BKKBike09

Got to love Thailand - it's still THB 8,990 and the guy is bringing it to me this evening!

I've had three in my other car in 7 years, including two that were tears in the tyre wall, for which foam filler is useless. Luckily that car has a spacesaver spare (especially since two of the flats were upcountry). You can't turn off the Adaptive "feature" on the BYD Atto.

Tried again to use the cruise control on motorway again today. I'm going to revise my assessment from 'Not So Good' to 'Really Poor'. It could just be me of course, but it's really hard to set (because it's so <deleted> hard to see the speed that's set), it over reacts when slowing down and speeding up, and - worst of all - it won't let you drive without it being 'Adaptive'. Cruise control should be press one button to engage at whatever speed the car is doing when the button is pressed, then toggle to speed up / slow down by 1 kmh/1mph increments - NOT +/- 5 kmh steps. To be fair we have a CRV with cruise control that does this and I still never use it, but the Atto set up is really poor, at least in moderate motorway traffic. Maybe on empty upcountry roads it would be fine. It doesn't matter if the instrument display is set to dark or light (I prefer dark) - the cruise control speed setting is really hard to see.

I did find a spare wheel / tyre but it's about an inch too wide to sit under the boot floor when the floor is in the raised position. I pulled out the foam insert that holds the inflation kit etc and hoped that it would provide enough depth. I think it will, but the foam is held in place by four threaded bolts (no idea why) which don't really show in the pic above. They either need to be removed or a riser of some sort put in: you wouldn't want a tyre to be lying on those bolt tips. TBH could probably render them harmless with water bottle tops and gaffer tape. It's irritating there's no "frunk" because the tire kit could go in that space. Maybe someone will start making an insert; can't think it would be too hard.

The quick summary would be: Good External / interior styling (very subjective) Build quality (but see below) Comfort (but see below) Relaxing to drive Reasonably powerful (will get up to 150 kmh quite happily and quite quickly) Good range (at least 350-400 km) Panoramic glass roof (a big selling point for me) with sunshade Good interior space Both front seats electrically adjustable (but no memory settings) Built in dashcam GPS works pretty well (but no Thai language search option) Not So Good Suspension - way too soft and spongy (not an issue around town but not so good at any speed) as soon as decent aftermarket options available, I'm going to ditch the stock set up Build quality - well put together but the panel metal is the thinnest I've ever seen (already got two tiny dents in mine) Comfort - One-piece front seats mean no adjustable head restraints Tyres - cr*p Chinese no name; but fine for town driving Tech - too much of it that can't be permanently disabled Cruise control - fiddly to set, very hard to see speed set, only goes up/down in 5 kmh intervals AirCon - not always as cold as I think it should be No spare tyre

Interesting to see how it all goes for them in UK. I wouldn't have paid any more than the 1.2 million I spent here on the Atto. After 2000 km and 2 months of ownership, I rate it overall about 6.5-7/10. I'll post a proper review at some point when I have more time.

To be fair, that relates to buses built 6 years ago. Tech has moved on so much in that time I think it's debatable to judge BYD today by those standards. But who knows. I look at the BYD EV taxis that are still running at Suvarnabhumi - that's 5 years plus and they are still on the road, so maybe a good sign? More of a concern for me is the ability of cars to act as giant tracking devices. Certainly anyone in a sensitive government job would want to think very carefully. If you work in a 'site without windows', do you want your phone synced to your car, and your car sharing position data with a Chinese server? No thanks.

AEB and PCW (Predictive Collision Warning) are a pain in the Atto. They can be disabled, but only for each 'ignition cycle'. The Collision Warning is particularly tedious in Bangkok traffic because it often reacts to motorcycles cutting in front of you - it makes an alarming beeping noise which is quite, well, alarming if you don't know what is causing it. The LKA I detest in any car; it can be turned off in the Atto, but also only per ignition cycle. If folk buying the standard range Atto at 1.1 million are getting 1 million cover, they're doing better than those who bought the extended range for 1.2 million, which also gets 1 million cover ...

