Pattaya - Hua Hin Ferry

[Randy Cornhole]

Sorry Steve iv'e no idea as the whole week was a long time ago and a complete blur.

[STEVE G]

I know what you mean Randy, a resident of the Isle of Man once described the place to me as an island where 80% of the population were alchoholics and the other 20% were under the age of 12.

[JimboPSM]

I know what you mean Randy, a resident of the Isle of Man once described the place to me as an island where 80% of the population were alchoholics and the other 20% were under the age of 12.

• Another popular description, unsurprisingly not subscribed to by the IoM Government, was 70,000 alcoholics clinging to a rock

[PeteC]

FYI, the mini bus service is now advertised at 800 Baht o/w, with group discounts. Pretty clear they were losing their shirt at 490 o/w.

No word on when/if the boat service will start. It was initially advertised "early March". Pete

[thechairman18]

I just phoned them, and was told to go and book at the Buffelo Bill Bar.
The one-way fare to Pattaya is now 800 baht. 400/450 was an 'opening offer'

thechairman18

[Guess]

I just phoned them, and was told to go and book at the Buffelo Bill Bar.
The one-way fare to Pattaya is now 800 baht. 400/450 was an 'opening offer'

thechairman18

It is all to do with utilization. The Hua Hin BKK service is very good value and it covers half the distance to Pattaya for less than 200 Baht even when Diesel was 30 Baht per liter. However they could only afford one or two empty seats on average. It is one of the very few Thai success stories although some of the drivers drive too fast and dangerously to get their quota of trip done in a day.

As for the boat, I have been told recently that it is due to start soon, weather permitting, and the mini bus will stop at Papa John's but could quite easily start at Buffalo Bill's to cover both ends of town. It will take you to the marina.

The boat is indeed going from South Pattaya to Prachuap, but is is the Marina 10 KM south of Hua Hin in Prachuap Province, not Prachuap town.

I will speak with the owner of Papa John's and get back with details as I believe he is in someway involved or at least in the know on the boat trip.

I have seen no mention of prices yet but logistics will dictate a minimum. These boats don't do miles per gallon but gallons per mile and that will be high if they really expect to get you there in two hours. That works out at at least 30 knots.

[thechairman18]

I booked a return trip, back to Pattaya, for yesterday Mon 26th March with someone called Martin, who said he is one of the owners/partners of the mini bus service.
I was told to be at the Buffelo Bill pub/restraunant, in Hau Hin at 12 mid-day.
I arrived at the pick up place, at 1130.
Their agent, said that he had been told that they were to pick me up, but he had been unable to contact them, as their mobile was switched off.
I waited till 12, 1230, and when I tried to phone them, it was still switched off.
When it got to 1pm, the bus had not arrived, and their phone was still switched off.
The owner of Buffelo Bills, who said he is only their agent, and has no other connextion to them, was most upset, as it is the third time, that they have failed to turn up.
He told me, that he will no longer take bookings on their behalf.
I then had to make my way to Pattaya, by the A/C bus, and arrived home about 830pm.
I texted them to ask why they let me down, but although the got the text, they have so far not responded.
I never got to use this service, and doubt whether it will last much longer.

[smiles]

" ... Your post brought back fond memories indeed. In the early 80's I used to travel on the Liverpool to Douglas ferry often for the 'TT' races. Ahh what memories, a ferry full of puking bikers all skulling larger and smoking pot.
The best was the 2 stroke boys who started up their bikes in the hold as soon as they saw Douglas Pier filling all the lower decks with smoke..."

Also aplogise for the off-topic nature, but this conversation is too difficult to resist.

In 1978, myself and a bunch of fellow Canadians from Vancouver stowed our beloved cafe racers (and one Harley) into the belly of a Boeing 747 and headed off into the blue yonder with all good intentions of meeting up 4 or 5 days later at the Liverpool docks to stuff ourselves aboard the Isle of Man ferry for a TT of all TT's . . . it being ~ amongst other things ~ a dual between Mike Hailwood and Phil Read in the Superbike class. Hailwood on a Ducati and Read racing for Honda.

