Monday, 2 February 2015

Comparison of the two ocean transportation options in South Thailand:

SPEEDBOAT

Expect some drama but nothing crazy on the speedboats in comparison to the large ferries. Our speedboat ride "Bundhaya Speedboats" from Ko Ngai was delayed by an hour, it was supposed to travel to Koh Lanta to drop the passengers who were headed further to Phi Phi or Phuket on another speedboat.

Due to the delay of an hour some people waiting at Lanta went bananas and forced the driver to take the boat out to the ocean. So instead of waiting at the port now they waited on the water for a good 20 minutes.

The Thai staff bowing down to the clients’ pressure meant now when our boat met them mid ocean, it will become the new passenger transfer point.

Not the ideal place to do a transfer but this is how things are done in the Islands.

FERRY

I only took 2 large ferries and I can tell you that the ride from Phi Phi to Phuket was the most horrific messed up boat trip I have done to date. Due to timing issues I had to take a ferry instead of the speedboat. Expectations for the ferry environment are:

1. The first time travelers who have no knowledge of what sea sickness is.

2. Groups of day trippers who may die of loneliness if they get separated from their groups for more than 5 minutes

3. Overcrowded ferry travelling slowly.

To avoid the chaos inside the ferry I went to sit outside at the back of the boat. It was a great seat with fresh air, great views of the Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le islands behind me.

The first hour was fantastic but after that the worse thing imaginable happened. Someone from the top deck puked and some of that shit landed on my shorts with a few spots on the singlet. (Could have been worse and all over the head and face) Anyway I had to strip down and use a tea towel as a wrap around on the waist to cover the family jewels while washing the clothes in the bathroom. The bathroom is large and clean with a powerful hose pipe, so ideal setup for cleaning.

However I did get some raised eyebrows from passengers who saw my sexy tea towel wrap around. Luckily the damage was limited and washed off with ease. That was the last time I will ever take a large ferry.

Conclusion: Take the speedboat! :) Bundhaya Speedboats

South Thailand Island Guide

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