Andrew Dwyer

Blimey, a tough week Owl !! Finding out stuff like this after many years of marriage is devastating ( been there with an ex wife myself ). Wish you all the best in your decision in which way to go with this news. On the good side, Mildred continues to impress with her artistic talent, hopefully she can take this further. My 15 year old step son has started computer graphics at a community college after failing to pass the entrance exam for a local school. His attempts at freehand drawing are woefully pitiful compared to Mildred.

Rumours abound on the Dolphin price here in Thailand. The Dolphin Australia price release at AUS$100 less than the MG4 Australia release has fuelled much speculation that BYD are pricing their cars to suit the competition !! Latest here is that the standard range version will be just less than 700k , great news for those already willing to pay the advertised 800k. A proposed price hike for the Neta V would be bad timing if Dolphin drops that low. The extended range version is rumoured to be around 850/890k mark . With the same hp , torque and battery ( 60 kWh ) as the Atto 3 this will come as some surprise as it means you can get basically an Atto 3 ( okay, a smaller boot, slimmer body and losing a little on looks ?) for a good deal less. Great news for those burdened by renditions of 3 string Smoke on the Water from the rear seats or those who preferred Atto 3 to MG4 but felt the extra baht just too much. Could BYD reduce the Atto 3 price here in Thailand ??, well it could be done but at risk of peeing off the 1000’s who already shelled out 1.2 mill !! https://autolifethailand.tv/unofficial-price-byd-dolphin-ev-bev-thailand-rever/

Think Americans first thought they were Kool doing this ? The Fonz rarely put his collar down and didn’t James Dean favour the peaking round the collar look ?

I did a similar thing, I entered the info using the auto fill as before and it froze so I came out of the site and re entered but all my auto fill info had disappeared. Filled it all again, not knowing if I did it exactly the same ( note to self : take screenshot at every step ). It was rejected 7 days later, immediately applied again ignoring auto fill as I could have made a mistake and it lay pending for a few days so i went in person. A few days later my online application was approved 13 days after applying online and about a week after i went in person !! Maybe it will work next time for me ?

Yes, I think he starred on here before venting his Anti China agenda.

BYD unveils their pickup, initially as a PHEV but an EV version also in the works. Planned to go on sale in Australia and SEA, makes sense as China not a big fan of pickups unlike Australia and Thailand. https://carnewschina.com/2023/06/13/byd-pickup-truck-interior-was-exposed-by-the-international-delegation-first-video/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Yes, the red plates are 30 cm and the white plate around 34 cm but both fit in my holder in the photo above so i imagine the dealer will just swap the plates and use the same holder leaving me with the same crappy result. I have sourced some holders from Lazada already. My only fear is that using self tappers into those 4 pads might cause them to crack ( a pilot hole would be the best bet I guess ). Double sided tape is another option but i don’t feel really safe with that. I have read a few posts, on FB , from Atto 3 owners who have removed the additional plate on the front in an attempt to tidy up that area and found similar pads and some slots hence many Attos have a plate on a plate deal going on . Seems like GWM and BYD haven’t made any allowance for the stubby Thai plates. Not a problem in U.K., Europe or Australia with much longer plates. The Atto 3 problem being slightly different as the Thai plates is too tall for the allotted space .

Thanks, it might be different on H6 but on my Jolion: Rear has 4 tapped holes, showroom only used top two so that was easily solved. Front has 4 pads which are presumably for mounting the license plate holder ( not an additional mounting plate as in case of Atto 3 ) but the 4 pads do not have tapped holes, only dimples. I really just want to confirm I can screw self tappers into those pads . For those wondering what i am on about, i want it to look like this: currently looks like this:

