Ronakit Ekasingh expounded by saying an undercover inspector had bought a ticket last month and was charged THB100 for it. He continued by saying that even though children under 1.2 meters in height were supposed to pay a reduced fare, most were being forced to pay the adult fare.
Deputy-mayor Ekasingh said another common complaint involved ticketing staff not putting the boat number on the ticket. This practice results in passengers boarding the wrong ferry and having to buy a new ticket or ending up at the wrong port on Koh Larn.
The two arrival ports on Koh Larn are Naban and Had Tawaen. The deputy-mayor stated that all companies and staff providing ferry services between Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier and Koh Larn needed to follow ticketing regulations and also the mandatory wearing of life-jackets.
A spokesperson for the few ferry operators who attended the council meeting said they could not sell reduced price tickets for youngsters. He explained that the boats were only allowed a maximum of 120 passengers per trip and if they were not allowed to charge full price they would not make enough money to cover their operational expenditure.
Koh Larn ferry companies accused of cheating passengers
News in Asia
Pattaya’s town council has ordered ferry boat operators plying routes to Koh Larn to stop overcharging passengers. At a meeting last week, the council’s deputy-mayor said there was clear evidence that passengers were being charged more than the THB30 permitted for the crossing to the island.