The ferry was close to Mr Cornhole's description . . . dirty, noisy, black leather on everyone, biker chicks, everyone hungry, everyone drinking. I was cold cold cold, but damned exhilirated. This was my 3rd TT (and ~ like Hailwood's ~ the last it turned out), and I still have all the little buttons from each year stuck on an old (lonely now) leather jacket which has scuff marks aplenty, and which saved my ass a few times from the dreaded hamburger syndrome.

This was a dream trip as I'd just purchased a rather rare (for Canada!) 1975 Ducati 750 Sport. (The one in the photo below was not mine, but it was exactly the same, and most beloved).
What a sweet machine that was (and wish I'd kept it now, but I was young and dumb), and how thin-as-a-knife and light it was compared to the monsters nowadays. There wasn't an ounce of extra weight on it, but it had a vicious kickstart bite if you had the thing in the wrong position when trying to start it (no electric start on this puppy!). I got to know it after awhile, but I carried the black-blue bruises on the back of my lower leg to prove it. Those sexy upswept Conti pipes were barely baffled at all, and although it seemed a small bike, it barked like a freight train approaching.
And handle? My my my ....






This thread brought back so many memories (I'd forgotten): . . . of whistling around the course at ridiculous speeds; smoking dope in the bluebell fields at Glen Helen; trying to leap over Balaugh Bridge (sp?) like the Big Guys did (I have a photo of myself doing just that, but I look more terrified than race-ready); wondering how these guys survived the forks bottoming out coming off Bray Hill; boozing it up severely at the hotel/pub at Creg-ny-Baa and somehow making it back to Douglas without dying or ending up in the hoosegow.
And so many more ....

And we watched Hailwood win his race from the pub at Sulby Bridge's big left turn . . . and I really can't think I was more singularly joyful than at any other time in my life.

Thanks for bringing this up!

Cheers ...

[johnnyk]

the chairman18:
Count your blessings, you didn't actually go on open water with these clowns.
If they can't turn up or turn on their phone then God help anyone if the bloody boat hits a reef or a storm comes up.
Most professional.

[Jockey]

Thailand plans more ferry routes
source: Bangkok Post: 28 Apr 2008

More ferry routes plan for the Gulf

New ferry routes will be introduced in the Gulf of Thailand and along Bangkok's canals under a plan drawn up by the Transport and Tourism and Sports ministries.

Deputy Transport Minister Anurak Jureemart and Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kohsurat, both from the Chart Thai party, said that if implemented, the plan would feature new ferry routes in the Gulf to serve both passengers and cargo, the development of ports along its coasts, the zoning of beaches and upgrading tourism services on Bangkok's canals.

According to Mr Anurak, there will be six projects to serve their idea.

Firstly, both ministries will push for concessions for ships that will ply between the towns on the east and western coasts of the Gulf.

That should reduce the need for cargo trucks seen as a source of bottlenecks on the south-bound highway in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. This should greatly improve the traffic situation and in turn benefit tour buses and passenger cars in the upper Gulf.

Secondly, the ministries will promote the use of speedboats, such as hydrofoils, to ply between the eastern and western coasts of the Gulf and between the region's tourist destinations.

Recommended routes are Ko Chang to Ko Samui, Puek Tien to Laem Chabang, Hua Hin to Pattaya, and Cha-am to Chanthaburi.

Thirdly, the ministries will promote waterway tourism in the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.

Such activities in canals around the historical Rattanakosin island, including the Phadung Krungkasem canal, would also be encouraged.

On top of that, beaches in tourist towns would be zoned for water sports and to offer natural retreats.

The plan also includes the setting up of more marinas and floating markets.

''Although the Transport Ministry is the one which supervises the ports, it does not know how to promote them. The Tourism and Sports Ministry knows very well how to do that, but can't do it without their cooperation.

