MangoKorat

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=we+are+considerably+richer+than+you&sca_esv=579117266&sxsrf=AM9HkKm5uKnD5frzK-JAQqB8hx6a-heIlQ%3A1699008165367&source=hp&ei=pc5EZfnoE4SWgQbE4ICIAQ&iflsig=AO6bgOgAAAAAZUTctWDzzMgFC54zyqU1Fki_8fWIdzX3&oq=We+are+cons&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IgtXZSBhcmUgY29ucyoCCAAyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAESJczUABYhRtwAHgAkAEAmAG2AaAB6QmqAQMzLji4AQHIAQD4AQHCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICCxAuGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEAAYigUYsQMYgwHCAhEQLhiABBixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICEBAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGEYYgALCAgsQLhiABBjHARjRA8ICERAuGIoFGLEDGIMBGMcBGNEDwgITEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QMYCsICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgIIEC4YgAQY1ALCAgUQLhiABMICERAuGIoFGLEDGIMBGMcBGK8BwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEY1ALCAggQABiABBixA8ICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8B&sclient=gws-wiz#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:665826ce,vid:U8Kum8OUTuk,st:0

Thanks for that info. I'm guessing that the people who gave the information actually live in Thailand? - otherwise they wouldn't be using a visa run outfit. So there is a possibility that they may not have pressed the consulate staff on the Thai bank account as they most likely have one, therefore not a problem. If its true, it could be a big problem for those who are using the visa correctly, some of whom I know, don't have Thai bank accounts. Its not an official requirement for that type of visa - how could it be? You are supposed to be visiting your wife, not living with her and officially, a non resident cannot hold a Thai bank account. I'll wait for them to answer my e-mail but on the basis that the information you've been given is correct - the consulate is well out of order.

Done the same myself to an outbuilding but if I'm building a new house from scratch, I'll use the correct cable. Considering the total cost of the build, its not worth the saving. I also have to find out if 3 phase is available nearby - doubtful as that will affect things, including the underground cable. As I said in a previous post, I will be installing a car lift. They are available in single phase but there's far more availability in 3 phase. Pretty sure I'll end up with single phase though.

Just looked up NYY cable. I wouldn't use that for an underground supply cable. The UK regs specify armoured for underground work, I'd take a stab that the Thai regs do too @Crossy??? The annoying thing is I have about 30m of twin core armoured here + 50m of 3 phase cable. I've brought a lot of stuff into Thailand before but the weight of that cable is way too much.

NYY Cable? I take it you mean armoured? I know its expensive but my house (consumer unit) will be no further than 20 - 25m from the lane at the rear so not mega bucks. Although the PEA's cable doesn't come as far as my site at the moment, they will most almost certainly continue their current cable - nearest pole is currently around 100m away. I just hope they don't start talking about transformers or I may have to be totally off grid.

Obviously not but see my edit above. I know the PEA guy quite well now and have his phone number. He's agreed to draw up a wiring diagram for me and check it over once done. That was not including the solar system though - I was hoping to get that info here. When I say. that would be me - in no way am I any sort of electrician but I'm a reasonable labourer and can follow a drawing. Correction, I'm actually a grade 1 electrician thinking about some of the electrical work I've seen in Thailand.

That would be me 😁. The PEA are quite funny actually. One time, after telling them I would be out of the country for 10 weeks, they took my meter away for none payment - believe it or not whilst I was in their office paying the bill!! (I'd only been in the country for 3 hours!! When I got back and found it gone, I called them, they said that's what they do when people don't pay their bill - they'd send their guy out very quickly as they accepted that I'd told them I was going to be away but as it was afternoon, he wouldn't be able to come until first thing the next day. I wanted to go out that night and didn't even have any water with no electric (pump). I cobbled together some insulation and a pair of mole grips and 'reconnected' myself - jumping the wires with a few pieces of 4.0mm cable I had laying around. I planned on getting up very early the next day and removing my illegal connection. Who was I kidding,? Away for 10 weeks living like a hermit, going out on the town and expecting to be up early???? When I woke up around 10am with a severe headache, I found my 4.0mm cable and mole grips next to the gate and my meter in its correct place!!! Nothing was ever said. My Thai isn't good enough to know exactly but when they came out at a later date to attend to a fault when I was at home - the same guy who re-fitted the meter was either there or the story had gone around the PEA office. This guy kept saying something that I couldn't work out but he'd taken a pair of mole grips out of his box and was pointing at the meter, making twisting movements with his grips and laughing.😁

The figure that I had in mind was £10,000 at the outset - 440,000 baht at current exchange rates. Sounds like I can get the system I'm looking for within that budget. The battery issue is going to take some deciding on though.