You can ask for it back if you were born British prior to 1981 (I think it is, or whenever the Nationality Act changed around that time). It's a one-off deal. The guidance is complex, and one little wrinkle is the potential requirement to provide: "a letter from the authorities of the country concerned (unless it is a British overseas territory) stating that the applicant’s renunciation of British citizenship was necessary in order to acquire or retain that country’s citizenship" Good luck getting that in Thailand and keeping Thai nationality ... However ... There is an option to apply and rely on the discretion of the Home Secretary in cases where the person "renounced British citizenship to either acquire the nationality or citizenship of their spouse or civil partner or to assist them in their careers" and when either a) the marriage, civil partnership or the career has now ended or b) they wish to remain in the UK, or return to the UK for settlement (my highlighting). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632943/registration-as-a-British-citizen-following-renunciation-v1.0.pdf

Obviously no UK grime/rap fans on this thread.

Look chief, I don't need to 'rethink' anything. I was agreeing with you on the broader issue of EV charging in condo common areas. My point is you'd have more luck getting the condo management to do something if you pushed the safety angle, not theft. You have made several posts referencing safety. Such as: Seeing as how you're not getting much of a hearing on AV, why not take your campaign to the streets? Specifically to your condo. I'm sure you can fit a sandwich board with "Stop EV Thieves" in your Tesla. Stand on the pavement wearing that and show those EV rascals who's da boss!

I suspect they've reduced the battery price because of media coverage (and possibly pressure from the insurance companies they use).

I agree that EV charging from outlets in common areas of condos is an issue. But I don't think the "theft" angle will hold much sway with the condo management. Safety is the argument to make with them: IF one of those cheap EV scooters catches fire at 3 am, how much risk will that pose to condo residents asleep in their beds? Somchai the night guard can be trusted to a) be awake and b) tackle an electric fire properly? However, this is Thailand, so chances are nothing will change until there is a condo fire caused by EV charging and lots of people die. The real issue is that when most condos were built, EV cars and scooters were almost unknown here. So no-one planned for them when designing condos (and probably still don't). The risk of an EV scooter catching fire while charging may be small but even if, say, 1 in 1,000,000, when you've got a million of them around the city charging every day ...

Sheryl gives good advice: it's part of the disease; miserable, but it will pass.. I've had it twice. First time in the 90s (in Laos) was much worse than second time about 10 years ago (in Bangkok). Felt pretty down the first time round for about a month. But it did get better.

Actually, BYD has now made clear that the price of the extended range battery (60KWh) is now basically THB 700,000 inc VAT, while the standard one (50KWh) is THB 565,000. I expect these prices will fall even further in coming years, especially once BYD start making the Atto here (slated for 2024).

He should have heeded Skepta's warning: Transvestites, more than meets the eye Transvestites, mandem in disguise Transvestites, more than meets the eye Transvestites, mandem in disguise

No apologies required. I'm not really concerned about the risk of electrocution although 30 years of living in Thailand has provided many salutary examples of hapless folk being killed or severely injured by faulty electrical equipment. I am indeed highlighting the fact that, without shelter, people charging are "gonna get wet". I also rather doubt that "a simple umbrella" (or even a complicated one) "would keep you dry for the short time it takes to hook up the charger". Which rather brings us full circle: wouldn't it just be better all round if outdoor charging stations offered shelter from the elements?

While I approve of using the word 'codswallop', here it's a little misplaced. Since you used 'codswallop' I imagine you are also familiar with the concept of 'tongue in cheek'? My post was really a swipe at the fact that none of the outdoor chargers I've seen offered any shelter from the elements. So while you may be perfectly safe charging in a downpour, you'll likely become quite moist doing it. While the people filling their cars up with petrol will remain dry as a bone (even if they were doing it themselves, rather than having some minimum wage person do it for them). Perhaps you'd like to suggest some outdoor charging stations that do offer shelter from the elements?

Another thing to bear in mind is that - of the admittedly small number of outdoor chargers I've seen - none of them have cover for your car. Charging in the rainy season will be fun. I mean, standing in a puddle, in the rain, holding a high-voltage electric cable, in Thailand .... what could go wrong?

BYD Atto doesn't have this. However it has some sort of power battery temperature control function because a little message sometimes appears during charging to say 'power battery temperature regulation in progress' or something like that. BYD has a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery which I think I've read heats up less when charging / discharging.

For PEA you start by selecting on the in-app interactive map the charging location where you are. When you tap on it, it brings up that charging station and shows what chargers it has. Click on the one you want to use (eg CCS2 50 KWh). It then says plug into car and then to click 'start charging' on the app. If all works, the app then shows you your current battery % and the charging speed (in KWh) and time remaining. Once you get above about 85% the charging rate slows right down. For an SOE it's a surprisingly good app (assuming all your data is kept safe etc ...). No experience on others.

