Lucky escape as ferry caught fire

[Centrals]

Explosion, fire on ferry off Chumphon, passengers injured

Passengers were reported injured by an explosion and fire aboard a passenger ferry on the Chumphon-Koh Tao route, in the sea about 3 kilometres off the Chumphon coast, on Wednesday afternoon.

www.bangkokpost.com

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This is a very popular route from Chumphon to Koh Phangan, Saumi and Tao.

 

[Pearlman]

Were you on that ferry?

 

[Centrals]

Were you on that ferry?

No but I have travelled on this route with the same company before.
The boat was usually packed pre-Covid because Chumphon is the most popular gateway to those three islands in Gulf of Siam.

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Only 18 passengers and two crews! Could be private chartered?

 

[Barmaglot]

Only 18 passengers and two crews! Could be private chartered?

When they don't have enough traffic to operate the big catamaran ferries, they service this route using speedboats - these speedboats have three outboard motors and can take about 30 people when fully loaded. That's the way it was run in Feb/Mar 2021 when I was there.

 

[Centrals]

When they don't have enough traffic to operate the big catamaran ferries, they service this route using speedboats - these speedboats have three outboard motors and can take about 30 people when fully loaded. That's the way it was run in Feb/Mar 2021 when I was there.

They kept the schedule instead of cancelling it because of lack of passengers which is a very common practice in many places.
Very frustrating to anyone when they turned up at the pier and found out the trip has been cancelled (usually for mechanical reason).

Lomprayah High Speed Catamaran - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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Seatran Discovery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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Both of the operators scored similarly.
I have used both of them previously and the decision is based purely on schedule.

 

[Barmaglot]

They kept the schedule instead of cancelling it because of lack of passengers which is a very common practice in many places.

There were several weeks in January 2021 when ferry services to Koh Tao were not running at all. You want to get on or off the island, go charter a private speedboat. Of course that was the height of COVID in Thailand, so they've got an excuse there.

 

[Centrals]

Jan is the low season in The Gulf of Siam. And there were still severe restriction at that time(2022) for entering the Kingdom.

Different story now

20,000 tourists at Koh Phangan Full Moon Party

SURAT THANI: About 20,000 foreign and Thai tourists were on Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party on Tuesday night.

www.bangkokpost.com

 

[divinh]

Wow...

Between the two, I found Lomprayah had better entertainment, playing videos of comedy pranks. Sea Tran mostly played ads. Both got me to Koh Tao without much fuss.

I only "recently" did the Chumphon to Koh Tao route (2018), mainly because it was cheaper than flying to Koh Samui and taking a ferry from there. I did the Nok Air/Lomprayah return ticket package to Koh Tao, which involved flying Nok Air from Bangkok to Surat Thani, bus to Tapee Pier, then Lomprayah ferry to Koh Tao. The route back was similar, but going to Thung Makham Noi Pier and bus to Chumphon for the flight back to Bangkok Don Mueang airport. Price was $177.63 USD.