Andrew Dwyer

So why isn’t anyone looking at using solar panels to create energy to run your EV ?? Well its become apparent that while it is possible to assist regeneration of energy the benefits of building a solar panel roof on your car are very small and currently most EV manufacturers are dismissing the idea until some technological breakthroughs make fitting solar panels more energy efficient and cost effective. Although, some big names have adopted the technology and incorporated it into their EV cars i.e. Mercedes Benz, Hyundai and the elusive Fisker Ocean but it hasn’t yet become popular enough to change the trend. Toyota are looking to change that with their updated Prius , solar panels are being used to produce energy to charge the battery and reduce charging time and costs even with the car locked and motionless !! But, the all important question, by how much ?? Well, be prepared to be underwhelmed !! Of course there are other options available.

Neta making their mark with their budget EV ( Neta V ) and the long awaited, up and coming Neta S. But wait , there’s more. https://carnewschina.com/2023/06/07/neta-exports-4000-vehicles-overseas-from-china/ The GT apparently comes in a convertible version also. https://www.chinapev.com/ev-2/hozon/neta-gt-cost-effective-electric-sports-car-from-china/ Unfortunately no diesel versions of these cars have been announced ????

Could have given us some warning ………….. looks like i’m sleeping on the sofa again !!

When i first came to Thailand i thought cargo shorts were the answer for the phone, wallet, loose change, reading glasses, car/mc key, etc but insecurity at hopping on and off the mc or walking through busy markets led me to try a man bag. Never looked back, cheap, vast range, more security, comfort and not out of place here in Thailand ( didn’t take it on my trip back to the U.K.). Have had a few , but currently use a Cross Body Bag .

Seems to be a lot of Mister Winners here in Thailand.

Depends on the size of the battery and the maximum charging limit of the vehicle. Also depends on where you are charging: AC : at a friend’s home or guesthouse, etc DC : Gas station charging point, PEA Authorities charger, Car Showroom charger, Shopping Mall charger, etc If you could narrow down your “ simple “ question to the above parameters then someone will be along shortly to give you your answer ……. or not.

Okay, that’s a shame as I find the bZ3 much more appealing than the bZ4X even though I find SUV or Crossovers more suited to my lifestyle.

I thought they had had a rethink, got together with BYD to create the bz3 ?, looks nicer than the bZ4X imho, those over the top black wheel arch protectors and lashings of piano black give the 4 an unnecessary plasticky look and where is the glove box ? Here’s the bz3 with some specs in English, okay if you are a speed reader ! While I am a fan of the flush door handle fashion I am not sure i like the method of opening the door adopted on the bz3 . Guess it all depends if you want a Crossover ( 4 ) or a Saloon (3), or 1 sunroof or 2 ? First impressions matter, for me anyway, and I much prefer the bz3 to the bZ4X, but no plans to come to Thailand as far as I know.

Well the Neta V has a 89% increase in its China v Thailand sales which means the Neta S could reach 3.4 million baht in theory. But , the Neta V had/has virtually no competition and they could have priced it whatever they wanted. Agree, the price of BYD Seal and Tesla 3 will have an effect on Neta S price and could reduce the Thai mark up, nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition.

Here’s a video, in English, on the Neta S testing in Thailand. Main points are. 462 hp ! Electric gull wing doors ( which, imo, don’t rise very high ) Full glass roof, no sunshade. Electric adjustable rear seats ( rake ) , 8 degrees adjustable only but looks good. No physical buttons, everything done from screen including adjusting front seats ( hopefully has memory ) Sounds like a long wait for this model as only LHD available now. Price in China 1.8 million baht, reviewer guessed at 2.5 million for Thailand market, wishful thinking ? BYD Seal competitor ?

Take a look at Makro ( if Udon has one of course ) for your cheese Owl, i buy a 2 kg block of cheddar for 700 baht ( sure it was 659 last time ☹️ ) Horeca brand. I used to buy Aro brand for a similar price but that’s disappeared now and looking online I see Anchor cheddar, 2kg for 785 baht, but never seen it at my store. I cut it into 8 and put in the freezer, seems like it tastes better the longer it’s been in the freezer …. not that it’s in there for long ???? Splashed out on some Branston pickle from Lazada to go with it but usually have tomato or sometimes onion. Tops have some good wholewheat bread , it disappears fast from the shelves but the Wholewheat bread ( green packet ) from Big C is pretty good toasted . Mmmmmm , hungry now ????

What on earth are you talking about ?, you brought up international convention!! If a process is in place to enter Thailand and apply for a non immigrant O visa and subsequent extensions based on marriage or retirement legally how is that contravening international convention ?? As usual you have learnt a new phrase and are going to use it at every opportunity despite it not being applicable to this thread .

I killed my OA extension by taking a short trip to my home country and returned visa exempt, later applied for a non imm O visa based on retirement and a subsequent retirement extension. All successfully completed but had a home visit with photos of myself in front of the house number, sitting in the lounge and on my bed, I also received an under consideration stamp ( for retirement ) until my O visa expired and my extension granted. A little unusual, the last paragraph, and annoying but with a successful outcome. Now, a friend in exactly the same situation followed exactly the same route some 2 weeks after me. He had no home visit or under consideration stamp, a different immigration office. The only difference being my immigration office is 10 minutes away, his is 1 hour . Could this be the reason for different processes of the exact same situation ?? or one of the IO’s not following procedure .

Certainly at the discretion of the immigration officer seems to apply here but, and I believe this is the gist of this thread, should it ?

