Pattaya to Hua Hin Ferry Do you think 1250 Baht one-way is too expensive? Poll

[fforest1]

Pattaya to Hua Hin Ferry Do you think 1250 Baht one-way is too expensive?

[Cynical Sailor]

I think it comes down to a cost vs convenience factor. I happily paid the fare each way rather than taking buses or a long car journey.

[JSixpack]

The TVF Central Planning Bureau determines the feasibility of a new building/service/product and the "fair" price, which is usually under 100 baht. However, the Bureau only goes by "what's needed." Nothing new has been needed in the last 20 years, so the ferry has not been approved. Since unauthorized parties are operating the ferry anyway, of course the fair price must be under 300 baht.

[doctormann]

32 minutes ago, Cynical Sailor said:

I think it comes down to a cost vs convenience factor. I happily paid the fare each way rather than taking buses or a long car journey.

 

Agreed that the road journey to Hua Hin is a PITA but you could get five people - maybe more - in a car.  What the car journey would realistically cost I haven't worked out - more than just fuel costs - but the ferry trip would cost 5 x 1250 Baht for the same number of people.  That's 6250 Baht - and that is far more than the car journey would cost.

 

All depends on how you rate convenience over cost, I suppose.  Also, don'r forget that if you go by ferry you won't have the use of a car at the other end so maybe not that convenient.  What we really need is a reasonably priced car ferry - dream on!

 

[KittenKong]

12 minutes ago, doctormann said:

Also, don'r forget that if you go by ferry you won't have the use of a car at the other end so maybe not that convenient.  What we really need is a reasonably priced car ferry.....

 

This is the nub of the whole thing. I might be tempted to take a car ferry for 1250B but nothing on earth would induce me to pay for a passenger seat and leave my vehicle behind.

 

It only takes 4+ hours to drive to Hua Hin and when I go there I time my trip to allow for a nice 5-star lunch in Bangkok on the way.

[darksidedog]

I note that at this point the early voters have all gone for 500-800 baht fares, a range that seems reasonable, whereas 100% have said 1,250 is too high. My view is 700 or so one way and maybe 1,250 return fare wouldn't be too bad. At that price I would probably use it, but I won't be at 1,250 each way.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

I think most foreign tourists, who according to a report earlier this month, are the biggest users of the service, I don't think they would think the service is expensive, especially as they may only be using it one way while they travel around Thailand. I think they would prefer to take the ferry than sit in a minibus/taxi for 5 hours.

 

As for expats, if you are a family of say 4, who need to do a return trip then it quickly becomes expensive.

 

Me personally living in HH, with Mrs and child lets say we wanted to go from HH to Pattaya for the weekend, it's 7,500 baht for the three of us return, which to me is a lot of money to simply travel to Pattaya, which I'm just not that desperate to travel to anyway. And I'd probably have to higher a car when I got to Pattaya too, add in hotels etc.

 

Now if it was a car ferry, and I could lets say take the car on the ferry from HH to Koh Chang, which is part of new proposed routes for 2500 baht return, i'd be all over that!

 

That said though, I can see why it is popular with tourists and I'm glad there is at least the option of the ferry to connect HH and Pattaya

 

RELATED: New Pattaya-HH ferry schedule starting 20 May 2017

[Fulwell53]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I note that at this point the early voters have all gone for 500-800 baht fares, a range that seems reasonable, whereas 100% have said 1,250 is too high. My view is 700 or so one way and maybe 1,250 return fare wouldn't be too bad. At that price I would probably use it, but I won't be at 1,250 each way.

A 100 % didnt.

This whole thread is like asking turkeys to vote for xmas.

Of course old  expats are going to baulk at paying anything. Come to another country and they dont want to pay a cent other than for alcohol and other things available in bars.

[Destiny1990]

Car ferries is the way to go forward..prices now are over the top.

[MrJ]

the ferry from Donsak to Samui is 400 THB right - so 1.250 seems to much, maybe 700 reasonable? ferry to Koh Chang is 80 THB........

[Pattaya46]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

whereas 100% have said 1,250 is too high.

Of course 100%,

because it's not possible to vote anything else !

 

(Second field mandatory even if you vote that 1250 is ok)

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, doctormann said:

 

Agreed that the road journey to Hua Hin is a PITA but you could get five people - maybe more - in a car.  What the car journey would realistically cost I haven't worked out - more than just fuel costs - but the ferry trip would cost 5 x 1250 Baht for the same number of people.  That's 6250 Baht - and that is far more than the car journey would cost.

 

All depends on how you rate convenience over cost, I suppose.  Also, don'r forget that if you go by ferry you won't have the use of a car at the other end so maybe not that convenient.  What we really need is a reasonably priced car ferry - dream on!

 

Raise the rates I have neither a car or a desire to travel on a ferry. Sometimes I can barely raise myself off of this chair so it really means nothing to me so there I have contributed nothing. 

[pumpjack]

hi

    i was on this ferry from pattaya - hau hin last week, i stood on bali hai peer and looked over the throng and a mile long queue of chinese and korean tourist and thought to myself " my god im never going to get on this ferry "  i was waiting since 8am and i boarded at 9.50 sharp.      ferry was near empty !!     it was only i would say 10% occupancy rate.   so in my view the ferry company should lower the price to get more people on board.    lowering the price would also bring a lot more tourists to hau hin because there lst week it was honestly completely dead ( worst i had seen in 17 years )  dead !!

 

PS.  one last thing,  the taxi drivers at the pier in hau hin take only 1 passenger from khao tapiak to hau hin a journy of approx 4 kilemetres,  they should be filling the backs of these taxis with 8-10 people and charge 100 baht ahead instead of being greedy and charging one customer 400-500 baht but its the stupid thai thinking which i can never get my head around

[Daveyh]

Definitely too expensive for "one way" trip. I'd only use it if I needed to get there in an emergency, then I'd return using alternative means ...... hence I think it's way over priced. It's not a public service ...... not many locals will be able to use this on a daily basis. A re-think is in order to make it affordable to everyone ..... not just the privileged few!

