47 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

The only problem is you maybe delayed for a week. Is reliability not as important as comfort?

 

I've been on the roads.  I've never been comfortable.

I will take the ferry trip if I get a Thai navy "lifeboat" escort each time.

Love the Seafood in Hua Hin.... a nice treat

for a three day weekend....waiting for some

warmer weather! For the trip.

one test and 100% success wow wow ! ! ... now let us have ..say 25 tests and see that ratio///

I worked on larger fast craft for a number of years, and these vessel's need constant maintenence to keep them seaworthy, maintenance is a thing here in Thailand is non existent, just fix it when it breaks attitude. Plus they don't take the weather very well,can't sail in anything over a 2 m swell,so expect many cancellations and delays, the people that started this project did not really  do there homework.

57 minutes ago, rhythmworx said:

Does it have a bar onboard?

 

If not I would rather drive

Can't get through 2 1/2 hours without a drink?   

Maybe I am missing something here, but why should I care about visiting the sleepy town of Hua Hin for a round trip 2500 baht? The questionable schedule and maybe it will go on any particular day plus the 2 1/2 hour real travel time at the speed approved by the Marine Department are big negatives. You double fugged if you rented a hotel room for Hua Hin and the ferry gets cancelled. Is there any reason to think frequent cancellation will not happen? Good way to waste a lot of time getting to the ferry and back if you are lucky enough to be cancelled.

 

I think the only real selling point of a car carrying ferry has been ignored. There has been a lot of talk about transporting cars on this ferry but little mention of what it might cost.The time saving and reduced driving time for a trip to some place like Phuket would be good, but there will probably be an outrageous charge for the car plus the regular 1200 baht fare for each passenger that will doom the idea.

The taxi mafias are gonna have a field day 

45 minutes ago, rhythmworx said:

 

Why not, everyone else does, I can drive drinking better than people who are sober.

I don't and I hope I am far away from you when you drive.  Hs nothing to do with other people's driving abilities, has to do with your driving abilities.

21 minutes ago, lee68 said:

I worked on larger fast craft for a number of years, and these vessel's need constant maintenence to keep them seaworthy, maintenance is a thing here in Thailand is non existent, just fix it when it breaks attitude. Plus they don't take the weather very well,can't sail in anything over a 2 m swell,so expect many cancellations and delays, the people that started this project did not really  do there homework.

Out of curiosity, what type of vessel do you think would be better, even ideally suited to the HH-PTY route?

I don't think that this ferry will be successful.

 

1. They don't carry cars or motorbikes. What will you do in the sleepy Hua Hin without transportation? Rent a car or hire a taxi?

2. The ferry is a lightweight catamaran and therefore a bit sensitive against wind and waves. It can easily happen that a trip will be canceled because of bad weather. Therefore the passengers can be never sure that the planed schedule will proceed. It can easily happen that you are planning a 1-2 day stay in Hua Hin, but then you have to wait 1 week to go back because the weather remains unstable.

 

A more stable boat with the possibility to carry cars would have a better chance to be successful.

27 minutes ago, lee68 said:

I worked on larger fast craft for a number of years, and these vessel's need constant maintenence to keep them seaworthy, maintenance is a thing here in Thailand is non existent, just fix it when it breaks attitude. Plus they don't take the weather very well,can't sail in anything over a 2 m swell,so expect many cancellations and delays, the people that started this project did not really  do there homework.

Still they manage to operate high speed Catamarans between Chumphon, Koh Tao, Koh Phanghan and Samui 3 times daily. For several years. Never seen a cancelation (probably has been) 

58 minutes ago, Bsd said:

 

The sale of alcohol is banned on all ferries and piers in Thailand.  Advertising alcohol isn't which is why Raja have a giant floating Singha billboard for a boat.

 

You will have to buy your beer from the 7eleven across the road before you board.

I think you may find the consumption of alcohol is also banned on public transport.

but.....21/2 hours without a drink is not the end of the world is it ??

Im also extremely concerned about whether or not this ferry services succeeds or fails so Im adding my considered opinion to this important topic

5 hours ago, impulse said:

2-1/2 hours?  Not bad.  

 

I'd gladly pay $30-40 to avoid 4-6 hours on the highways here in Thailand.

Price price is quoted as being 1,250 baht each way so you'd be paying around $36 each way. That's if you can get back the same day of course if it's not been cancelled due to a few waves or the sea being too wet or salty!

1 hour ago, GMajor said:

 

Keep calm, catamarans got a shallow draft mate.

 

Another reason they need calm sea conditions to keep the passengers calm.

1 hour ago, Michaelaway said:

Out of curiosity, what type of vessel do you think would be better, even ideally suited to the HH-PTY route?

