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

[Rimmer]

Please  cease this private argument you have made your points now let it be, thank you

[tompelli]

When the ferry did it's initial trial runs, they had a sensible limited capacity of 150. When visiting the booking site : https://12go.asia/en/travel/pattaya/hua-hin?date=2017-03-22#!popup/en/operator/royal-passenger-liner 

they are still stating capacity at 150? If it pleases the usual suspects, yes, I am the only one that is asking.

[wakeupplease]

On 14/03/2017 at 2:20 AM, 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....

No worries who is paying for the losses, not a problem Hua Hin much nicer, so please send our tourists whats left of them there as so much safer on the other coast

[catman20]

18 hours ago, balo said:

 

What do you mean by back tracking ? We don't know if it will be a success yet , we only know they claim to have the ferry 50% full of passengers daily based on one news report. That's not much to base a success story on, don't you agree ?

 

agree 100% with you.

[organic]

On 18/03/2017 at 9:33 AM, tompelli said:

When the ferry did it's initial trial runs, they had a sensible limited capacity of 150. When visiting the booking site : https://12go.asia/en/travel/pattaya/hua-hin?date=2017-03-22#!popup/en/operator/royal-passenger-liner 

they are still stating capacity at 150? If it pleases the usual suspects, yes, I am the only one that is asking.

Thanks, was about to ask if there's a booking site. Like someone else said, it has to be an improvement on a mini-van driven by a lunatic. The safety concerns pale into insignificance compared with that.

[jaywalker]

On 3/18/2017 at 4:33 AM, gdgbb said:

Come on, the very first sentence of the OP references it's success by using that word and "we" do know that it is a success so far because the company has reported that it is.  If anyone is doubting the company's claim then they should provide some tangible evidence, surely?

 

You may see the operator's claim as impartial but it's all that anyone can go on; no one on Thaivisa is in a credible position to doubt the operator's report.

 

I hope it will be a successful & viable transport service.

 

On the other hand, a couple clunker, ill/non-maintained Koh Larn ferries seem to go down every year. At least they are close to sea traffic lanes & most people are rescued.

 

If one of these ferries catches fire, in Timbuktu Gulf of Siam.... Better hope you brought your own life jacket from the USA or Europe or OZ, as the junk they pass out will be 20 years old and/or the cheapest thing they can find, much like the motorcycle helmets.

 

 

[gdgbb]

2 hours ago, jaywalker said:

I hope it will be a successful & viable transport service.

 

If one of these ferries catches fire, in Timbuktu Gulf of Siam.... Better hope you brought your own life jacket from the USA or Europe or OZ, as the junk they pass out will be 20 years old and/or the cheapest thing they can find, much like the motorcycle helmets.

As you must have been on the HH ferry to know that the "junk" life vest they pass out "are 20 years old", what did you think of the trip?  You must be the only Thaivisa member to have used it so far, why not share it here?

[gdgbb]

16 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

As you must have been on the HH ferry to know that the "junk" life vest they pass out "are 20 years old", what did you think of the trip?  You must be the only Thaivisa member to have used it so far, why not share it here?

Thanks for the "Like" (that won't make you many friends on here!), what was the trip to HH like?

[jaywalker]

30 minutes ago, gdgbb said:

As you must have been on the HH ferry to know that the "junk" life vest they pass out "are 20 years old", what did you think of the trip?  You must be the only Thaivisa member to have used it so far, why not share it here?

Never been on it buddy, but have taken at least 100 trips to Ko Larn on the ferries with my wife & daughter.

 

They had life jackets that had been hanging on the rafters and/or backs of seats, that were so sun-bleached, they'd have fallen apart if you sneezed on them.

 

I always brought our own life jackets with us.

 

Luckily, we never had to use them.

 

I wish this ferry service the best of luck (and all who use them), but feel it's a disaster in the making.

 

---------------

I was on Koh Phang An once, & could see the boats hauling a$$ between there & Samui at night.

 

Sure enough 6 people died that night in a 30 foot speedboat.

 

They'd illegally modified it from 2 to 3 engines & had it going 80 kph or so when the steering cable broke.

