Royal Passenger Liner

Based in Pattaya, Royal Passenger Liner operates catamarans with a capacity of 346 passengers. These ferries offer a choice between economy and business class seats and even VIP rooms which can seat up to eight people. The operation started in January 2017.

Pattaya–Hua Hin

Royal Passenger Liner operates just one route – Pattaya to Hua Hin. There is one departure each day at 13.00 from Pattaya, which is scheduled to arrive in Hua Hin for 15.00. Economy tickets are priced at THB1,250 whilst business class fares are available for THB1,550.

Tickets for the return journey from Hua Hin to Pattaya are available at the same price and there is also one service each day, departing Hua Hin at 15.45. There are two VIP rooms available on both these services from THB14,000 and each room has a maximum capacity of eight passengers.

The trip by sea takes just two hours compared to around six hours by road so is ideal for any travellers on a tight schedule. However, travelling with Royal Passenger Liner will cost around three times as much as a bus trip between the two cities, but many visitors will still consider this good value for money based on the amount of time saved.

There is only one service each day in either direction which can be inconvenient for many travellers. It may not be ideal to arrive in Pattaya at 14.30 at the earliest, especially if you have a flight to catch from the airport or you have a connection to a destination elsewhere in Thailand. For many, this arrival time in Pattaya would be too late which could mean that you have to cut your time in Hua Hin short to leave a day earlier and stay overnight in Pattaya. For most visitors this will make little difference but in some cases it can cause a lot of inconvenience.

Although snacks are included on this trip, there is no opportunity aboard the catamarans to purchase meals or additional snacks. Although this trip is only two hours long so it may not be an issue for the majority of passengers, it is worth planning ahead especially if you have travelled for a few hours before you board the ferry.

The sea can be rough on this route so it is well worth bringing sea sickness tablets if this is something that you do suffer with!

The route between Pattaya and Hua Hin by sea takes just two hours, far preferable than the five or six hours it takes to drive between the two cities.

You have to present a valid ID before boarding the ferry.

Please do come in advance! The departure time really depends on the weather and tides, and they can start off bit earlier than they advertise.

It is a great choice if you value comfort and time more than money. Good for tourists, not very good for frequent commuting.

The biggest advantage with travelling with Royal Passenger Liner is the amount of time that you can save compared to attempting the same journey by land. This can be vital if you are on a tight schedule and do not want to miss two of Thailand’s most popular and well-established beach resorts. Many visitors consider the price to be fair considering this journey will not take up an entire day of your holiday, as would be the case with a bus journey.

Some visitors view the limited departures as inconvenient, especially the Hua Hin to Pattaya route as you will not arrive in Pattaya until 14.30 at the earliest. This can cause issues if you are flying from the airport or you need to head elsewhere in Thailand on a connecting bus or train. Similarly, there is just one departure from Pattaya at 10.00 each day, which means that if you are travelling from outside the city to catch this catamaran then you will need to stay one night in Pattaya as 10.00 is likely to be too early for many.