 

Not a vessel; but a regularly scheduled micro bus fleet running Highway 7, then 9 (Bangkok ring road) and Highway 2... and back. Since the HH crowd are generally up themselves, the buses from HH would need to be all Business Class but easily convert to cattle car for the Pattaya punters looking for 'something different' on the sunrise side of the GoT.

8 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Not a vessel; but a regularly scheduled micro bus fleet running Highway 7, then 9 (Bangkok ring road) and Highway 2... and back. Since the HH crowd are generally up themselves, the buses from HH would need to be all Business Class but easily convert to cattle car for the Pattaya punters looking for 'something different' on the sunrise side of the GoT.

 

If you had VIP seating from HH to Patts, and converted to cattle car seating from Patts to HH, wouldn't that result in a net influx of Cheap Charlie's to HH?  

 

Is that really a good idea?

 
and who, pray, would want to go on a mini holiday from HH to Pattaya?

Mongers who prefer women under 60 for starters

3 hours ago, smedly said:

I don't think anyone is moaning, I for one would like this service to be a success but it is useless to me unless it can take motorbikes and cars and I would guess many people think the same, I also think that from a business perspective it will fail because of that which is disappointing, I see this as connecting the east of Thailand to the west avoiding Bangkok - it is not about travelling the Hua Hin

 

It's a tourist orientated service for foot passengers who want to spend time in HH and P.  It will enable, among other things, a BK-P-HH-BK circuit.

 

Much more dockside/road development required in order to handle vehicles in your fantasy of an main arterial transport system, connecting Eastern Seaboard and Southern Isthmus.

 

 

I can see lots of weekend 'golf' trips - some of which may actually include the playing of golf :-)

Other than that - I find it difficult to see where sufficient business will come from, particularly in low season, to run a daily service. Overland freight from Chonburi to the south would need a much more robust strategy, infrastructure development and port facilities.

 

Strictly for tourism purposes, Hua Hin would probably be better advised to build a new regional airport, a little inland, linking it to Isan, Chiang Mai and Malaysia without the need to go through Bangkok. At NOK Air rates, that *would* be an interesting venture.

2 hours ago, Falcon said:

Price price is quoted as being 1,250 baht each way so you'd be paying around $36 each way. That's if you can get back the same day of course if it's not been cancelled due to a few waves or the sea being too wet or salty!

 

Good point, and it's unfortunate that the kickoff date happened to coincide with the worst seas we've seen on our GOM offshore platforms in months and months.

 

Frankly, I was pleased to see that they had the smarts to cancel the maiden cruise and lose a little face.  That says a lot.

For Blazes,  actually  I have friends and relatives in both cities, and have

done the highway between,  it makes for a long and sometimes heart

racing experience, driving between the two cities, so a 2 hour and 30 minute

to a 3 hour ride on a bad wave day would be nice!  and the 1200 baht or the 30 to 40 dollar US

fare is okay for us Tourists!, as well.

fare is expensive, but so is dying on the highway somewhere between Hua Hin and Pattaya,

I would rather be alive at either end than cause my family to spend a lot of money getting

my remains somewhere along the way. Know what I mean

Geezer

3 hours ago, Michaelaway said:

Out of curiosity, what type of vessel do you think would be better, even ideally suited to the HH-PTY route?

A small conventional car ferry, more chance of making a proffit, the fast craft are expensive to run and, fuel and maintenance are expensive on them and there restricted due to weather,a small conventional ferry can run in most weather conditions, maybe a bit slower but more economical.

Give it a chance and let's wait !

Misc flaming, bickering about Dollar vs. Baht and legitimate complaints about that/excursions to currency conversion removed.

 

Bear the fact that a member uses "his" currency for a comparison with other transports.

It's enough to remind of the price in Baht.

No personal attacks necessary.

 

And stay on topic.

Some childish posts would be worth a warning.

I hope this reminder is enough.

 

 

 

6 hours ago, khunano said:

"Fish Market Pier" the mooring shown on the picture is in Khao Takiab, which is about 8 km south of the Fish Market Pier and the centre of Hua Hin!

whats your point?  is it crap because its not in the middle of Hua Hin?  its actually much better at Khao Takiab for access.  Unless you like the traffic jams in the middle of Hua Hin?

Considering the track record of the various modes of transportation in this country.....I don't think so....................

5 hours ago, rhythmworx said:

 

Why not, everyone else does, I can drive drinking better than people who are sober.

That is what all alcoholics say!!! COMPLETE BULLSHIT What about the people that might get hurt/killed by your irresponsible behavior ???

Would like to see more specification details and photographs of this boat.

Any boat carrying 200 passengers that can not stand up to a 2 meter wave is questionable.

Isn't 2 meters about the height of the wake from a passing cargo ship?

Maybe ask the Navy and Marine Department about the need for their escort ships.