Pattaya - Hua Hin Ferry 50% - 60% full in first month

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Pattaya - Hua Hin Ferry 50% - 60% full in first month

 

Picture: Thairath

 

PATTAYA: -- Thai Rath reported that the first month of regular services on the Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry across the Gulf of Thailand had been a success.

 

They said that capacity was running at an average of between 50 and 60% for each trip. The two tier air-conditioned "high speed" catamaran has a capacity of 346 passengers.

 

Some 80% of all passengers are foreign tourists, they said.

 

The ferry leaves Pattaya at 10.30am and the return leg leaves Hua Hin at 1.30pm.

 

The service proper began on 12th February after a series of false starts and problems with bad weather.

 

The promotional fare of 999 baht is now over. Passengers must pay 1,250 baht for each leg and 300 baht extra to use the business class option upstairs.

 

School students, university students and OAPs can get 10% off and if you can prove that you have "liked" or "shared" news of the service there is a further discount of 5%.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-14

[williamgeorgeallen]

some price for thais and foreigners? now that would be some progress toward equality.

[catman20]

at those prices give it a year and it will be history.

[StefanBBK]

50 to 60% capacity means also 40 to 50% empty. Don't know how much their operation cost is, but it seems like very tight margins....

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

At 50 - 60% full in high season means 20 - 30% full in off season = service stopped in 18 months. Also remember that the boat didn't travel in bad weather and are serviced a few days +- every week which means there were days that it was suppose to travel and didn't. So if you calculate passengers per total available days instead of only operational days you will find that they run at 30 - 40% already.

[tompelli]

How about 6 hours utilisation in a 24 hour period? Can't plan the maintenance within the remaining 18 hours ( assuming that they cant/won't do maintenance while underway)?

[Beachdude]

If it leaves Pattaya at 10:30 and leaves HH  at 1:30 it doesn't give you much time to go over for lunch .

 

Plus I heard it arrives quite a distance from HH which , if true, means it's off our list of things to do. 

[Langsuan Man]

I would like to know the on time statistics 

 

A much better gauge for me to make the dicision on whether or not to use it

 

I could care less how many others use it 

[vogie]

Does the ferry have the facility to carry cars?

[whatawonderfulday]

I have a request for any TV member that is about to take this ferry. There should be a plate or marking on this vessel indicating the licensed number of passengers this vessel can carry.  Also on there there should be similar information relating to life saving devices.  If you are able I would be interested to know these figures. My friends emails to the company and the administrative authority have yet to be answered. 

Edited March 14, 2017 by whatawonderfulday

[JSixpack]

41 minutes ago, vogie said:

Does the ferry have the facility to carry cars?

 

No. Nor motorbikes.

[Rimmer]

A mostly off topic ramble has been removed

[ujayujay]

1 hour ago, vogie said:

Does the ferry have the facility to carry cars?

No...

 

[wpcoe]

I'm assuming that "OAP" in the OP means "Old Age Person"?  If so, what do they consider "old"?

[balo]

They need to reduce the price to 600 baht one way. 1250 is way too much. A family of 4 would be 5000 one way! No thanks.

Sent from my SM-J700F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[survivalblue]

At 1250 baht it seems actually reasonable considering the other option is by minibus, regular bus, or car hire.

All of the discomforts of riding in a packed minibus, and braving the passenger risks of riding in any vehicle on the roads between Pattaya and Hua Hin.

I was in a car accident last year in Ayutthaya province and had a lot of trouble to willingly get into any vehicle in Thailand after it. 

I'd take the boat to avoid the lack of safety on the roads..  1250 baht is well worth it.

 

 

 

 

[fforest1]

1 hour ago, balo said:

They need to reduce the price to 600 baht one way. 1250 is way too much. A family of 4 would be 5000 one way! No thanks.

Sent from my SM-J700F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

600 Baht one way would be the perfect price point for success...

 

 

[gdgbb]

12 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

some price for thais and foreigners? now that would be some progress toward equality.

Yes, same price, what makes you ask the question?  No transport services differentiate between Thais and foreigners for normal fares, why should this one?

[gdgbb]

12 hours ago, catman20 said:

at those prices give it a year and it will be history.

