heiri007

2 hours ago, Katipo said:

Have you considered the Forester then? It's had a facelift for 2020, and only costs slighty more than the XV. https://www.subaru.asia/th/en/vehicles/forester/

 

They have an eyesight variation for 1.13m THB.

 

Given that it's notably bigger as well, it is the better value proposition, 

That price seems to be without excise tax - see here for the XV, looks like Subaru is publishing lower than real prices... 

1 hour ago, Katipo said:

There was a recent article in Thai comparing the XV vs. the Mazda CX-30 vs. Corolla Cross. 

It went something like this, but I can't find the article sadly:

 

Best handling and driver experience went to XV and Mazda.

Safest Onroad: XV

Nicest Interior: Mazda

Engine performance: Mazda

Offroad and weekend warrior: XV

Fuel Economy: Corolla

Family Vehicle: Toyota (although XV had the most space

 

What surprised me was how often the XV was at the top considering it's age. Of course having full time 4wd and the best ground clearance was always going to be an advantage in in some areas.

 

My own experience driving Subarus in NZ is that they stick to the road like glue and are very reliable. Being Thailand I wouldn't want to live to far from a dealership though. it can make even getting an oil change quite an inconvenient affair.

I will  be looking to see if the face-lift 2021 version is in Thailand when I change my vehicle next year. https://www.subaru.com/2021-crosstrek

Great feedback, thanks.

Point with the current XV Thai models is they lack EyeSight safety system - a real letdown since it's one of the best driver assistant technologies available.

They're currently offering substantial cash discounts at Bangkok showrooms - could it be to make way for the 2021 face-lift, including EyeSight? A Subaru without this tech is a no-go.

Feels like a nice solid ride with a pleasant looks and interior, yet bit of an asthmatic engine.

Can anyone share Subaru XV experience? Fuel economy, reliability, other observations?

2 hours ago, qualtrough said:

Historically the Thai bureaucracy keeps chugging along despite the occasional coup or civil unrest. Having said that, if there is a real upsetting of the current system that could certainly change the situation. Particularly if the person needed to finally sign off on applications is no longer around or too worried about things more important than signing off on new citizenship applications. The latter is a distinct possibility.

Question being, does the office sign? Everything published in the RG needs signing. That's a mountain of paperwork.

If the students' awakening keeps the gov't busy, there will be more and longer naturalization delays. Anyone?

36 minutes ago, saakura said:

It took me about 5yrs after applying (with a ton of documents) to be granted a PR. Then i had to wait a further 5yrs to be eligible to apply for citizenship, which i have done this year, and all going smoothly, may get it in 3-4yrs. So in sum total, about 13yrs. All through this time, i need to be working and paying taxes. So it is not as easy as it sounds, need a huge lot of patience.

Compare your own situation to someone who is married and works for three years? I think that puts PR hodlers in a very unfavorable position. Sounds like getting PR today is even more difficult than Thai ID.

4 minutes ago, saakura said:

To be eligible for citizenship you should have been working and paying taxes for a minimum of 3yrs and additionally, either be married to a Thai citizen, or be holding Permanent Resident status for 5yrs.

Of course, it couldn't be that easy. ???? Still, very basic requirements compared to most nations.

Overall I think it's very generous by Thai authorities to grant citizenships to visa holders. In most parts of the world at least some sort of residency is a basic requirement.

18 minutes ago, newnative said:

     My partner and I looked at the 2008 and the 3008 suvs at the Bangkok Motor Show.  They both looked nice but too early to say about the quality and resale.  Horrible name for the 2008--that's the best they could think of?  "This is my 2008 over here."  "Wow, I didn't realize you were driving a car that old!  Doesn't look too bad for its age."   We thought the Kicks was small, over-priced, and poorly-styled; if you like the weirdly-styled Toyota CR-X or whatever the copycat Honda name is, you'll probably like the Kicks.  Couldn't get into the Toyota booth as it was too crowded.  

Just checked out the Kicks - poor interior, looks and feels cheap. Surprised the car even moved.

Paid Peugeot Sukhumvit a visit. They have nothing to do with the former Peugeot folks here who imported the cars. Now they're assembled in Malaysia - different price levels.

3008 is quite impressive - around year end 2008 is expected in the Thai market. 1.2lt engine, sounds small, yet reviews give it quite some thumbs up. Top model should be around 1.2m here. 3008 base model 1.59m.

Made a test drive with the 3008, easy to get hooked on the comfort and ease of use.

Peugeot have big plans here, but still it's a risky brand for early adopters. Will they have reps upcountry soon? Maintenance costs? Reliability? Also no hybrid options for the foreseeable future.

Also paying Nissan a visit, the Kicks looks as an interesting basic hybrid SUV.

