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Klonko

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Everything posted by Klonko

  1. Ora GoodCat 500 Ultra first impressions Last Friday we collected our Ora GoodCat Ultra 500 from the dealer. We ordered the car in March and could have it delivered in May, but waited while we spent the summer in Europe. Total cost including tinted foils, VCR, window deflectors and wall box was THB 1 Mio. We purchased the car based on specs, Björn Nyland's videos, a short test ride, and in comparison with the Tesla Model 3 AWD Long Range 2020 which I drive in Europe and the Honda City 2015 which had been our car here to date. Other BEV with the same or more range are more expensive and mostly available in 2023 only. The GUI is overloaded. Too many buttons and steps for my taste. Navigation is in Thai only but (1) I am more motivated to improve my Thai skills and (2) I can also use navigation apps with Apple CarPlay. Switching between Apple CarPlay and car menus requires a workaround. Voice commands are in Thai only. Acceleration is good, regeneration braking acceptable. One pedal drive is harsh for parking and driving off and needs to be activated before each drive. I do not yet use it and brake to come to a complete stop. Adaptive cruise control and lane assistance work effectively, except at higher speeds when approaching stopped cars ahead. Apart from that, I consider drive assistants overall as good as in the Tesla. Blind spot detection is good. Lights for night driving would be good but we have tinted windows. Rear window view in heavy rain is acceptable despite the missing rear wiper. AC is working with less draft than in the Honda. It has a heating function for Northern Thailand. The ride is more comfortable than in the Honda. If you are looking for a sporty ride, choose another car. Sound insulation could be better, but overall noise level is lower than the Honda. Seats are comfortable for me (185 cm). Seat memory is not usable because it requires cumbersome account change in the car menu. Not all functionalities as per manual are activated or installed (e.g. seat ventilation) for Thailand. The GWM app includes AC control, battery information, scheduled charging, charging map and booking services. For our two person household without a farm, space is ample. The rear seats have more leg room than the Honda. However, luggage capacity is limited for 4-5 people traveling. We have the two color white/turquoise version. Full white is more practical in hot weather but we did not like its dark interior. If looking for other colors, check with actual cars as the photos are misleading. We have good quality tinted foils and may not need and get rid of the wind deflectors. After AC-charging to 90% over night the first time, the 12V-battery was dead at noon next day. Within an hour, a mechanic showed up at our house, as I did not have a jump starter. I know now that the AC-cable must be unhooked after charging to protect the 12V-battery. I position the GoodCat, which costs 40% of the Tesla's European price, closer to the Tesla than the Honda. The drive feels good and is smoother than in a BMW X1 Hybrid. There are a some operating glitches which must be accustomed to and may require some enthusiasm for a BEV. I am happy with the Ora GoodCat and do not see an alternative for me for the time being. Reporting on range and charging will follow.
  2. (1) 30 year lease not possible if married (at least in Sattahip). (2) Under Swiss law, widow would be (co-) heir to Swiss real estate unless agreed upon otherwise (notarized). Other assets subject to last will.
  3. I will have to renew my 2 year driving licences with 5 year licences and get an international driving license at DLT Banglamung. Previos posts say that you have to book a slot in person i.e. make the trip twice, and booking online or by phone is not possible. Can I obtain the international driving license simultaneously? Do I need an agent in order to make only one trip to DLT Banglamung and not to need a 2nd original residence certificate for the international driving license (I already have one original)? If yes, any recommendations on an agent?
  4. For people having worked in Switzerland, the widow is entitled to pension benefits after ≈5 years marriage. Therefore, my life expectancy will be at least 4 years more. Painless Schengen visa for my wife, and most probably much easier for my wife to get other visas. Hazzle free choice of domicile between Thailand and Switzerland, though this is not a reason in my case. In addition, there are irrational romantic reasons for marriage. Still contemplating which reason has priority.
  5. Correction, the charger is on Plugshare. I forgot to change the vehicle in settings.
  6. As said previosly, BEV road trips require planning in advance, especially in Thailand. On the 333 km between Sattahip and Korat on 331/304, there is one EGAT charger roadside after 200 km near Kabin Buri, which is neither shown on ABRP, Plugshare, Google Maps nor EVAT map. Interestingly it shows on Apple Maps. It is a pity that ABRP is not better usable in Thailand and no single source is showing all available chargers. For road trips on backcountry roads, some detours for charging may be required. But also for ICE vehicles, there may be no fuel for 100 km. We will get our Ora GoodCat next week????
