007 RED

6 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1178930-obligations-switching-from-income-to-deposit-extensions/

Again, many thanks.  Its a few years old and there are some conflicting suggestions/recommendations e.g. yes maintain international transfers until next renewal, and no need to maintain the transfers if the 800K is in the bank at the time of the current renewal.

I am mindful that each Immigration Office/Officer sets their own criteria, and that this can change from day to day, depending what side of the bed they got out that morning.  That said, I may well take a trip to my Immigration Office (about an hours drive away) and have a chat with the senior there to try and get her ruling on the matter.

As I mentioned in my original post, I was hoping that if I don't need to maintain the 65K monthly international transfers to satisfy Immigrations requirements, and only transfer funds necessary to day-today living, this might help reduce any tax burden should the Revenue Department implement taxing incoming international funds. 

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Make sure they know you are using income method to extend if you continue to keep 800k in bank account - had issue this year as have always used income but had 800k in account at last extension (in case of any transfer issues) and took the 800k lower in less than 3 months after extension - so this year immigration believed I had failed to maintain required amount.  Seems they do not have any indication of which method you used without reviewing last years paperwork.  All was well once that checked.  But have to mention each year using income as once they see the 800k they believe that is to be used.

 

Edit:  key to knowing they using income at CW seems to be officer underlines each monthly transfer on bank statement for reviewing officers check.

Thanks for your advice/observations.

I've been thinking about taking a trip to the Immigration Office and posing the question in the hope of getting the line from the 'horse's mouth'.  The only trouble is that what the senior IO indicates now may well be different come September next year.

Interesting point that you made that the Immigration Officer may not have any indication what method I used for my previous P2S.  I just looked at my passport (Photo below) and noticed that for the first time for the previous years, there is a notation (which I have highlighted) indicating in Thai that money abroad (according to Google Translate).

33 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Currently I am doing the opposite at CW.

My recent extension was Nov last year.

I have decided to maintain the 800k in the bank and in parallel start the transfers.

This means I have both options covered if any issue from immigration office.

 

In your situation I would do the same just to cover all bases, especially as you mentioned that you have the 800k already here in Thailand.

 

As you have suggested, I'm still maintaining the monthly international transfers, but it would be nice to know if that is really necessary.

I appreciate that Immigration most likely wont agree with my logic, but my thinking is:-

With the 65K international transfer method, they (Immigration) are looking to see that you have made the correct international transfers for each of the previous 12 months.  Not what you might transfer in the forthcoming 12 months.  Provided you have the necessary documented evidence in your bank statement of your past transfers, they (Immigration) will renew your Permission to Stay for the forthcoming 12 months. 

So, if I have 800K (plus) deposited in a savings account prior to the date that the latest Permission to Stay was granted, should that not be acceptable for the next renewal?

Hence the reason for my post, to see what any other AN members have experienced when changing from monthly international transfers to 800K in the bank.

I’m sure that this has been raised before, but unfortunately my searches via Google and AN have only revealed the procedure the other way around e.g. changing from 800K in bank to 65K monthly international funds transfer.

Background:  For the past 13 years I’ve been on annual renewal of Permission to Stay based upon my original Non-O (Retirement) visa.  I have been using the 65K per month international transfer into a Thai Bank method since the British Embassy stopped issuing its letter to Immigration.   Next renewal is due in September 2024.

Considering the possibility of the Revenue Department taxing my incoming internationally transferred funds next year, I’ve decided to change my annual renewal method to 800K in the bank and thereby lessen the amount that I need to transfer into Thailand each month to hopefully reduce my tax burden.   I already have 800K (plus) in a savings account which has been there for several years, so there should be no problem with ‘seasoning’.

My question is:  Do I need to continue making 65K monthly international transfers into my Thai bank account until my next renewal is due, or can I reduce this amount now and just rely upon 800K (plus) when I do my next renewal?

I appreciate that each Immigration Office (and possibly individual officers) will have its own interpretation of how such a change can be achieved, but I would welcome any guidance/experience from AN members who have recently gone through this transition.

Looking back at this thread, I see that a couple of members have suggested that the airline check-in staff may well have ‘tipped off’ immigration.

Personally, I very much doubt it as the check-in staff neither have the time to sift through the passport looking at each visa stamp, or the training to be able to identify if the passenger is on overstay.