Was looking at hybrid Toyota Cross as well - can't compare especially the interior with the Peugeots. Toyota seems more plasticy, not as refinded.

I'd be interested to learn from your early Toyota Cross adopters how you feel with the car. It's a brand new model, maybe slight teething issues, yet Toyota stands for durability. 

Car doesn't look bulky to me. Everything seems fine, but I prefer to wait for a year or so before ordering.

1 hour ago, chilli42 said:

You can keep the plate for sure.  The wife has done it with her expensive collector plate numbers

Of course she can keep it and hang it on the wall. But keep it on hold and later on register it again with a new car? You'd certainly make my day if this is possible. ????

7 minutes ago, johng said:

The buyer of the old car gets a new number plate in their province,so as far as I understand the process

If you want to keep the old number plate and use it on your new car  you have to transfer from the old car to the new car before selling it to someone else.

Right, and we can all do that in Bangkok.

Yet that leads to the question: After transferring the number from the old car to the new one, the old car has no number. Will the buyer get a temporary number until the new number from his province is issued? 

2 hours ago, johng said:

As far as I know you can't just keep the number plate,   you can transfer the plate to another car  within the same province  so Bangkok to Bangkok or Chaingmai to Chaingmai  but not Bangkok to Chaingmai

You also cannot transfer from Motorcycle to car and visa versa..as per (old) normal  things may be different if you know "someone"  who arranges things for a monetary fee

Thanks much. But I could sell the car to someone in another province? Let's say, my car is registered in Bangkok and I want to transfer the number plate to a new car registered in Bangkok. The buyer of the old car, however, has a registered home address in another province. The buyer is a tourist with a certificate of residency of his own condo.

Dear all, is it possible to keep the no. plate of a sold car without immediately transfering it to another car? Like holding a no. plate without car? Issue arises when selling a car and new one is not ready yet... ????

Anyone?

26 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

Look nice for that age! I think i buy new that kind(wife want). Last 2007 car i had Finland 2009 lol.

Audi A6 Quattro 3.0 had gearbox problem so i get rid of it! Good luck anyway looks good if somebody want little used car!

Honda no Audi! Those Japanese are really worry-free ????

Honda CR-V 2.4 EL. 4*4
Model year 2007
Color metallic
178,000 km

Accident-free

Reliable and everything in perfect working condition

Original and only owner

Special accessories

New: Michelin tires, shock absorbers, fuel injectors, power steering pump, engine seals

Changed oil every 8k km 

Services according to Honda maintenance

Price 325,000 baht

Comes without number plate (will keep the number)

Shoot if you have any questions! Car is in Bangkok Sukhumvit area.

Thanks @david143 and @yankee99 - am flabbergasted. Looks like the easiest naturalization process on the globe then ????. Again, congrats, well deserved, I hope you guys will visit many national parks and enjoy them rubbing your sweet ID under the rangers' eyes and pay local. 

20 hours ago, david143 said:

First applied in March 22 2018
after 1 month interview With NIA
August 10 2018 File sent to MOI
December 17 2019 MOI interview
And Oath will be on 26 Wednesday 2020.
yeah since start process its goes all smooth and quick _ Thanks God

While this is outstanding, it clearly is neither usual nor normal. Also judging from your posting of photos from the interview rounds, you might be very well connected, maybe through family or work privileges. Just interesting to see, in the typical Thai way, how most seem to wait for years and someone fast-tracks. Not raining on your party, yet the inequality is too obvious. ????

You newer candidates seem to be quite lucky since the law was changed and you can apply now without PR. At least something that hopefully continues to work in TH.

On 8/14/2020 at 4:47 PM, BKKBike09 said:

There's another round of interviews taking place next Tuesday 18th. After that likely early September. Apparently they are trying to work through the Covid backlog so will be scheduling interviews at least monthly, if not more frequently.

Would be nice for the candidates if they also work through the oath backlog ☺️

On 7/24/2020 at 8:11 AM, onthemoon said:

Using your old passport in Thailand is not scary, it is not allowed. You can lose your Thai nationality.

 

Condos that foreigners can buy (never mind who sells) are more valuable because of the quota that the buyer needs to adhere to. Never mind the seller's nationality. The only one reason I can imagine not to change the nationality at the land department would be to block other foreigners from buying in your condo building, if quota is a tight question. However, I wouldn't take the risk of losing the Thai nationality over it.

 

Just my 2 cents.

Have you heard of a case of someone losing Thai ID over stuff still registered to the old passport, such as condo, driver's license, insurance contracts, bank account, etc.?

You guys with successful applications make it look like a piece of cake to get the Thai ID. Aren't there any forum members in here whose applications are stuck or lost in bureaucracy?

Would be good news however if at least the naturalization law is transparent and followed to the dot.