 

It capsized & killed people.

 

-------------

 

I had bought tickets for a "Catamaran" out to Phang An for the wife & I & got presented with pretty much the same boat the next day (about 3 days before the fatal wreck). It was most assuredly NOT what I'd seen on the tourist flyer.

 

Next, being the STUPID-BOY I am, I got us a ride on a long-tail boat around Phang-An.

 

It was akin to riding a slave galley with the gunwales of the boat just barely above the waves, replete with a 4 cylinder Isuzu truck engine, with no muffler whatsoever blasting us around the waves.

 

The guy driving that boat every day had to be stone-cold deaf.

 

I peeled 4 cigarettes out & tore the butts off so we'd have earplugs.

 

Suffice it to say that I don't have a lot of respect for Thai mariners.

 

---------------

 

First time I went to Koh Larn they had ancient jet-skis rigged up with 20 hp Yamaha outboard engines!

 

That thing could chop your neck off!

Edited March 21, 2017 by jaywalker

[gdgbb]

5 minutes ago, jaywalker said:

Never been on it buddy, but have taken at least 100 trips to Ko Larn on the ferries with my wife & daughter.

 

I wish this ferry service the best of luck (and all who use them), but feel it's a disaster in the making.

Didn't think that you had been on it!  So why suggest that nonsense about the life vests when there is no connection and certainly no comparison between the Koh Larn ferries and the Hua Hin ferry?

[jaywalker]

2 hours ago, gdgbb said:

Didn't think that you had been on it!  So why suggest that nonsense about the life vests when there is no connection and certainly no comparison between the Koh Larn ferries and the Hua Hin ferry?

Err... because they depart from the same pier?, Which is has been a cluster-<deleted> since day one of its existence?

 

I was there 2 months after the pier opened & some guy got electrocuted & died. Vely professional people indeed.

 

I'm terrified of any Thai mass transport.

 

Mayhaps this new ferry does have brand new life jackets?

 

Give it a year & they'll be rotten pieces of junk.

 

Once again I'll wish the best of luck to the operators and passengers, and if you like the service, then "Move out & draw Fire...Sir".

 

Not saying it's doomed, just saying that I think it's a Titanic waiting to happen.

 

It's not much different from your average mini-van or bus ride.

Edited March 21, 2017 by jaywalker

[anotheruser]

Still not sure why people so desperately want to see this ferry fail? Good news that it has already outlived many TV members predictions of never getting off the ground. From some of the reactions on TV you would think every time the ferry sailed kittens dropped dead or something.

 

I guess some people can't afford it so they hope nobody can use it.

[Rimmer]

Off topic vid of the Hindenburg disaster removed.

[balo]

Didn't think that you had been on it!  So why suggest that nonsense about the life vests when there is no connection and certainly no comparison between the Koh Larn ferries and the Hua Hin ferry?

Why dont you go check it out yourself , take a ferry trip to HH and give us a positive story for a change ?

[Ace of Pop]

Still not sure why people so desperately want to see this ferry fail? Good news that it has already outlived many TV members predictions of never getting off the ground. From some of the reactions on TV you would think every time the ferry sailed kittens dropped dead or something.
 
I guess some people can't afford it so they hope nobody can use it.

I don't think anyone wants it to fail ,but it will ,parked eventually next to the Submarines,Dredgers,Aircraft Carrier, and all the other good ideas.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[anotheruser]

Just now, Ace of Pop said:

I don't think anyone wants it to fail ,but it will ,parked eventually next to the Submarines,Dredgers,Aircraft Carrier, and all the other good ideas.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Seems to be on schedule for now. It can just break even and it is another service for anybody to use. People predicted it wouldn't get this far, yet it has. 

[Ace of Pop]

People can't see the accounts,so it's all speculation


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[gdgbb]

5 hours ago, balo said:

Why dont you go check it out yourself , take a ferry trip to HH and give us a positive story for a change ?

Don't need to, I'm not the one slagging it off with no evidence whatsoever to justify the denigration.

 

This OP started out as a positive story but was derailed by almost every poster until it became a negative story so what would be the point of my giving a rational trip report?   The usual Thai bashers would just start a new rant.

