I've been resting for a few days at Max Hotel, in Soi Post Office, Pattaya - a haven of peace and respectability.
Max Hotel was all good, but I feared the coming week of Songkran, with ice-cold water laced with piss and chilli powder. I needed to get away, but where to go?
Scrutinising the map, I realised that I could pop over to Hua Hin on the newly-opened ferry service, and spend Songkran in the company of hi-so ladies of the night and probably a few drunken Scandis as well.
So it was this morning that I checked out of my hotel and took a quick motorbike taxi ride to the ticket office for the Royal 1 catamaran service at Bali Hai Pier.
The normal ticket price of 1,250 baht (one way, economy seat) is discounted all April down to 1,125 baht.
I got my ticket, walked up to the ferry and persuaded a Yorkshire guy to take my photo in front of the cat.
The ferry was due to leave at 10.00am and a bunch of polite security guys saluted me, (but didn't stoop) as I checked my bag through the security x-ray machine.
I got on the boat and found my seat.
Since I'm never keen on travelling in an all-enclosed passenger cabin, I had booked a seat near to the emergency exit door, just in case the cat decided to try submarine mode.
Right on time, the ferry left Bali Hai, starting on the 2 hour trip to Hua Hin
I took a photo of the passenger cabin
As you can see, it is almost empty! I guess maybe 15% full. There is no way that this ferry service will survive with passenger numbers like that.
The sea was calm and the trip uneventful. A safety video was shown as we left Bali Hai, and free coffee and water were served throughout the trip.
We arrived at the Hua Hin port (not sure of the name, but on the south side of town), about 5 minutes late, and there were maybe 50 people waiting at the port for the return trip back to Pattaya.
Overall, a very good service, and the price was OK for me. But use it now, because unless a miracle happens, the cat ferry will not last out the low season