Klonko

DLT Banglamung 12/22: passport with 2 copies of front pages and visa page, medical certificate + 1 copy, 2 copies of residence certificate, one copy each of front and back of existing driving licenses. I made my copies with a color laser mfp and they were happy with the copies of my residence certificate from my embassy, so I could keep the original for obtaining the international driving permit.

THB 1435 online service (Switzerland). For me preferable to queueing. For the Thai DL, I used copies from a color laser mfp.

The DLT office in Nong Mai Daeng is the only place in the province to get the international driving permit based on the 5 year Thai driving license. Nobody talked English. However, you can do it without interpreter. I carried with me as per DLT website requirements the original driving licenses, the original passport with copies of the front page and the visa, my embassy's certificate of residence and two recent 2"x2" photos, everything x 2 because of my 2 Thai driving licenses (car and motorcycle). I showed the documents at booth #1 ( check documents) on the 4th floor. I had to persuade the officer that the embassy's certificate of residence is the equivalent to a certificate from immigration (she had to ask a superior). She asked me for a copy of my passport page with the entry stamps. Don't argue, just get a copy at the copy stand in front of the DLT office. She only needed each document once, however she wanted 4 photos. I waited three times until my name was called for the next step. This may be the biggest hurdle if you do not understand your name. Although the international permit allows for entries in all categories in one document, l got two separate permits for car and motorcycle, hence 4 photos required and twice the fee. I got the international permits with 3 years validity (not only 1 year as read elsewhere). Maybe the officer did not want to see me each year. 2 hours and 1'010 Baht. I was told that the l6th and the 1st of each month are less crowded because Thai focus on the lottery results. Does not seem to be the case anymore. Parking was full. "Not on Monday or Friday rule" prevails.

There are two organizations in Switzerland, Dignitas and Exit, both private associations. While Exit is considered reputable but does not serve death tourists, Dignitas also serves death tourists but has been publicly criticized for its policies and motivation.

Assisted dying is taboo in buddhistic Thailand. In case of need, will I still be able to fly back to my home country with its flexible rules? On the positive side, I will be taken care of physically and emotionally much better here, at a fraction of the cost. I will prefer dying here if the suffering is timewise limited

Last month..

No problem to get a 5 year license with Elite visa.

Against day active dengue mosquitos I use an In2Care trap and I hardly see larger mosquitos. Against the small night active mosquitos I have not yet found an effective repellent. Fan helps a bit, but best solution is to find a co-habitant which is more attractive to mosquitos than yourself. Unfortunately I am more attractive than my wife, at least to the mosquitos.

E.g. Italy does not accept Thai licenses without international driving permit, while Switzerland and UK are ok with the Thai license. The validity of my old Swiss license is questionable. . .

I need an "international driving" (permit) based on my 5 year Thai driving licenses. DLT Banglamung told me that I have to go to DLT Chonburi. I am not keen on driving from Sattahip to Chonburi. As per DLT website, you do not need to go personally, but can enclose an "authorise letter with fee stamp 10 bahts". If this means that you can mail the original passport, original driver's licenses and other requested documents, how safe is this to do and what would be the specific address? Would it not be better to have an agent going to DLT Chonburi for me? Do you know a reliable agent performing this service?

If you contemplate buying a Tesla Model 3, check if your driveway works with low ground clearance or if Tesla's Thai version has increased ground clearance. Due to the battery, the bottom is flat. You may have no problems at the front and back, but the middle part may scratch if you cannot cross steeper ledges diagonally. Apart from that 2 mio THB is good value for money.

@Sheryl Thank you. I thought so as well and it confirms one of the advantages of remaining a tourist despite having the main domicile in Thailand. As long as l can reasonably argue that I will take goods back to my secondary domicile abroad upon my next travel, I only need to observe the THB 20'000 limit for goods which are unlikely to be taken back, such as kitchenware or household fixtures.

As per customs.go.th, I am allowed to carry personal belongings for personal use in reasonable quantity worth no more than THB 20'000 duty free. Literally this would mean that I had to pay duty re-entering Thailand just wearing my watch or for any gifts regardless of their value, and that most arriving passengers had to go through the"Goods to Declare" channel. I assume that the Thai duty exemption threshold in fact applies to gifts and newly acquired goods as resident and that other personal belongings are not restricted, as it is the case in other countries, or is their any experience to the contrary? Am I a resident or tourist for Thai Customs with an Elite visa when l spend 4-5 months abroad each year?

From your experience, do all hotels or banks accept photocopies? I still reluctantly carry my passport while traveling in LOS.

Better see the reviews from Björn Nyland on Youtube. My average range on my 2600 km road trip with the Ora was 80% of NEDC-range.