I wouldn't say my experience was disaster - more that it showed the potential issues you can face if you really need to charge. I'd try to avoid needing to charge at any charger close to the pier, or planning to charge on say a weekend. The PEA Volta app shows a 50KW charger in Chanthaburi at Bangchak Khao Sa Ming. Maybe stop and top up a bit there if no-one using it. Taking the granny charger is a very good idea. That was my Plan B. I also bought a decent 10 m extension cable. Top Tip #2 would be to buy a plug adapter for 3-pin to 2-pin. Granny charger will likely be a round 3-pin plug, but a lot of upcountry electrics may still be flat 2-pin sockets ...

I just spent a week or so in Pattaya. Decided to take the Atto to see how practical it would be. From Bangkok to where I was staying is about 130 km. From just shy of 100% charged, I got there with battery at about 65% courtesy of some spirited (for an Atto) driving. After a few days driving around and down to about 40% I figured I'd try charging it a bit - my first time trying this away from the comfort of the free home charger. First stop, big PTT station in South Pattaya while on way to find some dinner with the family. It has two chargers. One was occupied by some fancy Audi saloon, the owner of which was nowhere to be seen, so no idea how long he/she was going to be. The other charger had a handwritten sign saying 'broken'. Went back next day at 1045. One car already plugged in (a Neta). Another waiting (an MG). The MG driver said "I'm booked for 11 - would you like to charge for a bit before then". Kind offer, but then I realised I had to set up the app etc. She helpfully also told me the next available charging spot that day was 3 pm. I then went to PEA Volta in South Pattaya Road. A Grab taxi MG was charging there. There's only one charger and only one high-speed DC charger cable (CCS2). The driver helpfully told me that I could try to charge using one of the slower cables but that there might not be enough power for it to charge two cars at the same time. He was right. However, he was finished in 5 mins and then he showed me how to work the app. All good; I couldn't be ar$$ed to spend more than 20 minutes charging but that put in about another 20%, so battery up to 60% something. While I was there a Neta turned up. Young couple who also were first timers so I showed them how to work the app etc. I went back to the PEA Volta a few days later when battery back down to 40%. An MG was plugged into one of the slower AC charging cables. I asked if he'd be long and the guy was a bit of a tw@t ["I'll be done when I'm done"] so I plugged in the DC 'fast charge' cable. It worked ... but the total 50KWh capacity of the charging station meant the tw@t got 22KWh and I got 28 KWh ... so I did 20 mins and off I went. Went back a third time equipped with coffee and laptop (HOT TIP: there are no coffee shops that I could see anywhere near the PEA place, not even at the Shell station across the road). No-one charging, so I plugged in and then spent 5 minutes trying to get the charger to talk to the car. Finally it was happy and I started charging. Literally one minute later a guy drives up in a Neta and pleads with me to let him charge because he's in a rush to get back to BKK to pick up a customer etc etc. I debated making him wait but I played nice and said he could charge for up to 20 mins, if that would work for him. Which it did. I then plugged back in and spent 45 minutes sitting in my car drinking coffee and working, so the time wasn't wasted. Pulled the plug when the battery was at 95%. Charging at PEA is not priced clearly: one charge cost THB 4.5 or so per KWh (on a Sunday), others cost THB 6.7 or so (on weekdays). Go figure. Maybe TOU pricing? But the PEA app is simple to use and you simply top up credit using a credit card [of course, if you don't have a Thai credit card that may be a problem, and I also have Thai nationality so that may make it seem easy]. So ... my take on it all is that charging at public chargers is pretty hit and miss, especially if you 'walk in' rather than pre-book. On principle, booking a time to charge my car goes against the grain, but maybe it's part and parcel of the EV ownership 'experience'.

'tax paying' is the critical point. Monks obviously don't pay tax, because they don't (shouldn't) have any income. It also scuppers any chance of retirees applying for Thai nationality. Back to Ajarn Jayasaro - he well deserves Thai nationality, the tax nonsense notwithstanding. He's a good guy and very engaging to talk to (met him on various occasions through Thawsi School, which BTW is also an excellent Thai school).

The flight crew should have known exactly what was going on. Depending on how close the aircraft is to max speed for rejected take off (which is not a single constant speed) reaction window is pretty small, so crew priority is to assess situation, react as appropriate and then advise ATC. Only way to know exact sequence of comms would be to listen to CVR.