MangoKorat

52 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

So, with zero running costs and no maintainance costs (yet) I get 200L of hot water daily. Been like that for ten years or more now.

Yes, someone posted on those but would it provide 3 showers at 6am without running cold? If so its a far better option than my Heat Pump.

On the subject of power usage

At my current Thai property I use an Air Source Heat Pump to provide hot water - I insist on hot water. I was very happy with its performance but soon after installing it I realised that it was not as economical as I'd thought because the system was heating up a tank containing 200L of water - a shower uses what? 40 to 50L??  However, I can see a situation at the new house where several showers will be taken in the morning at similar times and before the sun does its job.  I've had some of the smaller electric showers in the past and as soon as you increase the flow, the water is barely luke warm. If I was to install them now I would go for a minimum of 7.5kw.

So it could be that an Air Source Heat Pump would reduce demand at particular times.  They're not cheap but they are nowhere near as expensive in Thailand as they are in the UK.  I bought mine from a mate who owned a factory in Chonburi that put them together and it cost 50,000. He's retired now but I think he can still obatin them.  Is that worth considering or is it better to let the grid top up at high demand times when the batteries are low? Or then again, would it be better to spend the cash on more storage?

Thanks for that Crossy, I've been mulling over your suggestion regarding ground mounted panels or mounting them on low roofs. I had as I said previously, dismissed it as my outbuildings will be at the rear of the house - North.  However, what we are essentially building is a farmhouse and although I really don't want to create a farmyard, madam keeps banging on about her 'tractor house'.  I'm thinking I could accommodate that with a car port type, open fronted single pitch roofed building in line with the house to the west of it - roof South facing. I guess its only fair to let her have a little win and if that solves the solar location problem, so be it. I can easily screen it 😁.  This would probably be either very close to the house or joined to it so there shouldn't be too much of a problem with voltage drop, if that's a problem?

From my days in project management I always started with a set of qoutes, presented them to the client and then worked on shaving 10 to 15% off them if possible without compromising on quality.  There's nothing better than earning 'brownie points' towards your bonus from a client who sees you've just reduced his costs significantly.  However, in this case I'm both project manager and client and I have no experience and therefore no idea on what this system will cost.

As I said, I had a wild guess on 300k initially and without looking back, I believe one member put together a 10kw system for that amount.  Time has moved on and I believe what I'm planning could well be more expensive than that but I would like to put a cap on the spend in order that I can budget for the other major spends - the uPVC doors and windows and kitchen cost me close to 500k at my current house and that was in 2018. One thing I learned when re-fitting/altering my current house is that Western style fittings are far more expensive in Thailand than they are in the West. The kitchen for example would have been at least 50k less in the UK.

However, it appears that the opposite may be true when it comes to solar systems - Growatt Inverters are around 25% cheaper in Thailand than they are in the UK. Is it realistic to be able to put a decent quality system together with LFP batteries for 500k or less?

Amendment/correction to the above - with a little tweaking + I had not allowed for the fact that the roof will oversail the building's dimensions, I can probably make 70sq m available on a single south facing pitch of the roof whilst still allowing walkways for maintenance.

4 hours ago, Kenny202 said:

She became a hooker as a coping mechanism for her broken heart

Where did she say she became a hooker?

12 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

That should knacker the soil after a couple of years!

To say nothing of the damage caused by the run off.

After reading Crossy's excellent guide to the different types of system in depth, I've come to the conclusion that like him, I'll be going for an On Grid Hybrid system. That type is clearly going to cost me more but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

It is very difficult for me to do an energy audit as quite rightly, many have suggested as when I build the house I'm planning, my circumstances will change quite a lot.  I can't even consider that with any accuracy at my current Thai home as I don't live in Thailand full time yet and my useage varies greatly.  Keeping in mind that one of my main considerations was that I would like to have my aircon on whenever I wish, I can only guess that a 10kw system will take care of my requirements. 

However, it seems there is more to it than just guessing how many kw I need - I need to decide on how panels and batteries will be required and that's where I am stuck and my lack of knowledge comes to the forefront.