On the one hand, these questions have been addressed in many posts, on the other hand, I understand people not willing to read through two threads with 40 pages of posts. It is also not easy for them to decide which thread is more relevant to them, "Electrical Vehicles in Thailand" or "EV Owners - Real life experience", and they need some luck to find relevant posts with a Google search. I did a 2600 km road trip in Thailand lately and charging was not a big issue. However, a backcountry road trip through the North East or West of Thailand would still need to be carefully planned. The same is true for other parts of the world, if you travel longer distances off the beaten path. E.g. I can not yet replicate a past motorcycle trip in Scotland (including Hebrides and Orkney) relying on public DC chargers.

It is probably not the problem of GWM drivers to adapt to one pedal drive but the faulty implementation by GWM, at least in my Ora GoodCat Ultra 500. I have to switch it on not only when starting the car, but every time after adaptive cruise control has been activated. Further, it is not smooth enough for parking. In comparison, the one pedal drive in my Tesla M3 works perfectly. On the other hand, phantom braking very rarely occurs, if any, with the Ora, but happens occasionally with the Tesla.

Spare wheel + tools mean 25 kg dead weight and lost space for the 150'000 km until you statisticaly experience a flat tire. IMHO a tire repair set is sufficient if you drive on paved roads. A spare wheel provides emotional comfort because flat tire and dead battery are the (only) car breakdowns which most people can repair themselves on the road, especially with today's car electronics. P.s. My last flat car tire was 46 years ago.

We just returned from a 2600 km road trip and 90% of roads were very good. It very much depends on the province, possibly with a negative correlation to corruption.

Reading the stories linked above, it appears that our GoodCat, delivered last month, has neither the Intel 4 nor the Qualcomm, but a different chip (CarPlay works, but one pedal drive, cruise control, and regeneration settings still have flaws). I would consider trading in my current GoodCat for a new GoodCat when these issues are resolved. My overall satisfaction is still so good that I am not considering another brand.

2600 km road trip with Ora GoodCat Ultra 500 Sattahip - Kabin Buri - Korat - Chaiyaphum - Nam Nao NP - Lam Nam Man NP - Doi Phu Kha NP - Doi Chang (Chiang Rai)- Ping River - Bangkok - Sattahip Trip planned in InRoute app with GoogleMaps and PlugShare. Car navigation with Apple Maps (CarPlay). We do not use the car's navigation system because addresses are often not found, GPS coordinates not accepted, and traffic congestions less considered. We have A/C switched on @ 25-26°C, pre-cool the parked car and keep the 90 kph speed limit. Range 100% charged is ≥ 400km @ ≤ 90 kph, which translates into an efficient 200 km range during long trips (battery between 60% for faster charging and 10% as safety margin). Continuous 120 kph reduce range to 275 km. Once we could trickle charge overnight, else our onboard AC charger indicated grounding errors. Therefore, it is most efficient to DC charge up to 60% after two hours driving, resulting in 35 minutes gross charging time, i.e. after deducting the 15 minutes regular break after two hours driving, charging takes 20 minutes extra. DC charging costs were THB 121 per 100 km. Slow DC charging and Thai only navigation and voice commands were known to me upon purchasing the car. The slow DC charging is mitigated because most DC chargers in Thailand are limited to 50-60 kW. Positive surprises were how well the adaptive cruise control and lane assistance worked in curves, smoother than in the Tesla, albeit at cautious speeds. Negative surprises were the very harsh one pedal drive when driving away and stopping, the harsh adaptive cruise control in stop and go traffic, the inability of the adaptive cruise control to scope with larger speed differentials, and the lack of regeneration braking while adaptive cruise control is active. The GUI has room for improvement. But overall, it is a car with a comfortable and enjoyable ride, decent range and good value for the price. I like its exterior and interior design. Our road trip was very much sabay. My priorities for improving my BEV experience in Thailand are: 1st: one pedal and adaptive cruise control to be smooth also at low speeds, adaptive cruise control working at any speed differential, and regeneration braking while cruise control is active. 2nd: car navigation with improved traffic routing and accepting GPS coordinates or locations sent from navigation apps. 3rd: flood resistance > 30 cm water depth. 4th: both the car and the DC chargers to charge @ >100 kW. 5th: car with 500 km real range. Ease of driving is more important to me than faster charging and more range. Usually we charge at home. For our one or two road trips and a few longer one day or overnight drives per year, charging on the road is no problem.

Are the chargers at MG dealerships for MG cars only or also for other car brands?

We have now installed a good quality 80% tinted foil on the tinted sunroof glass and it makes a noticeable difference, though the temperature beneath the sunroof is still warmer. Unfortunately, deselecting the sunroof as option was not possible.

Thank you. Looks like condo only. I thought so. Dreams do not come true (using LTR for direct ownership of property, which could give me more flexibility in the long run).

As long as there are enough people booking with an airline which does not refund canceled flights, there is no reason to pay old debt. I congratulate Thai Airways on saving THB 50k with me. I spent a multiple thereof this year with another carrier.