Sorasak Saensombat said the crossings across the north end of the Gulf of Thailand would enable Royal Passenger to make sure its catamaran was seaworthy and fit for purpose. He noted that these test sailings would be free of charge for passengers.
Mr Saensombat continued by saying Royal Passenger’s catamaran was not new and was currently being refurbished to meet the standards required to accommodate 150 passengers on the 100km journey across the gulf. He confirmed the daily sailing times would be at 08:30 from Hua Hin and 15:30 from Pattaya.
The timetable shows crossing times of 1 hour 40 minutes. Assuming the vessel does not encounter stormy weather, this journey time between two of Thailand’s most popular holiday locations is roughly a third of the same trip by road.
Royal Passenger has up to now not confirmed the exact fare for the ferry trips. Once these are confirmed and the service is up and running, 12GO ASIA hopes to add it to its eclectic sea, land and air ticketing portfolio.
Royal Passenger to test Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry services
News in Asia
The operator of Thailand’s newest ferry service has announced it will test the vessel before the service goes live on New Year’s Day. The Marine Department’s director-general says Royal Passenger Liner will conduct trial runs of the Pattaya to Hua Hin service at the end of next month.