[gdgbb]

3 hours ago, Ace of Pop said:

People can't see the accounts,so it's all speculation

Absolutely spot on.  The company announced it was a success so far in the OP and every single Thaivisa poster who is saying that it isn't, can't be and won't be a success is speculating as per usual.  A handful of them are even suggesting that their speculation carries some weight which, by definition, it can't do!

[fforest1]

6 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Off topic vid of the Hindenburg disaster removed.

LOL........

[Scott]

I took the ferry on Tuesday and had a very good experience.   There weren't a lot of people; I think there were around 40 in the lower deck.   The business class section, seemed like it had quite a few.   The sea was calm and the boat departed on time and arrived exactly on time in HH.  

 

They have airport-style security, with luggage being X-rayed and passengers going through a metal detector which I think a lot of people were not expecting and this made the boarding process a little slow because a fair amount of luggage ended up having to be opened and checked.   It's not as extreme as airport security.  

 

I think that if the ferry had been full, without advanced notice of the screening procedures, it would have been slow going.  

 

That said, it was a nice trip, beverages were served and it made for getting to a meeting one heck of a lot nicer that dealing with the roads, traffic and drivers.  

[fforest1]

2 minutes ago, Scott said:

I took the ferry on Tuesday and had a very good experience.   There weren't a lot of people; I think there were around 40 in the lower deck.   The business class section, seemed like it had quite a few.   The sea was calm and the boat departed on time and arrived exactly on time in HH.  

 

They have airport-style security, with luggage being X-rayed and passengers going through a metal detector which I think a lot of people were not expecting and this made the boarding process a little slow because a fair amount of luggage ended up having to be opened and checked.   It's not as extreme as airport security.  

 

I think that if the ferry had been full, without advanced notice of the screening procedures, it would have been slow going.  

 

That said, it was a nice trip, beverages were served and it made for getting to a meeting one heck of a lot nicer that dealing with the roads, traffic and drivers.  

It sounds like they are discriminating against criminals with contraband

in their luggage... 

 

But seriously why all the high security? For what purpose?

I have never had a big security check on any in-country ferry or boat any where..

Is a ferry really different from a bus? Or a train?

Is not the Koh larn ferry a ferry also?

[Scott]

I have no idea why they have the security.   Maybe because it's new?   They weren't taking anything away from anyone, but they were checking things carefully.  

 

The security is something that just needs to be advertised a little more so that people are prepared.  

 

We were all boarded in good time, but if that ferry was full and the security at the speed that it was, I suspect we would have been delayed.  

 

 

[simon43]

Yet another interesting topic 'destroyed' by the antics of some moronic, anally-retentive posters.

 

Might I suggest that some posters take their daily medication before posting.  Perhaps even better would be if they didn't post at all :)

[ldiablo72]

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

I bet Red Label whiskey had that same mentality when they decided to import into Thailand.

[catman20]

12 minutes ago, ldiablo72 said:

I bet Red Label whiskey had that same mentality when they decided to import into Thailand.

ok lets see if you are still singing the same tune in a years time

Edited March 24, 2017 by catman20

[fforest1]

11 minutes ago, ldiablo72 said:

I bet Red Label whiskey had that same mentality when they decided to import into Thailand.

 

People seem to always have money for alcohol drugs and hookers..

But can be pretty cheap when it comes to transportation...

[catman20]

Just now, fforest1 said:

 

People seem to always have money for alcohol drugs and hookers..

But can be pretty cheap when it comes to transportation...

good point

[bkk6060]

I don't think there are enough people "curious about Hua Hin" to make it worth while.  If someone has a meeting or purpose, ok. But, most don't.  Why then go there?,  for the beach and eat?  You can do that in Pats.

Hua Hin seems to me to be pretty boring and full of over priced hotels.  I don't see enough future demand from Pattaya to keep this ferry afloat.

[balo]

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

 I don't see enough future demand from Pattaya to keep this ferry afloat.

Unless the Thais start using it and we get normal fares that everyone can afford. I am waiting for that to happen . 500-600 baht would be ok.