doctormann

I can control my smart plugs through the Tuya app, which is something, I suppose. I'm still working on the Alexa problem but it's hard going and my head hurts!

I can download and install the Tuya smart app onto my phone, that's not a problem. I can even register the smart plug on the Tuya app. The problem is that Alexa will not let me install the 'skill' that I need to control the plug by talking to 'her'. The error says that the skill is not available in my region, which I find hard to believe!

Update on the Echo 4 situation. My Tuya smart plug thingies duly arrived - user manuals are the smallest that I have ever seen and a magnifying glass is definitely required! Anyway, the procedure is to download the Tuya app and configure the device to connect to your internet. I am assuming that it needs to be connected to the same local network as the Echo 4. Did that without too much hassle. Next step is to use the Alexa app to install the Alexa skill for the brand of smart device that you have. Tuya is on the list so I thought that I might be in with a chance. No!! Cannot install the skill because of geographical restrictions!! This is crazy - I can understand why some skills might be locked but surely not this one. Something is clearly wrong somewhere and I think it's maybe down to needing a VPN to download the Alexa app in the first place. I'm considering biting the bullet, resetting the Echo and starting over with the Alexa app downloaded from the UK, where my Amazon account is located. Of course, this may not work as the Echo will still physically be in Thailand with a Thai IP address, unless I install a VPN on the router and I really don't want to do that. What a PITA! I might try talking to Amazon to see if they have any suggestions.

I totally agree with you but I have found, in the past, that sometimes a little tweak is required to get things to work here because of regional restrictions. I do think that it's reasonable to expect hardware to work 'out of the box' - and it mostly does, but not in the case of Amazon Echo it seems.

@recom273Quick update on the calendar problem. I've now managed to link my Google calendar to Alexa by using my VPN to set my phone to UK location. The instructions now appear in English and the linked calendar now works - but still can't print it, not that i really need to do that.

Can you set a VPN on your phone to the same country where your Amazon account is located? This is what I had to do in order to set up the Echo 4 using the Alexa app, otherwise the set-up never completed. Sounds just like your problem.

@recom273To be honest, I'm thoroughly confused about the calendar. On my desktop and laptop machines I use Google Calendar and that works just fine. The Alexa app says that I have the Alexa calendar - asking Alexa what's on the calendar says no events scheduled, which is probably correct as I haven't scheduled anything for that calendar. I tried to link my Google calendar but this results in a lot of pages in Thai script that I can't cope with so I have failed to do this. If I ask Alexa what's on my Google calendar then I get no events scheduled - even though there are some - so the calendar is obviously not linked. The Spotify graphic that you posted is the same as the one that I get. I wonder which location Alexa is using? There is the location of your Amazon account - UK in my case - your delivery address, as specified in your Amazon account - a Thai address in my case - your internet address which, in my case will be a Thai ISP address as the Echo knows nothing about VPNs - or the address that the phone is using, which can be a Thai ISP address or a UK address if I implement my VPN on my phone. Confused? You bet I am!

Sounds as if you are seeing the same problem that I had, trying to register using the Alexa app. - just went round in circles and never found whatever it was looking for. Setting the phone to UK, using a VPN - NORDVPN in my case - immediately got round that problem and set-up completed with no further issues. The problems with unavailability of Alexa skills remain to be investigated. I don't know what's up with Spotify. I have a Spotify free account and that works perfectly on my Linux PC - but Alexa doesn't want to link it! I'll post back if I have any luck with the smart switches.

This is beginning to strain my brain, what's left of it. I think that something is wrong with my set-up - can't even link Alexa to my Spotify account - not supported in my region, it says. I may reset everything, delete the app and reinstall it on the phone with the VPN set to UK and see if that makes a difference. I could set up the VPN on my router so that the Echo would appear to be in the UK. I'd really like to not do that though as it's a bit of a PITA to change locations and sometimes I need to be 'in' the USA. The smart switches haven't arrived yet - probably going to have issues with those as well!

