some fist hand reports...

"Fist hand", sorry but that amused me! Is it some sort of Navel initiation ceremony?

[emoji23]

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Pdaz]

"From China" Say no more. 

Been on more than my fair share of Chinese built vessels... Hope they are ready for the downtime and repair costs.

That is of course if it doesn't corrode away. 

Wait till they see what Chinese 'stainless steel' looks like in a few Months.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Quote

Final checks are being made to the 300+ seater vessel from China at a dock in Samut Prakarn.

 

Let's see, re the likely final checklist:

 

--Lack of sufficient life preservers, check!

--Lack of working fire extinguishing equipment, check!

--Lack of automated GPS location system, check!

--Lack of reinforced, double hull, check!

 

etc etc etc.

 

 

[Pdaz]

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Let's see, re the likely final checklist:

 

--Lack of sufficient life preservers, check!

--Lack of working fire extinguishing equipment, check!

--Lack of automated GPS location system, check!

--Lack of reinforced, double hull, check!

 

etc etc etc.

 

 

 

Clueless and unprofessional crew, check !

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, Pdaz said:

 

Clueless and unprofessional crew, check !

 

Sorry!  Forgot about that. I was thinking strictly in terms of the boat itself.

 

But yes, the "normal" crew qualifications certainly have to be met!

 

Edited December 30, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[PETERTHEEATER]

Remember, the ferry operator makes a profit of only 20 to 30 percent, which is not much.

1250 ThB each way ++taxes plus fee for lifejacket hire?

 

[anotheruser]

I hope it fails just because there isn't a single person on TV that deserves to ride on such a vessel. I actually hope it works but what I said stands. This is why we can't have nice things.


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[Pdaz]

15 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

I hope it fails just because there isn't a single person on TV that deserves to ride on such a vessel. I actually hope it works but what I said stands. This is why we can't have nice things.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

Nooooo. we can't have nice things because they always promise the earth but fail to deliver. They buy something cheap and nasty and operate it badly.

Sorry to be so cynical, but that is generally what happens here. If we were talking Singapore, Japan or HK my opinion would be different.

I'd love a ferry service between here and HH. But for it to be fast, safe and comfortable they need to purchase a larger state of the art vessel. Not a cheap second rate copy from China.. I've spent the last 27 yrs of my life on working vessels so have a pretty good idea what it will be like.. Especially as the gulf of Thailand can be pretty rough some days and two hours on a bouncy cat will be misery. 

[Rhys]

agreed done the bouncy to K Tao..

[HuahinJohn]

OK let me get this straight. The boat holds 300 but the waiting area is for 70? The math does not compute.

 

[HuahinJohn]

As the boat is made in China it will be held by customs till taxes have been paid which means that the run between Patts and Hua HIn will start hmmm dec 2017.

[Don Mega]

22 minutes ago, HuahinJohn said:

As the boat is made in China it will be held by customs till taxes have been paid which means that the run between Patts and Hua HIn will start hmmm dec 2017.

 

 

Considering it has been pictured sitting in the water next to the pier it would be safe to assume it has already cleared customs.

[HuahinJohn]

10 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

 

 

Considering it has been pictured sitting in the water next to the pier it would be safe to assume it has already cleared customs.

Photo shopped..You can tell this as the water is blue. No way water around Patts is blue

 

[Don Mega]

3 minutes ago, HuahinJohn said:

Photo shopped..You can tell this as the water is blue. No way water around Patts is blue

 

 

Regardless of the colour of the water it certainly does not appear to be held at customs.