Pattaya - Hua Hin Ferry

[PeteC]

Well, our thread here that started in January 2007 must once again be re-opened awaiting the next contender, but I doubt there will be one anytime soon. With high season approaching I was hoping to read that service would re-commence soon, not to be. Following taken from their website:

"Pattaya – Hua Hin – Pattaya FERRY http://thailivingferry.com/
Thailiving Ferry has suspended the ferry service between Pattaya and Hua Hin. This service will not be opened up again in the near future
We will now focus on the Pattaya area charters and these trips will be available through travel agencies all over Pattaya.

We would like to thank all of our satisfied customers, who have traveled with us during 2010 and 2011, looking forward to see you again on our day and night charters made in the vicinity of Pattaya"

I for one am curious as to the reasons. Was it financial due to lack of passengers, or perhaps maintenance costs too high with the pounding the ship gets on the long trip. Sad conclusion. Pete

[Big Boy]

Sad conclusion indeed - that's obviously one trip that I won't be making when I get there

[barrys]

With high season approaching I was hoping to read that service would re-commence soon, not to be. Following taken from their website:

"Thailiving Ferry has suspended the ferry service between Pattaya and Hua Hin. This service will not be opened up again in the near future..."

I for one am curious as to the reasons....

As you can see below this, we have removed out agent status for the ferry.
I have not been able to comment on the situation recently because the owners basically decided that they would retain exclusive rights to marketing on the Internet.
I was allowed to promote on the web, but not sell tickets on the web
Hence my silence lately.

I came back from quite a frustrating meeting with the owners in Pattaya a week or so ago after being told definitively (or as close to that as the owners express themselves) that the ferry service would not be resumed.

Their reasoning is that they apparently lost around 1.6m baht during last season and were hoping that there would be more local traffic, which didn't materialise however.
I pointed out the fact that they didn't start marketing until about a week before the launch and that the marketing itself had not been very extensive or targeted, i.e. no (European) tour operators contacted, no attempt to link up with Lomphraya, for example, to establish an alternative route from the East to the South, marketing restrictions on third parties, etc.
I also mentioned that it's not unusual to make a loss in any business at the beginning, especially in a sector one was not previously familiar with, and that it takes time to build a customer base and confidence, etc. etc.
However, anything I might say has not and will not have any influence.

I came back from the meeting quite deflated - we looked after everything on this side, knowing it would take time to establish the service.
My own company has invested a great deal of time, effort as well as cash in good faith to try to help makes this venture successful.

I find it extremely difficult to hide my disappointment.

I'd like to thank this forum for all the interest shown in the project and for the personal support I received from many people here in promoting what we thought would be a valuable addition to the local transport network.

I'm really so sorry it didn't work out.

We will now continue to concentrating on our core business.

One final point, we are still an agent for the Lomphraya service.

[dtaai-maai]

What a pity.
It sounds like a pretty short-sighted attitude on the part of the owners, having built the thing specifically for the purpose and then appearing to lose interest.
I wonder what they'll do with the boat from now on and how much they'll lose doing that?

There might be a few "I told you so's" flying around for a while, but I think something like this has to be inevitable at some stage, some kind of cross-Gulf ferry service that might even go further afield to Chumpon and Koh Samui (which might actually be more productive).

Oh well, here we go again...

[pharvey]

That was one trip I actually fancied doing on my next trip, so it is somewhat disappointing.

It was no doubt a huge investment to make, so seems a bit strange that they would not go ''all out'' on the advertising front. Obviously big losses made in the first season..... was the charter option always Plan B should they make a loss? Seems a little half-hearted to knock this on the head so soon.

[Lung Per]

We are not surprised - nor are we amused.....

[STEVE G]

I wonder if one factor in the lack of demand from the local market might be related to the fact that when I mentioned using it to my partner and my friends wife, the response was one of horror at the idea of going on a boat. They couldn't understand why you would risk going by sea when you can drive there, so perhaps many Thais share those kind of views.

[johnnyk]

I'm sorry to hear the owners don't have the stomach to keep going but even so I was quite sure this would result despite Barrys best efforts. Seems to me there are several factors:
1) Fares - pricey round trip cost especially for a family
2) Weather resulting in sailings cancelled sometimes on short notice (nobody at fault but customers want to keep to their plan)
3) People nervous about boats
4) Very different people visit HH and Pattaya for very different reasons other than golf.

I wonder if proper market research was done to determine if a large enough market existed to sustain such a service.

Good luck to you Barry.

[desperate]

hi

is there a ferry,boat thats goes from pattaya to hau hin if not ,could someone suggest a way please

thanks john

[dtaai-maai]

That ferry service has wound up. Taxi or minibus. The search function should produce a few threads on this subject.

[Lee1975]

As above, Ferry Service is not running anymore. Anyway, probably quicker by Taxi if you have the Baht, or get Minibus which is cheaper.

[pitsch]

http://thailivingferry.com/ says that they start again on 9th December

[pitsch]

And http://www.solarair.co.th/solar-aviatio ... lt_en.aspx seems to fly for 2500 Baht

[dtaai-maai]

http://thailivingferry.com/ says that they start again on 9th December

So it does! How bizarre. Might be an idea to tell people, otherwise they'll be folding again very quickly!

[pharvey]

http://thailivingferry.com/ says that they start again on 9th December

So it does! How bizarre. Might be an idea to tell people, otherwise they'll be folding again very quickly!

You would have thought they had learned the issues with not advertising after last time..........

Have the prices gone up? I seem to remember it being a fair bit less than the 2,100 Baht quoted now for a one-way trip.