No problem then, I had assumed that they were the same as the UK - responsible up to the meter. That explains why I had to pay for some cable + fitting when my current house was upgraded. My supply is at the other side of the road and they said the cable from the meter to the house would need upgrading. PEA guy did it as a moonlight. I wasn't there at the time.

The insurers acted properly - the girl was a minor. Not a hope of going after the insurers.

The money might not be an issue for most folks - especially if they will accept the income method. The issue for some may be - if they require it to be in a Thai bank account.

Noted but with the layout of the buildings I'm planning, that wouldn't be possible. I'll give it some thought though. Oh and one related question - the PEA just love their overhead wires. I on the other hand hate them. Does anyone know if they'll bring their supply on to site underground if I dig the trench and put a conduit in?

I will be installing solar whatever, I'm aiming for a 10kw system but I want to but quality equipment so if the cost of that is above what I want to spend at the moment, I'll add to it later. That said, I really hope I can install a full 10kw system form the start. I've learned in other fields though, that the most expensive isn't necessarily the best quailty - some companies live off their names Some suggestions say 2 x 5kw inverters may be better so at least some power is available should one fail but doesn't that work out more expensive - I intend having a grid connection so should always have power available. I'd like to start costing - any recommendations on brand for the main components - batteries, panels and inverter? Also, I understand that batteries may lose some of their efficiency over time - how about panels, does their production fade with time. I'm also not so keen on changing my house design and build it with a single pitch roof in order to accomodate enough panels. I'm going to be pushing it though - especially with allowing space to access the panels for maintenance/cleaning. The total roof area (South facing) is likely to be 75 sqm, I can enlarge that a little but some of that will be lost through allowing accces. However, I think I can reduce that loss by fitting the panels to a hinged subframe so they can be raised vertically - allowing access to the row behind once raised. On the basis that you understand what I mean by that - any reasons why I can't do it? Obvioulsy I'd fit panels with their wiring at the hinged end to minimise movement of the wiring.

The problem is, this new requirement for 400k baht in the bank is actually the same as the requirement for a 12 month extension of stay (marriage) - it bears no resemblence to that (stated to be) required either now or in the past by those embassies/consulates that offered MENO's. The cynical side of me thinks that Thai Immigration have realised that some people are using MENO's to in effect live in Thailand without having to show 400k in the bank for an extension, and have therefore made it a requirement for a MENO. The amount required is out of kilter with the stay provided by a MENO (90 days per entry) compared to that of an extension (12 months). For an extension the money has to be in a Thai bank account and seasoned for I believe, 2 months. At the moment they don't seem to be requiring the seasoning but it remains to be seen whether or not they want it to be in a Thai bank account. If they do, that would also be out of order because as I've said before - technically someone who is not resident in Thailand is not eligible for a Thai bank account. I know many have one but I suspect that quite a lot of people who are using MENO's as they are intended - i.e. to visit their wife rather than live in Thailand, will not actually have a Thai account. Hopefully they will accept proof of funds in a foreign account but I'm still awaiting a reply on the subject from Savannakhet.

Come off it - a hell of a lot of venues are open way past 2am already (provided they pay their monthly dues). I haven't been for a while - not even sure if its still open but I would regularly leave Climax on Sukhhumvit Soi 11 well after 3am and some of the clubs further up that soi were still going full pelt. Similar used to be the case with several clubs in Pattaya - Lucifers for one. Agree with you on the police point though but are you sure you want to include the word 'work' in that sentence? Spicy in Bangkok always used to be open until 6am and didn't even get lively until after 2.