That said, when checking in an international passenger the airline’s computer system will advise the check-in staff if a visa is required by the passenger for their destination country and the check-in staff must check that the passenger has the necessary visa.  Failure to ensure that the passenger has the necessary visa will result in the passenger being refused entry by the destination country and the airline being fined and having to bear the cost of returning the passenger to their original point of departure.

So how did immigration know that the individual was on overstay?

When the international passenger checked-in, his/her biographical details (Name; DoB; Passport No; etc) will have been entered into the airlines computer system.  The airlines computer system automatically feeds the passenger’s biographical data into the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). 

The APIS sends the international passenger’s biographical data to the destination country where various agencies such as police and immigration will determine if the passenger should be allowed to travel to their country.  The APIS will subsequently send the airline a code indicating that the passenger can board the flight or a code which tells the airline not to board the passenger.  The system does not give the airline a reason for a do not board instruction.

As well as sending the international passenger’s biographical data to the destination country, the APIS also send the passengers biographical data to the departing country’s police/immigration etc so that they can check if the person is wanted for any reason.

I suspect that some bright ‘student’ has recently written a simple query programme that allows immigration to check the visa type and issue date and determine if that the passenger is on overstay.  It is possible that some form of alert is sent to the airport immigration office.

A quick look at the CCTV of the airline's check-in counters and route to the departure entrance will easily identify the individual who will be stopped prior to getting to immigration departure desk.

At present the reports indicate that this has only happened at Phuket, I suspect, however, that if this is successful as it has been in a couple of reported instances immigration may well introduce this facility at other international departure airports.  Watch this space.   So overstayers may well face being picked up at the airport prior to getting anywhere near to immigration and paying their fine in the future.

11 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

One website I looked at states that 24 panels rated at 415w will produce 9.96kw - an easy enough calculation.  Real world there will be some loss and those figures are optimal right?

 

Your assumption that in the real world there will be some loss is correct.  In fact, the losses can be as high as 25%.  So this is something that you need to bear in mind when doing your calculation with respect to the number of panels that you need.

My system is small compared to what you are considering, but it can illustrate real world loss. 

My system comprises 4 x 415W monocrystalline half cut panels mounted on my carport roof, which is inclined at approximately 15^o and facing due South, which in theory is an ideal installation that should be capable of producing 1.66kW.

Below is a graph taken from my solar system monitoring facility yesterday.

As you will see at 12:20pm the system was producing a max of 1.33kW.  At that point in time, it was reasonably sunny, so the sunlight should hitting the panels almost perpendicular.  That said 1.33kW which is approximately 20% below what the panels in theory should be capable of producing.

FYI… The sudden drop in output was cause by horrible grey fluffy stuff floating by.  The big drop in output around 3pm was caused by heavy rain/thunderstorm which continued to around 6pm.

So what causes this loss?

All solar panels are rated under laboratory conditions.  Basically, this is with a constant known light source which is directed perpendicular to the photovoltaic cell, at a constant ambient temperature of 25^o C.

Firstly, this means that if the sunlight is at an angle less/more than perpendicular to the solar panel there is going to be loss in output.  This can be seen from my graph above as the sun rises to its highest point around noon.

Secondly, the biggest culprit is going to be heat.  As you are aware the average ambient daytime temperature here in Thailand is around 32^o C.  Hence for every degree above the laboratory test temperature of 25^o C the panel will lose a given percentage of its efficiency.  The panel spec provided by the manufacturer/supplier will indicate % efficiency loss per degree above 25^o C.

Although the average daytime ambient temperature is around 32^o C, the panels will in fact get considerably hotter due to heat radiation from the sun.  I appreciate its not the most scientific illustration, but the photo below shows the temperature of my panels at noon on a good sunny day.  They were hot to say the least.

Hence, from the above photo it will be seen that the panels at that point in time were 38^o C above the laboratory test condition, which would results in 38 x % decrease in the panel’s efficiency, which would not be insignificant.

Thirdly, albeit a minor one, dust, dirt, bird droppings, leaves  and clouds etc will also contribute to a loss in the panel’s efficiency.  Below is a photo of the dust/dirt on my panels.  In fairness, I live in an area where there are a number of factories who tend to emit pollution, so cleaning on a regular basis helps maintain best possible performance.