[Mrjlh]

Without knowing anything about the operating costs how can anyone just come up with an answer?  Operating that ferry isn't cheap even by Thai standards.

 

[pegman]

It's out priced many Thais and from most reports has a high vacancy rate. Maybe they should just charge this rate during high season to bring the useage rate up in low season.

[pegman]

1 minute ago, Mrjlh said:

Without knowing anything about the operating costs how can anyone just come up with an answer?  Operating that ferry isn't cheap even by Thai standards.

 

Operating costs are not the major concern when the reports are it has been near m/t since high season. 

฿1250x30=฿37,500

฿600x100=฿60,000

 

[fforest1]

17 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Of course 100%,

because it's not possible to vote anything else !

 

(Second field mandatory even if you vote that 1250 is ok)

The poll was not set up this way intentionally....

If you think 1250 is a fair price just click on 1000 baht in the

second part.... 

[Daveyh]

I really can't see this service becoming really popular with the general public. Thai families are normally large in number when traveling ........ so 1,250 baht x number of people = no thank you for Thai's in my book! "Walk on walk off" service, which is not supported at either end by a good public service. Perhaps in future years when service links improve it will prove worthwhile, but prices must be reasonable. A convenience only for the privileged few or tourists on holiday at present ........ don't hold your breath any time soon folks waiting for the culture to change here. 

[petermik]

11 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

 

 

It only takes 4+ hours to drive to Hua Hin and when I go there I time my trip to allow for a nice 5-star lunch in Bangkok on the way.

Any chance of a "freebie" I,ve never had a 5-star lunch

[Sheryl]

I find the price ridiculous as is the fact that it doesn't allow cars (which to me is what "ferry" means, otherwise it is just a boat).

 

My only interest in this service would be not as a way to get to Hua Hin but as a short cut in driving to points further south - which of course only works if it takes car. Even with a car, 1200 baht would be overprices IMO.

 

[abab]

1 hour ago, Mrjlh said:

Without knowing anything about the operating costs how can anyone just come up with an answer?  Operating that ferry isn't cheap even by Thai standards.

 

 

Who cares how much it costs. It's their stupid business model and they will fail.

 

 

[wpcoe]

If 53 people voted that B1250 was too expensive and 1 person voted that the price is reasonable, how come the breakdown of question #2 = 54?  Did the person who thought the B1250 fare was reasonable, also vote that a lower fare was reasonable?  

 

[Psychic]

In BC, Canada a trip of around 60kms is around 400 baht for an adult, cheaper for kids.

Admittedly its not a fast ferry. But for a 110 km in Thailand to cost 1250 baht seems a bit much.

Last trip to Pattaya (lightest traffic I've ever seen, mind you) it took me about 4 hours to Chaam.

Not significantly more than the ferry when you factor in getting there, boarding/unboarding etc.

A round trip for the wife and I would be 5000 baht.

That isn't any incentive for me to take it.

Certainly not for a Thai family who can pack 15 people in the pickup :-)

I'd never take a minivan again but the bus, at around 400 baht seems like a better alternative than this ferry. Unfortunately, I think of is limited service although I guess you could go to Suvarnabhumi and transfer.

So I would think, at these prices, the ferry will only appeal to a limited number of tourists and I really don't like its chances of survival.

Too bad, it would be great if there was an economic ferry service from major urban areas to explore the different islands etc.

 

[Suradit69]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

whereas 100% have said 1,250 is too high.

Because if you tick that it is reasonable you can't vote without answering part two even though that makes no sense.

[fforest1]

3 minutes ago, wpcoe said:

If 53 people voted that B1250 was too expensive and 1 person voted that the price is reasonable, how come the breakdown of question #2 = 54?  Did the person who thought the B1250 fare was reasonable, also vote that a lower fare was reasonable?  

 

  2 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Of course 100%,

because it's not possible to vote anything else !

 

(Second field mandatory even if you vote that 1250 is ok)

The poll was not set up this way intentionally....

If you think 1250 is a fair price just click on 1000 baht in the

second part.... 

[Suradit69]

2 hours ago, fforest1 said:

The poll was not set up this way intentionally....

If you think 1250 is a fair price just click on 1000 baht in the

second part.... 

So the results are even less valid or meaningful than most badly constructed TV surveys.

 

 

 

[steve73]

The OPEX should not determine the ticket price.

 

The price should be determined by comparison with the alternatives vs. convenience and if the resultant demand doesn't cover the opex then it will fail.

 

Alternative is a bus(es) or a taxi.  Bus would be around 3-400 total one way (I'm guessing).  Taxi probably more like 3000+ but could take 3-4 (or possibly more).  Time wise the Ferry is probably a little quicker (depending on traffic could be a lot quicker).  So 5-600 pp for the ferry would be acceptable IMO, for the convenience.

 

Now if it were a car ferry, you'd need to compare cost of driving... perhaps 1.5-2 k for fuel (nothing else really matters).  Then a 1-way cost of the car should be perhaps 2.5-3 k, to include upto say 4 passengers. 

 

[fforest1]

31 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

So the results are even less valid or meaningful than most badly constructed TV surveys.

 

 

 

Yes there was a slight mistake in the poll construction but that

does not change the huge majority of the votes....

I guess a no vote has now been added to the 2nd column... 

 

[natway09]

The convenience factor makes it worthwhile.

What would you pay for a plane journey (which operated for a while)  ?

Wait until what fare the General has planned for high speed trains