Hua Hin - Pattaya ferry service news and updates

[Big Boy]

I've just seen the ferry is temporarily closed due to Covid-19.

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[PeteC]

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[hhinner]

^^ They'd probably have done better by using Google translate on BB's version.

[Big Boy]

I see the ferry will resume service early next month https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-new ... 9ONoTcHGUo

[hhinner]

29 January Prachuap Port Authority – Col Krai Phitchakorn Weppavit Head of the Port Security Control Center Prachuap Khiri Khan province held a meeting with operators of Prachuap Port, Bang Saphan District and Namyong Company 

Bang Saphan? Namyong? What's that got to do with Hua Hin - Pattaya ferry?

[Big Boy]

I would guess the port at Bang Saphan is the largest in the province, and would logically be the province's port HQ. Can you suggest a larger port in the province? Where would you site the HQ?

[caller]

It's a poor report and where the meeting was held is actually irrelevant. Unless Prachuap Port actually manages the terminal at Takiap and the Namyong Company manage the pier in Pattaya, there is no obvious reference to the Hua Hin - Pattaya ferry in the report.

[Big Boy]

OK, we've had various misgivings about reports from Hua Hin Today in recent weeks, so I drilled down deeper into the Hua Hin Today article, which originated in the Hua Hin Sarn newspaper. The article is there almost word for (translated) word, but had been truncated. The article goes on to say:

along with exploring the port area Area to pick up the ferry Including co-determination measures for the virus screening of the COVID-19 vehicle drivers who carry cargo on the ship.

For the first period, the service will be opened only for product transportation. Due to the epidemic situation of COVID-19 and discuss the determination of reporting and communication channels. Between the ship and the control center To monitor safety matters And will discuss information with the Provincial Communicable Disease Control Committee To set measures to prevent COVID-19 together with relevant agencies in the province.

Hin Hin Sarn also uses the following following photo rather than the Catamaran used in the Hua Hin Today article.

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Having looked further into what seemed like a logically reliable story, I can only conclude it is a further dubious story by Hua Hin Today. I guess we'll have to wait to see if the service from Khao Takiab resumes next month.

http://www.huahinsarn.com/17263666/%E0% ... 7%E0%B8%A2

[hhinner]

This is about a vehicle ferry service between Sattahip and Prachuab, ready to start in February, but due to covid will only be carrying cargo at first.

[Big Boy]

Yes but that is the story Hua Hin Today seem to have used added 2 + 2 and ended up with 5.

[Thailightzone]

Before I moved to Hua Hin I lived in Chonburi, near Sattahip (home to the Royal Thai Navy Fleet). Not far from the Navy dock where the aircraft carrier is moored they built a brand new large multi-story passenger ferry terminal. Apparently it was designed for services to the gulf tourist islands, including services as far as Malaysia & Singapore. It was also written that the service to Huahin could use that terminal.
At time of leaving it remained a large brand new building that never had a boat dock or passenger set foot in there. TiT

[PeteC]

Ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin permanently cancelled

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/transpo ... -cancelled

With travel restrictions for dark red zones limiting flights and bus services, ferries are not immune from the economic damages of Covid-19 either. The ferry service running between Hua Hin and Pattaya hasn’t been operating since last year due to Covid-19, but it now appears it will not ever restart.

Royal Passenger Liner Co was operating as the sole operator of the route, and the only ferry service utilising the Bali Hai Pier where it occupied Pattaya Port C. Yesterday the mayor of Pattaya City announced that the ferry company, who had suspended their service citing the lack of foreign and domestic tourists travelling due to the Covid-19 pandemic, had requested a cancellation of their contract with the port.

The trip sped up travel time between the two popular tourist destinations, taking just one hour and 40 minutes to travel across the Gulf of Thailand between the destinations. Royal Passenger Liner operated a smaller catamaran that could seat 150 travellers and a larger ferry that could accommodate 262 patrons.

The troubled route launched in 2017 but struggled the entirety of its 4-year run. The ferry ridership was less than expected and the route between Pattaya and Hua Hin proved to just not be that popular. The ferry had various other troubles and setbacks along the way, but when Covid-19 started shutting down services and regions, it was the beginning of the end for the ferry route.

The Chon Buri Covid-19 Communicable Disease Committee set orders in place that first suspended the ferry service last year. But now the pandemic rages on and service remains inoperable, and there’s no estimating when things may return to near normalcy with tourism returning and ferry passengers lining up to travel between Hua Hin and Pattaya, and Royal Passenger Liner is pulling the plug.

Pattaya’s mayor said that they have no plan for any replacement company coming to replace the cancelled ferry to Hua Hin, and said that Royal Passenger Liner made renovations to the pier that aren’t up to government standards and the company will have to restore it to the original condition before the contract can be cancelled.

A new ferry had a test run last year from Sattahip near Pattaya to Prachuap Khiri Khan near Hua Hin, but it’s not a permanent schedule to replace the cancelled ferry route. Plans had also been discussed regarding building a bridge to connect the two cities as well.

[Dannie Boy]

The only surprise is that they took so long to make the obvious decision!!

[Ginjaninja]

Certainly not surprised but this service was great for us and right on our doorstep in Takiab.
We have friends in Pattaya and further South and I was/is always reluctant to make the road trip East.
GN.

[Big Boy]

I was quite excited when I heard the service was starting, but apart from an aborted freebie, which the weather forced the boat to turn around, I never used it. I looked at booking many times, but never got past the T&Cs which said no refunds in the event of cancellation due to bad weather. Additionally, the service left later than the bus service, so in the event of bad weather, it was either a taxi or another night in a hotel. IMHO not very well thought out.