So, I would suggest that using the illustration which you used, e.g., 24 panels at 415W = 9.96kW is more than likely to only produce around 7.47kW on a good sunny day at noon and you may need to consider increasing the number of panels or going for large output panels e.g. 450W.  Hence, 24 panels at 450W will give a theoretical output of almost 13kW, which assuming a 25% loss will give you a more realistic output of 9.7kW.

I hope this helps, and good luck with your proposed project

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Air Force Calls Up Reservists, THAI Pilots In Starting Evacuation Flights Tonight
by TNR Staff 

 

Thai air force’s Airbus A340 taking off and flying high. Photo: Thai Rath

 

THE THAI air force has summoned reservists with experience in flying Airbus A340 aircraft as well as roped in Thai Airways International pilots with similar experience in preparing to launch flights to evacuate Thais from Israel starting tonight (Oct. 14)

Well there's at least one ex-Thai Airways pilot who has lots of experience flying this particular model of A340 between BKK - MUC - BKK on a regular basis who should be first in line to volunteer for this mission.

46 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

They have one million sim cards to hand out "to all foreign visitors landing in Thailand" over a period of nearly six months. Are they aware that well over one million foreign visitors land in the country every month?

 

Edit: they actually said the distribution will go on until 2027 - so I think they'll need at least a hundred million extra cards...

 

Simple.... They (TAT) forgot to mention one very important thing.... In order to get their 'free' SIM card the tourist will have to hand over their passport, sign copies of their biographical page and visa, list where they will be staying (modified TM47) and then provide details of their bank account so that AIS can automatically charge them for any excess calls/data used.

So who in the right mind will accept this so called free handout?  Hence the sceptically low numbers of SIMS they have.

What's that old saying?  If I remember correctly it goes something like "Nothing in this world is free".

3 minutes ago, TimeMachine said:

From what I read people are just hooking up and letting the meter spin backwards. Eventually a smart meter is put in when the readers of the meters Sus onto things.

If you read the OP's posts, you will see the he spends considerable time away from home every year. 

If it was a simple grid tied system (like mine) and he forgot to activate the No Export facility before leaving home, the next time the meter reader came he/she would see the disc merrily spinning backwards, and most likely the numbers would be in negative region, which most certainly would be picked up back at the office.

That would prompt a visit by a senior PEA official to confirm the meter was spinning backwards.  If the OP was not at home when the official called, the most likely result will be power disconnection until the OP makes contact with the PEA. The PEA will then most likely instal an electronic meter which prevents backwards reading.  They also have the option of taking things further and demand that the system is disconnected and/or impose a fine on the OP to the value of the revenue which they have lost plus interest.

Hence the reason why he is considering having an approved system installed.

 @gejohesch great that you are considering solar.

I note from your comments that you are considering a system that will enable you to feed any surplus power back to the grid and get paid, albeit a pittance, for the privilege of giving your local PEA your surplus power.

In this case, it is most definitely not a DIY project.  If you wish to feedback surplus power into the grid you will need what is called a Very Small Power Producer (VSPP) Licence, which is issued by the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) and allows for up to 10kWp feed-in.

ERC sets the rule/regulations concerning VSPP Licences and these are implemented locally by your MEA/PEA.

I have attached, for your information, a copy of the rules/regulations, which you will find very good bedtime reading if you suffer from insomnia.

The first part of the document mainly covers the contractual agreements between the potential supplier (you) and the MEA/PEA .  The interesting stuff starts at Annex 5 (page 47) which specifically covers the ‘Specification of Materials, Equipment and Solar Rooftop Installation’.  Annex 7 (page 87) covers the requirements of the installer e.g., registration, qualifications, duties etc.

You will see from Annex 5 that they have specifications covering just about everything in the system, from the solar panels, the inverters, the wiring, and the conduit.  They even require that a licenced civil engineer certifies that the roof structure can take the weight of the proposed solar array.

The installer is required to submit a mountain of paperwork e.g., copies of all manufacturer’s certificates to the MEA/PEA when they the apply for a VSPP licence for you.

After reading the above mentions rules/regulations, you will quickly realise the reason why having the system installed by an approved installer can be very expensive.

FYI…. I have also attached the latest PEA Inverter Approved list.  This list the makes and models of inverters that have been tested and meet the regulation requirements.  For an approved solar system, you can only use an inverter that is on the list.

In one of your earlier posts, you asked if you purchased panels, inverter etc to keep the costs down, would an installer instal them?  I think the simple answer is going to be no. 