''As the ministers of both ministries are from the same party, we can talk. With their cooperation, I expect a new era of waterway tourism,'' Mr Anurak said.

Both ministries will form a joint committee to work out the details of the six projects.

Wanchai Sarathulthat, former permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry and the current chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), will head a committee that will include representatives from the TAT, the Marine Department and the Transport Ministry.

Supoj Saplom, director-general of the Rural Roads Department, said a ''Thai riviera'' project proposed by his department would help support the ministries' projects as it called for road improvements for a combined distance of 615km along the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand.

If all goes according to plan, the riviera project will connect over 100 tourist destinations in Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi and Ranong provinces.

The department has finished the design of the riviera and is now awaiting its environmental impact assessment report. It will take nine years and an estimated budget of 6.89 billion baht to complete. It will begin with the construction of 81 routes, worth 300 million baht, in the first phase next year.

Mr Supoj said the road project was proposed so that it could be adjusted to bring improvements to ports along the coast
_________________

[The understudy]

Hi there Y'all!!!

Thank you Jockey for this important piece of News. I think it's a good Idea which the travel and Sports Ministry has in mind.
The 1st point of setting up cargo routes between the eastern an western seaboard would be utmost iimportant a Many "Hok and Sip Lor trucks or Lories are plowing through Petchaburi on their way south. And Manu of them are from the Northeastern Isaan Provinces.
The 2nd point which promoting and connnecting trips from Important Tourist Destinations as example mentioned Cha Am to Chantaburi or Hua Hin to Pattaya via Speedboats, Hydrofoils or even Jetboats seems to me an obvious to follow through. But we must not forget the Sea Conditions during High and Low Seasons which can be quite diffrent @ times Which our fellow Barry S is surely familiar with. This idea of establishing a Riviera along the Sseabords with ports and Marinas can boost the Economy greatly. Let's wait and See if this Very Important string of Projects can really takes off!!! As they had envisioned!!

[The understudy]

Continue from my above Post

If there will be new routes across the Golf of Thailand that would make the Hua Hin & Beyond Area again suitable for A major Theme Park as Visitors from the other side of the Bay will come over.

Your's The understudy!!!

[Chas]

Pattaya to Hua Hin I can understand, but who would ever want to go from Hua Hin to Pattaya?

One small observation, that Gulf is not the gentle smooth ocean you may imagine. I remember vividly a trip out to some islands south of here ( Koh Tao/ Koh Samui ?) In a speedboat that held about a dozen people and it was an experience I will never forget. It was dead calm at the shore but we met huge waves not far out and were battered and tossed about mercilessly the entire trip. MOST unpleasant! Catamaran or hydrofoils? maybe. Really BIG vessels. . .perhaps. What it is like out there in the open Gulf needs to be considered at any rate.

[Hobiecat]

Catamaran or hydrofoils? maybe. Really BIG vessels. . .perhaps. What it is like out there in the open Gulf needs to be considered at any rate.

I have to agree. With fairly extensive sea time myself (Bering Sea, North Pacific 9 yrs) I can't imagine this marine route being remotely possible from April to October. Although Catamarans are quick they are not noted for there stability unless of course they are in the 300' range.

The Lomparya which transits between Choumpon and Samui and I'm imagining is considerably larger than what is planned for Hun Hin, stops service at 25-30 kts. Which happens regularly in the low season. Even at 20 kts the poor crew members are running around with over flowing puke bags as 30-40% of the passengers are trying to turn the stomachs in side out.

A vessel carrying 25 people can't be to big. I can just imagine the condition of the golfers getting off it even if the vessel is a displacement hull. I think the hostess's will be busy offering other things rather than drinks and snacks............... Could I offer you a bag sir?.............Would you like large or small?

[barrys]

And as I've pointed out before, the roughest sea conditions with the highest waves in the northern part of the gulf are in December and January, which just about torpedoes (excuse the pun) any boat service between Pattaya and HH in the high season.