I'm aware that I will need a minimum number of panels to achieve the output that I require but if I understand correctly, I can have as many panels as I wish/have space for?  I also guess that having more panels than the bare minimum will assist in providing the power I am hoping for when the sun is not at its best?

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?

Crossy has advised that I locate the panels on the ground or on a low building.  That would require a complete change of the building/layout design which is problematic. As its a new build, I'm pretty sure that I can 'design in' access to the roof without too much trouble.  Allowing for space for access/maintenance, I should have around 50 sq m available for panels. If that's not enough, I could locate additional panels over my septic tank area. Are there any problems with having panels in 2 locations?

Regarding batteries, again there must surely be a minimum amount but if I have more than the minimum, I have more storage so will be able to have more power for longer.....correct?

Is there a maximum amount of batteries or an amount where charging them all takes so long that it is not viable?

I may not be able to provide a proper 'energy audit' but I can have a 'best guess' at the amount of power I will need and when I'm likely to need it - if I do that would somebody be prepared to advise me on the amount of panels/batteries that would be best suited to my needs?

It would be nice to think I could run all the time using only solar but as I will have a grid connection, its a goal not a necessity.

Of course, the over-riding factor is, how much I'm prepared to spend on this system. I had originally thought I could do it for 300k but I get the feeling 500k may be closer to the mark. I don't think I'd be prepared to go over that figure - given that my original reason for going solar was being able to have aircon on whenever I want without worrying about high electric bills and the additional environmental impact.

On 11/5/2023 at 1:19 PM, Gottfrid said:

We have tried? So far it´s only 3-4 that have tried, which do not stand for the forum. It just stand for that 3-4 members are as eager as me to be right.

Have you considered that some people read what you write and just ignore your arrogance without comment  - simply seeing it for what it is?

6 hours ago, vinny41 said:

 

Ken McMeikan, chief executive of Moto Hospitality, which operates motorway service stations across the UK, said the lack of power capacity for charge points is a "major problem" facing the electric vehicle industry.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/electric-car-owners-issued-dire-warning-by-motorway-services-boss-091522987.html?

 

EV drivers are turning up to motorway services at four of our locations and there are chargers sitting there but no power."

 

Yes, there has been quite a lot of debates about this recently I saw an interview on TV with the Moto boss you refer to in which he stated just the same.

The UK government likes to claim there is no problem and gives details of just how much power is available in the UK's grid which on the face of it seems to be sufficient - for now.  They are politicians trying to stay in government and to be fair to them, they have been left with promises made by Boris Johnson - not someone known for checking whether his promises are attainable or not.  Remember his 'Oven Ready' Brexit deal?  That deal is not actually done yet - think Northern Ireland.

However, in 'off the record' discussions with officials from the grid, they state 2 important things:

1.  The projected amount of power available within the grid was based on details given to them by the government.

2. There may be sufficient total power available to meet those projections/targets but it is not necessarily in the right place.  For example, a lot of power was previously used to supply former industrial sites that are now closed - think mines and heavy industry. Those sites may not be reasonably useable/accessable in relation to charging EV's

Getting it to the right place will undoubtabely lead to major disruption to the UK's roads.  One official rightly pointed out that when they were asked for details of power availability by the government, they were only given town/city/region names - not precise locations.  They know full well that to upgrade many areas dedicated to housing for example, will require major new underground cabling but without specifics being given by the government, they could only provide a general reply by town/city/region.

When pressed, the same officials admitted that at the time they were asked to provide supply details, no consideration was given to the requirements of forthcoming industrial change - in particular the 'tech' industry and the massive amounts of power required to power 'The Cloud' which is now taking up locations in the UK.

Could this be one of the reasons why the current UK government is starting to talk about going back to 2035 as the target date for all new cars to be electric rather than 2030?

11 minutes ago, Karma80 said:

When you put it into perspective, taking money out of an ATM with an overseas card, in a sea of millions of tourists, is not even on the RD radar this century.