This might be a little off topic but i think it’s applicable to anyone who bought a Chinese vehicle recently so maybe get an answer from the good people here. It’s about fixing the license plate to the car. Started when i noticed the rear license plate is only fixed at the top 2 points and “ slaps “ when the boot/ trunk is closed. I lifted it up and saw 2 more threaded holes ( commonly known as captive nuts or hank bushes ) lower down, so I fixed this (6mm threaded holes ). Having a look at the front I saw there are 4 small mounting pads which aren’t being utilised and the plate holder is fixed with 2 “ self tappers “ straight into the bumper ( was not happy when I saw this !! ). Still on the red plates so will point out this when called to change for the whites !! Now, looking around it appears that Chinese cars have these mounting pads which are further apart ( 42 cm ish ) than the Thai license plates ( 34 cm ish ) seen it on this Jolion but also on Atto 3 which seems a bit of a clusterf#ck in the front license plate dept. Lazada supply various lengths of plate covers ( 39cm, 44cm and 48cm etc ) specifically for the short Thai license plate so am sorted there . Will buy a couple to match the car colour, don’t care for the GWM free advertising ones . Soo, my question is: ( there’s a question to this novel ? ) The mounting pads have small dimples in each but no holes, are they for self tappers ?

Ah okay thanks, seems like a bit of a marketing ploy, drop it down a little to attract the bargain hunters and yes it would be a bad move to put it up after everyone ( well you and me at least ) thought 799,999 was the fixed price.

So what is the price of a BYD Dolphin here in Thailand ?? I was led to believe it was 799,999 baht but am seeing many FB posts discussing what the actual price will be, as if it hasn’t been officially released yet. Anyone who has booked one ( @Gweiloman ) put me out of my misery please ? ( my local BYD showroom yet to break ground, despite an end of April opening date ???? )

“ Thailand has witnessed a consistent increase in EV sales in recent years. In 2020, the country sold 1,056 EVs, followed by 1,935 EVs in 2021. In 2022, the number of EVs sold in Thailand rose significantly to 9,729. From January to May 2023 alone, Thailand has already sold 24,106 EVs, more than doubling the figures from the previous year. “ https://carnewschina.com/2023/06/09/byd-has-kept-the-ev-sales-champion-in-thailand-for-six-months/

Our water pressure, moobahn in Ayutthaya, is very poor barely making it up to the shower ( bungalow ) and only suitable for cleaning teeth etc, also is regularly turned off on weekends or holidays during the day. We have a couple of emergency showers ( big plastic dustbins, one in the 3rd bathroom and one outside for power outages or pump problems) which we keep full. Of course we have a pump ( Hitachi 150 ) and storage tank ( 700 litres ) but due to some nearby construction work found that the city water was being turned off nearly every day during the day. This meant we had to monitor water usage during the day, watering the garden, washing clothes or the car etc could mean we ran close to running out. Due to the location of the storage tank it would be unsightly to increase the size so I linked another identical tank by piping from the drain plugs. Also noticed that by raising the float valve I gained another 50 litres in each tank, now storage is 1500 litres from 700 . With no increase in water pressure forthcoming, headman for the moobahn assures us he frequently requests it, we have had to take measures to assure we have adequate storage.

After a slight dip in April things are back on track for EV sales in Thailand.

For the small runabout there are a couple : Neta V 549k : very budget car but price unbeatable. BYD Dolphin 800k : lots of tech , good looks and reasonable size. Not exactly small runabouts but if your budget allows: MG EP 771k : older model estate car, maybe larger than you need but excellent value. MG4 869/969k : viewed as a hot hatchback, excellent reviews. BYD Atto 3 1.1/1.2 mill : larger “ small runabout “ , excellent reviews, excellent tech, good range

Okay thanks Sheryl, Richard and others who gave advice. @Sheryl can you please close this topic, i will do a follow up topic at a later date.

Yes, am in Ayutthaya but within easy reach of Bangkok.

So, I have had a small growth under my nose, adjacent to the left nostril, for many years. Recently it appears larger and more inflamed, the problem being shaving. I wet shave but steer clear of the growth as I have nicked it a couple of times, so i usually wet shave near then finish with an electric razor, but this also seems to add to the irritation. More recently i have started plucking the hairs around it and on it ( hairs grow through it also ) but this sometimes draws a little blood ( see photo ), not sure if that’s due to me mistaking some dry skin for a grey hair . It doesn’t hurt, except when i irritate it with the electric razor, but is unsightly and i wish it gone. Any thoughts on what it is and if it can be treated or removed ?, i would appreciate any suggestions .

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.