Travelers should approach Bali Hai Pier with caution due to concerning practices regarding baggage fees.
Despite purchasing ferry tickets through 12go that clearly included a 25kg luggage allowance per person, pier staff immediately demanded an additional 100 baht per passenger upon arrival. This unexpected charge directly contradicted the terms specified on our pre-purchased tickets.
When confronted with this discrepancy, staff initially insisted on these extra fees. Only after extended discussion and firm resistance did they reduce their demand to a single 100 baht charge for our group - still unjustified, but revealing the arbitrary nature of their demands.
This experience suggests a deliberate system designed to extract additional money from tourists through misleading practices. The fact that they were willing to negotiate down confirms these aren't legitimate fixed fees but rather opportunistic attempts at additional profit.
For travelers using Bali Hai Pier, be prepared to firmly defend your rights and negotiate when faced with these surprise charges. While persistence can reduce these inappropriate fees, beginning your journey with such confrontation creates unnecessary stress.
These deceptive practices damage tourism reputation and unnecessarily burden visitors who should be enjoying their travel experience rather than defending against questionable...
Read moreBali Hai Pier! ⚓ It’s the main departure point for ferries and speedboats to Koh Larn (Coral Island) and other nearby islands. The public ferry is super cheap—just 30 THB per person and takes about 40 minutes, while speedboats cost around 300–400 THB and get you there in 15 minutes.
It’s easy to reach by taxi, Grab, or even a short walk if you’re nearby. There’s parking too, but it fills up fast on weekends.
Apart from being a transit hub, the area has a lively vibe with great ocean views, and you can spot the famous Pattaya City sign from here. In the evenings, the pier lights up with colorful LED displays 🌈, and there’s even a small night market for street food lovers 🍢.
Tips: ✅ Arrive early for ferries on weekends. ✅ Carry cash for tickets. ✅ Bring sunscreen and a hat—shade is limited. ✅ Ignore speedboat touts who claim you’ll miss the ferry; just head to the official...
Read moreCheap and easy way to get a ferry to Koh Larn island. You simply walk to the end of the pier and find which bay you need (well signposted in both thai and English) and then pay the people at the entrance to the boat. The ferry only costs 30 baht per person which is incredibly good value (it’s around a 45 minute journey to Na Baan Pier on Koh Larn), but you can also get seats on the chartered speed boats for around 150-200 baht a person which take only 15 minutes. The pier can be very crowded but we had no issues getting straight on a ferry and getting a seat. Life jackets are provided on the boats. At the end of the pier there are sellers that offer snacks, drinks and water at very...
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