For one moment put yourself in the installers position.  In a year you order a fair quantity of panels and inverters from various suppliers. No doubt because of quantity, you will get a reasonable discount on the normal price, so this will add to your profit.  Also, what would happen if the expensive inverter which you (customer) purchased failed, or produced magic smoke, when the system was turned on.  Who would be responsible for a replacement?

FYI.... You mentioned the Feed-in rate = 2.2 THB/unit.  Please bear in mind that the so called monthly connection charge for a dual reading meter is very substantial.  Sorry, I can't remember the exact figure, but I think you may get a shock as to the number of units that you will need to feed-into the grid each month just to cover this charge on your bill.

I hope this has been useful in your learning curve.  Best of luck with your proposed project and please keep us updated on developments.

20130918_giz_translation_solar_rooftop.pdf 2023-09-26 Inverter List Updated.pdf

2 hours ago, narkeddiver said:

 

That is the same material that I’m looking at using - it seems like replacing the lights is a good idea, I’ll see f I an get my missus to find out who our local SCB bod is

 

I had a look back at my records for the insulation of the roof.  I found the SCG Home Facilities on the web at https://www.scghome.com/customer-service

The site is in Thai, but if you are using Google it will translate for you.  If you click on the 'Home Products' facility on the top menu bar it will take you to all the services that they offer.  On that page scroll down to the 'Thermal Insulation Installation' box and you will find all the details there including details of contact there contractor.

I found the company, and their contractor, very good.

Hope that helps.

6 hours ago, Crossy said:

Nice result ???? 

 

The options for "do it differently" have improved over the last few years.

 

There are a fair number of on/off grid hybrids now that will happily run as grid-tie with no ESS and export excess energy. When the no-reverse meter comes along add an ESS and re-configure the inverter to not export ???? 

 

EDIT For interest our 10.6kWP hybrid system with 12kWh ESS will pay for itself after about 5.25 years, 1.7 years to go ???? 

If we get there without getting an electronic meter I'll be happy, if we do get an electronic meter I'll have to add more storage which would push payback out to around 7.5 years total ???? 

I think that is certainly something that I may consider.  As you are aware, I'm currently using 4 x 415W solar panels on carport roof.  If required there is ample space to add a further 8 panels.  But then were getting into the realms of parallel connections etc, which is going to be a new learning curve for me.  That said, I love a challenge.

Many thanks for your suggestion.

3 hours ago, bluejets said:

Your assumption about clouds being the source of the current fluctuations is i

As others have pointed out, your 'assertion' is not correct. 

FYI... Yesterday during the time frame illustrated by the graph which I showed above, there were intermittent clouds from late morning through to mid afternoon which blocked the sunlight hitting the panels.  As a result, it could be clearly seen that there were a consistent drops in the current produced by the array as the cloud(s) blocked sunlight hitting the panels and a clear return of current produced once the cloud cleared .

As a further example, take a look at the graph below.  FYI....On the 3rd August (in my location West of BKK) it was a very overcast day. 

On the 3rd, my small scale system only managed to produce a measly 3.79 units all day.  You will notice that at approximately 15:11 hrs the system almost 'closed down'.  This being as a result of a torrential rain/thunder storm which lasted for several hours. 

Using your assertion, the heavy clouds should have had no affect whatsoever on my system's ability to produce electricity and they should have merrily produced power throughout the storm .  I wish.

OK, my small scale system is not in the big boy's league, but the Sofar 2.2kW GTI does seem to give me feedback as to what my 4 x 415W panels, which are connected in series are producing, as can be seen from the graph below which I downloaded from the monitoring facility a few minutes ago.

Obviously the 'big dips' in the current produced by the array is a result of some 'white/grey fluffy stuff floating overhead'.

34 minutes ago, MJCM said:

I checked and I don’t see any possibility to change your email address.

 

2 suggestions

 

1- Do you keep your old email address? If so, then you could maybe do a forward to your new email address 

2- applying again with the new email address.

 

Here another thread about it

 

 

Thanks for your suggestions.  I've read through the link and unfortunately there was no indication that I can change my 90 day email address via my original registration, other that creating a new registration as you suggested.

Without going into details as to the reason why, I find myself needing to change the email address which I have used for online 90 day reporting. 

Has anyone needed to do this?  If so, is it a simple change when doing the next report, or are there likely to be any issues?

Any advice/assistance would be very much appreciated.