  7. Good watchmakers' authorized service points issue guarantees on larger services and repairs. For some repairs, watches are sent to the factory (may take several months). I don't know if this applies to authorized service points in Thailand as well, but I imagine watchmakers do not purchasers of THB 300k watches let stranded in countries with authorized sales points.
  8. Index Living has different quality levels. Better quality items are superior to IKEA.
  9. Car rental companies usually require credit cards and do not accept prepaid cards.
  10. Good relationships require mutual respect, and gratitude on both sides for taking care of each other. Just providing support and expecting gratitude from the receiving part does not suffice. Taking care goes beyond money.
  11. Rule of thumb: wine retail prices in Thailand = restaurant prices in Europe. I buy wine in the 1000-3000 THB range, but spend less money than my beer drinking buddies, because a bottle lasts 3-4 days maintaining the quality with the Coravin system.
  12. As long as the forum provides useful information and help, I would pay a subscription fee for being ad free. The more ads I see, the less I use the forum. I manage my apps similarly: apps with ads are either purchased or rarely used resp. ultimately deleted.
  13. My experience with progressively monetized forums is that the quality of the posts is decreasing. I read fewer threads than before. Maybe the ultimately remaining audience is a more attractive target group for advertising. Moving this topic to an auxiliary forum will not change the forum operators' dilemma.
  14. If you feel morally obligated to your friend and the beneficiaries really need the money, I would only accept the executor role if all legal heirs and beneficiaries explicitly accept the last will and indemnify you from any claims. Further, you need legal advice in the UK and Thailand for ensuring compliance with respective (tax) laws. Advice for any future last wills: try to keep the assets separated by country, distribute the assets to beneficiaries in the same country, nominate executors for each country and notify your executors while alive.
  15. AFAIK there are no prenups under Thai law for your Thai assets. However, your home country may recognize a prenup or marital agreement for your assets outside of Thailand.
  16. If assets and legal heirs exist in Thailand and abroad, things may get complicated. Possibly, all heirs must agree in writing before bank accounts abroad can be accessed. Planning the execution of your last will is as important as allocating your assets. Even with my legal background, I got specialist advice before drafting my last will.
  17. Update: it is definitely not possible for Thai nationals to add previous vaccinations from abroad in Mor Phrom, and neither to update the Swiss certificate with the Thai booster. Bureaucracy at its best. We have the yellow vaccination booklet with all vaccinations, but some venues in Italy asked for the OCR code last year. Hopefully, there will be no more restrictions anymore in Europe this summer. Worst case, we will get a 4th vaccination in Switzerland.
  18. Thank you. Her Thai booster is recorded in Mor Phrom, but the basic vaccinations from Switzerland are missing. How to add these vaccinations to Mor Phrom? I did not follow up while we got the booster in January because at that time it was still possible to update the Swiss certificate once she would travel to Switzerland.
  19. AFAIK the Morchana app is accepted as Covid Certificate in the EC. How can a Thai person upload Swiss basic vaccination + Thai booster to Morchana? My wife will travel to Switzerland this summer. Switzerland will not update her Swiss Covid Certificate (Swiss basic vaccination) with the Thai booster, because Switzerland does not require a Covid Certificate anymore and does not update Covid Certificates with non-Swiss boosters for non-Swiss nationals anymore. However, for travelling in the EC, my wife may still need a EC compliant Covid Certificate on an app, else she may have to wait outside the restaurant while I am having lunch.
  20. A few smaller stores in Terminal 21.
  21. 55555 A few tourists taking, probably unknowingly, the risk to be forced to spend their vacation at their cost without symptoms in a hospital will not make tourism rebound in Thailand. I fully understood the restrictions as long as Covid infections were brought to Thailand with its low local infection rates. With Omricon, local infections are the driver and accepting triple vaccinated travellers with pre-flight tests but no restrictions in Thailand should not be a real risk driver anymore.
  22. If you are sweating night wear is more hygienic protecting your matresses. Washing underwear at 60°C is also more hygienic.
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