Bali Hai Pier Speedboat Operators Banned from Approaching Customers, Standard Ticket Prices Set

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From Pattaya News

Pattaya City has come up with tougher regulations to address issues related to speedboat operators at Bali Hai Pier, including the introduction of standard ticket prices and the ban on “herding” guests.

On Thursday, September 7th, the Pattaya City Council assembled to devise strategies for organizing and overseeing tour boat operators, following a violent altercation among operators vying for guests aboard a boat to Koh Larn from Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya.

Most importantly, the city eventually ruled that from now on tour boat operators will be prohibited from approaching and herding tourists who are looking for a boat to Koh Larn. Essentially, they used the word herding to describe pressure selling customers to speed boats versus allowing customers to approach a ticket queue.

To tackle confusing ticket fares, the council has also established fixed and standard ticket prices for boat trips to Koh Larn as follows:

1. From Bali Hai Pier to Na Baan Pier: 150 baht for a one-way trip per person, 300 baht for a round-trip per person.
2. From Bali Hai Pier to Tawaen Beach: 200 baht for a one-way trip per person, 300 baht for a round-trip per person.
3. Boat charter prices: For 12 passengers with one-engine boat, the rate is set at 2,800 baht (up from 2,500 baht). For a two-engine boat, the rate is set at 4,500 baht.

The operators have signed an agreement with the council to follow the above regulations at the meeting. Violation will lead to a suspension of business operations at the pier for 7 days for the first offense, 15 days for the second, and 1 month for the third.