After a bit of procrastination I opted to get the Echo 4 - not the Dot 4 - because the sound quality is reputed to be better. I must say that I'm quite impressed with it in that respect. The device arrived yesterday and Alexa is now in residence - only just started to play with it. I had some problems setting it up. My Amazon account is in the UK and I had to use a VPN on my phone before the Alexa app would work. The basic functions work OK but the skill set seems to be quite restricted in Thailand - get 'not supported' from Alexa,a lot of the time. I could change my address to UK, I suppose, but then I would probably lose the local Thailand info. I can get the local time and weather but not local business info so searching for a pizza restaurant doesn't work. Alexa will happily tell me the right sort of beer to have with my pizza but will not help in finding the pizza in the first place! Alexa will connect to my HP printer so I can print lists, graph paper, lined paper but, strangely, not a calendar! Early days - only really got the Echo for a bit of amusement anyway. I have a couple of smart sockets on the way, for experimental purposes, so I'll see how that goes.

Thanks for that. Despite other comments, I'm not too bothered about the data-gathering aspect. My Linux systems are well protected and I don't think that Alexa is likely to be very interested in anything that 'she' might 'overhear'. Probably get bored very quickly!

I think that Google has everything of mine already! At least I don't do Facebook - ha-ha!

Anyone had experience of using these Amazon Echo devices in Thailand? I'm considering getting an Echo 4 (fourth generation). Reviews seem good apart from, apparently, some features not being available outside USA or Europe. I'm not too bothered about controlling household devices at the moment so maybe this is not important. Just want the device as a bit of fun really and to play music. Any opinions?

Wait a minute, a Thai admitting that they were wrong. Is this a first!

Just thinking about virus mutations and how new strains occur. I'm no virologist so am pretty ignorant of the details of how these things work but isn't it a bit simplistic to assume that any new strain only has a single source? Is it not possible that the same mutation can occur in more than one location? We hear a lot about tracing 'patient zero' but it seems to me that this might not be an individual but that there could be several of them in, possibly. widespread locations. If so, this obviously makes tracking the disease a lot more difficult.

It's the RT-PCR test on arrival that is likely to put people off coming. Fail that test and you are in a world of hurt. Surely unnecessary anyway if you are vaccinated and have a negative test on departure.

My vaccination certificate is missing an official stamp. I was vaccinated - Pfizer X2 - at Central Festival Mall, Pattaya. The certificate has all the info and the QR code that links to Mor Prom but is not stamped. i don't know if that makes it invalid. I would be interested to hear from others that were vaccinated at the same facility. Do you have a stamp?

Just looking at my vaccination certificate - 2X Pfizer, administered by Bangkok Hospital, Pattaya, at Central Festival Mall - it includes all the necessary information BUT has no Garuda stamp so I wonder if it would be considered as valid?

It is also said that it is better to give than to receive, so how does that work then?

That LN - lot number/batch number - is exactly the same that is on my certificate. Where were you jabbed? I was done at Central Festival, Pattya, on 19/08 and 09/09. Seems that we were all done with the same batch. Maybe the Pfizer donation that came from the USA, which I'm assuming is what we received, was just one lot/batch or maybe it was split and different batches went to different vaccination centres. Anyway, the shelf life, while refrigerated, seems to be several months - just a few hours once out of the fridge though, which is what you would expect.

I don't know, how many doses in a batch and what is the shelf life?

Same here. Has Certificate Number, also vaccination dates and vaccine type, with what I think is probably the batch number. No personal information at all.

Do you have a dual SIM phone? If so, make sure that the SIM in use is set to receive SMS. Also, you might try turning on your Data Service - I've known this to be necessary sometimes for receiving SMS.

Is that a flat bed Ford?

That does seem to be the case at present but maybe sanity will eventually prevail. We can but hope!