How about a foreigner with a Thai ID card?

Fortunately I'm not doing it for payback per se. I'm going to install solar for environemental reasons and in order that I can have aircon on whenever I want it without massive electric bills - which also would hopefully contribute to reducing my overall carbon footprint. I will also be doing most of the work myself.

Well, a lot to take in and no doubt a lot more to come but one thing I'm learning is that my solar energy system is going to cost a lot more than I thought. So far it seems that with batteries, you either pay a large fortune for ones that will last 'forever' or you pay a small fortune for ones that will need replacing in 10 years. I wonder if people take account of battery replacement when working out their 'payback period' for their solar? I've talked to a couple of electric car owners and seen a lot of promotional blurb about them plus the general discussion on TV/in the media over the last few years. The one thing that's never mentioned is battery replacement. I believe that battery packs start at around £5000 (220,000 baht). I've also heard of people in the UK having to replace batteries at around 5 years old. Some car manufacturers offer 8 or 10 year warranties on their batteries but I'd like to see the terms and conditions on such warranties. All I know for sure is that I read an article either last year or early this year where a guy's car batteries had given up at just over 5 years old and he was looking at a bill of £6000 to replace them. There's a strong possibility that many electric cars will be worthless when they need their batteries replacing. Thinking about it, for those that have 8 or 10 year warranties - the situation will be worse. How much would you want to pay for a 10 year old car that needs a new battery pack? Do owners take account of this when calculating payback? Clearly this also has a bearing on the total 'birth to death' carbon footprint of an electric car. Surely the same applies to a home solar energy system?

Don't get me going on that........we should be building hundreds of nuclear power stations now!!

Can I ask, was the subject of the money being in a foreign (non Thai) bank account discussed? I'm just trying to find out if they are wanting the money to be in a Thai account. If they are, they are out of order given the visa type.

Please remember I'm a newcomer to solar. ESS, LFP, DOD??????????

@Bandersnatch Thanks very much for your input. Sorry that I haven't made much of a comment yet - I wanted to look at your blog first and I'm about halfway through that. Very interesting so far. I doubt I'm as committed so probably won't go as far you have but there's a lot of ideas in your build that can easily be incorporated into a 'standard' build with little/no cost. Thanks again.

Threaten them with court. There's a lawyer that regularly posts on here who took an immigration office to court and won - twice! Yes, they'll make life difficult for you in the future - but if you know your application is sound, threaten them with court again. Based on the experience of a friend when he applied for an extension at my local immigration office, I'm very likely to have problems with a future application. I can assure you that I will not put up with any mucking about if they try it, I've discussed it with my lawyer (not the same as mentioned above) and they look forward to it. I don't listen to all the 'farang always loses' stuff. I took a major Thai hospital group to court once - they'd messed me about for over a year - refusing to settle a claim and ignoring letters, they settled before the court date. I was also told that I had no chance of getting my car back from my ex wife who in effect, stole it (put it in her name without me knowing) - a court summons and she returned the car before the date. If you know you're in the right - stick to your guns.

Jeez, these battery costs are frightening: Take a look at the information in the link below: https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/solar-panels/the-best-storage-batteries I need to know that I'm understanding things correctly, for example, my understanding of the spec of the 'best buy' Tesla battery recommended is that I would actually need 2 of them to provide 10kw of power usage?? The batteries are rated at 13.5KWh but the maximum power is stated as 5kw. The information on the website states that 'most homes should function just fine with a single unit' (Tesla battery) yet the consensus here and elsewhere seems to be that an average home will need 10kw...............no wonder I get confused. At £7450 (328,000 baht) for one Tesla battery - without the 'Tesla Gateway' @ £1480 (65,000 baht), I don't think I'll be using them 😁.

So Patman30 is recommending NIFE batteries - yet a quick search on these seems to suggest they are pretty old tech. The attractive part for me is that they last over 30 years. However, a quick Google on NIFE batteries seems to rule them out: https://www.rpc.com.au/solar-news/disadvantages-of-nickel-iron-batteries.html Thoughts anyone?