You seem to be missing the point, the procedure is in place for entry via visa exempt or tourist visa and applying for a non immigrant O visa ( based on retirement or marriage ) , see TM 86 and TM87 . Many have successfully made this transition why should others be unable to due to the whim of the Immigration Officer. Let me guess, you applied for a non imm O visa outside the country and seem to take satisfaction when others, using an alternative equally legal method, are being denied.

Hands up who would like to see these variants added to Thailand’s MG lineup . https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/mg-4-electric-car-timing-confirmed-dual-motor-hero-firming?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=meg-mg-4-electric-car-timing-confirmed-dual-motor-hero-firming&fbclid=IwAR0b1n6kcXcQBCADlDPjdSc3OZMfdRiJxh8K4mASyVqrWHB4T87kXvXyeSg&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

While destined for the taxi market here there’s nothing to stop non taxi drivers from buying one, after all plenty of Altis on the road ( just don’t wrap it green and yellow ????). BYD e6 , for those who want the large rotating screen, the LFP battery with great range , a great loading area ( 580 litres ? ) yet don’t fancy the funky interiors that come with the current BYD models available here, here’s your chance. Competition for MG’s price beating EP or the more upmarket ES maybe ?, more pricey but still worth checking out.

Another day ….. another BYD model ! https://carnewschina.com/2023/05/31/new-byd-yuan-pro-launched-starting-at-13400-usd-95800-rmb/?fbclid=IwAR3o01J-KbxU2FZdWsXvDhlVLPlpze3CMVVGcRGHsflIaYaw9glCiCvDkyQ_aem_th_AYA4niVI4tyYALFdzNQXvx6xuV_fuks5iJ47pu8hfAQwGfV2iE74o4xlRsgIfwQtL5Y&mibextid=Zxz2cZ Does this slot between Seagull and Dolphin or Dolphin and Atto 3. Who knows ……. or even cares ?

I had the keyhole surgery around 15 years ago ( not in Thailand ), detected using ultrasound. Prior to the ultrasound I had the usual tests, blood/urine/stool sample, and due to some traces of blood in my stool sample had a colonoscopy, my memories of the colonoscopy are worse than the keyhole surgery ! Looking now I can only see one faint scar around 10mm long. Side effects seem to be diarrhoea if eating too much fatty foods but I have not had any issue with this. I kept the stone , 20 mm in diameter and resembling a boiled sweet, for many years but moving here 7 years ago it went to landfill along with many other personal items. Around the same time a couple of friends had the same op , we all agreed how fast the recovery time was and how relatively painless it all was, of course we were younger then !

I took a look at one yesterday at my local mall, marketing the new Mint Green colour , that makes 6 colours in all, more than most. I stick with my earlier comments that it is not for me and would like to see some more “ stuff “ inside for another 100k or so but agree that it is a good looking car externally. The price is unbeatable imho and as a company car makes perfect sense. For anyone looking for an EV for local use on a budget it’s a perfect buy. I haven’t discounted it totally as my 2nd car , at around 220k/250k ( MG EP and Dolphin ) less than it’s nearest rivals it’s a bargain. Plus , recently discovered that my car port is not very good for 2 cars so the slimmer body of the Neta V might just seal the deal.

I was all set to replace my ICE with an EV , had researched the models extensively and decided on the Atto 3 as my only car. Planned to get a secondary electric meter fit ( TOU ) for cheap nighttime charging. But i travel frequently, mainly around a 500 km round trip but recently, on a whim, went on a 2000 km road trip down south and found the flexibility of refuelling an ICE preferable. Of course my frequent trips and the odd longer journey could be achieved with an EV but it takes planning and patience especially if travelling to “ off the beaten track “ destinations and I am lazy/not ready for this level of commitment. So, my compromise: bought a hybrid for the longer trips and will go for BYD Dolphin for local stuff, charging at home. As said already on this thread: EV’s are not for everyone ! We all have different lifestyles, different priorities and different views. Some have solar installed and for them an EV is a no brainer, for others a TOU ( Time of Use ) meter can be fit at home to provide cheap overnight charging and those living in apartment/condo/parking on the street or dedicated parking space have to consider seriously if an EV will work for them. For me to go EV only i would need some changes: Longer ranges ( which are slowly but surely coming, check out BYD Seal 700km ) Faster charging More charging points (please don’t post the map again !! ) Singling out the Neta V is a little unfair imho, the Neta V is a budget vehicle and the cheapest in its class but a MG EP or BYD Dolphin can be obtained for less than 800k and competes admirably with ICE cars at a similar size or level of comfort. Like them or loathe them EV’s are here, MG have 3, BYD have 2 ,Neta has 1 and Good Cat has various models in its range, even touching on the more expensive models, Tesla, Volvo, BMW, Porsche etc with local favourites Honda and Toyota arriving soon !, plenty of choice for every level of income/wealth.

Apparently not but this is small town rural Nakhon Sawan. My bil , who lives in the same town, was a monk for 9 years but allowed to drive on medical grounds . Having kidney failure and needing dialysis several times a week he could drive himself to a local or Nakhon Sawan hospital. On longer trips, to Bangkok for example, he would get a friend to drive him or pay someone.

Okay, hopefully someone will be along with an answer for you @Crossy or @orchidfan ?

As is the norm here we had to pay a visit to my wife’s hometown Wat for the head monk to stick some gold leaf, wrap some coloured ribbons, draw some symbol on the bonnet in powder and splash plenty of “ holy “ water over the car , and us ????, on the occasion of a new car !! ( keeps the little lady happy ) Head monk “ Ajarn “ ( teacher ) was in a particularly good mood as one of his faithful followers had had a bit of good luck on the lottery and proudly presented him with a gift . Quite an upgrade from his previous electric vehicle which was a little limited ????

As DrJack stated, most are 30 days and some are 45 days. Post your location for a more definitive answer or contact your IO.