Why will it be history considering that it is being successful now at current prices?

[gdgbb]

11 hours ago, StefanBBK said:

50 to 60% capacity means also 40 to 50% empty. Don't know how much their operation cost is, but it seems like very tight margins....

Perhaps the capacity that they are getting is what was anticipated and is needed for it to be a financial success?

 

As you don't know anything about the company's operational costs how can you speculate that their margins are very tight?

[gdgbb]

11 hours ago, Beachdude said:

If it leaves Pattaya at 10:30 and leaves HH  at 1:30 it doesn't give you much time to go over for lunch .

 

Plus I heard it arrives quite a distance from HH which , if true, means it's off our list of things to do. 

It's not intended to be a lunch trip service!  It docks in Hua Hin which is Hua Hin, how much nearer to Hua Hin could Hua Hin be?

[gdgbb]

11 hours ago, whatawonderfulday said:

I have a request for any TV member that is about to take this ferry. There should be a plate or marking on this vessel indicating the licensed number of passengers this vessel can carry.  Also on there there should be similar information relating to life saving devices.  If you are able I would be interested to know these figures. My friends emails to the company and the administrative authority have yet to be answered. 

This has already been addressed by the company weeks, maybe months ago; it is registered to carry 346 passengers and life saving equipment is provided for all of them.  

 

Did you friend email the company using Thai or English?

[gdgbb]

4 hours ago, balo said:

They need to reduce the price to 600 baht one way. 1250 is way too much. A family of 4 would be 5000 one way! No thanks.

Sent from my SM-J700F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

Apparently they don't need to reduce prices.  Maybe you need them to reduce prices which is a different matter.  How much would it cost that same family to get from Pattaya to Hua Hin in 2 hours or so by other means?

[whatawonderfulday]

Just now, gdgbb said:

This has already been addressed by the company weeks, maybe months ago; it is registered to carry 346 passengers and life saving equipment is provided for all of them.  

 

Did you friend email the company using Thai or English?

In Thai as he is Thai . But that was not the question I asked.  I took it one stage further and would like to see evidence on the vessel of its registered passenger capacity as well as the life saving appliances. Just thought if any TV members used it then easy to say snap a photo of that info.

[gdgbb]

3 hours ago, fforest1 said:

 

600 Baht one way would be the perfect price point for success...

 

 

It seems that the current fares are the perfect price point for success if you read the OP, that's what the thread is about!

[gdgbb]

1 minute ago, whatawonderfulday said:

In Thai as he is Thai . But that was not the question I asked.  I took it one stage further and would like to see evidence on the vessel of its registered passenger capacity as well as the life saving appliances. Just thought if any TV members used it then easy to say snap a photo of that info.

So if you see a plaque indicating the number of passengers and corresponding life vests you would accept that, as opposed to accepting that, in order for the service to be operating, the Marine Dept already gone through that exercise for you?

[whatawonderfulday]

8 hours ago, gdgbb said:

So if you see a plaque indicating the number of passengers and corresponding life vests you would accept that, as opposed to accepting that, in order for the service to be operating, the Marine Dept already gone through that exercise for you?

The request was a civil one. If you are not travelling then stop wasting time.

Edited March 14, 2017 by whatawonderfulday

[Jiggo]

Bribed to give a "like" or " nice review" so just not happening in some hotels then.

[catman20]

9 hours ago, gdgbb said:

Why will it be history considering that it is being successful now at current prices?

 

Novelty ? its too expensive dont believe everything that is reported, lets wait and see in a year time you can send me a message saying something like ( you were right )

[Retiredandhappyhere]

13 hours ago, gdgbb said:

This has already been addressed by the company weeks, maybe months ago; it is registered to carry 346 passengers and life saving equipment is provided for all of them.  

 

Did you friend email the company using Thai or English?

Probably English, but of course you would not expect a company offering transport services to customers consisting of 80% tourists to have anyone on their staff who understands English, would you?

 

You seem to be trying to monopolise this thread with your rebuttals of any comments, but perhaps we should not be too surprised about that, as you always jump to attack anyone on here who dares to criticise anything Thai.