Something I had already considered.  It would all depend of course on whether or not there it works out cheaper after charges etc. but transfer companies such as WISE offer the option of a Baht account with a card that they state, can be used in most Thai ATM's.

However, many people have to show an amount of income in order to either obtain a visa or an extension of stay.  It would be difficult to state your income is 65,000 for extension purposes then deny you have an income to the Tax Authority.

5 minutes ago, VBF said:

Has anyone considered that the originator of the linked article is  "A former chairman of Baker McKenzie, an international law firm with offices in Thailand and a member of the National Reform Council"

He's not a member of government and the article actually states:  "New regulation changes an interpretation which disregards when money was earned abroad and taxes all income if not already taxed by treaty countries"

 

So a little early to be worrying as if it was an actual change in the law?

He is quoting a law that is due to be introduced next year.

2 minutes ago, quake said:

The silence from the real-estate companies is deafening.

Maybe it hasn't sunk in with them yet?

8 hours ago, Dan O said:

That tax consultant is wrong in his reading it. Read your country's DTA for yourself as most all exclude govt pensions from taxation outside the issuing country. 

Thanks, I'll certainly check that out.  I'll be very happy to be wrong on this.

3 minutes ago, Brickleberry said:

 

You can also avoid paying tax legally in the UK, if you are not British: Non-Domicile status allows the person to only pay tax on income earned in the UK. If all of your income is derived from overseas, you pay nothing. Isn't this the way Thailand should do it? You only pay taxes on money earned in Thailand. 

We will have to wait and see. Hopefully they'll realise that rather than provide additional income for Thailand, these changes are very likely to see a huge loss.

4 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

You are correct, I  don't know how low  UK state pensions are, but I have calculated that people transferring the IO required minimum of 65000 a month would end up paying something like 3000 a month. That's about one beer less a day, quite healthy isn't? And considering that the price of a beer is mostly tax, the government won't get any richer  either.

The current UK basic state pension is just under £204 per week. Many will receive more than that depending on their contributions but some will also receive less as their pension amount is frozen if they move to live in Thailand.  Roughly, £204 per week = 38,896 baht per month (208x52 = 10608 divided by 12 months = £884 X 44 baht = 38,896).  The UK tax threshold is currently £12,570 per annum.

3 hours ago, Hardcastle P said:

Are pension incomes taxed in Thailand 

No idea, I would guess that it depends on how much they are.  They are certainly taxed in many countries if they are over that country's tax threshold.

2 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

and if I've paid more tax than would be due in Thailand do I get a tax refund? because with your line of thinking that is how it should work. All your income in the UK is taxed but if your income does not reach the tax threshold the payment is nil. That doesn't mean it was tax-free or exempt it means your liability was nil. So it has been assessed for tax and no payment is due. This does not then make an opportunity for Thailand to assess this income again under Thai rules and make you pay tax because, under the double taxation agreement, they agreed not to subject earnings to tax twice.

As I say, what I posted is my understanding and an article by a tax accountant said the same. I'm not about to try and find that article as it was weeks ago when these new tax rules were first reported. We will have to wait and see how things turn out but I don't agree that pension income such as I mentioned would be subjected to tax twice. If its your sole income and its under the UK threshold it simply will not be assessed and not taxed. Most people won't have been required to submit a UK tax return so income that is under the tax threshold will automatically not have been assessed.

As for getting a tax refund, of course not, for that income to have been taxed in the UK, you would surely need to have been resident in the UK at the time it was received and then UK tax rules would apply with tax being charged accordingly, would it not? If you moved to Thailand during the corresponding tax year, no tax would be due in Thailand - isn't that the very basis of a double taxation agreement?

my understanding

11 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

 

I placed the laugh emoticon - I have trouble imagining how they will ever figure that out!

I presume that you would be firstly required to declare your income under the new laws. You would then not be able to show any tax paid in the UK.  They may possibly accept a letter from the UK Revenue stating that you are not required to pay tax on it. However, an article I read by a 'Tax Accountant' in Thailand suggested that the Double Taxation Agreement between the UK and Thailand did not include such matters and that tax would be payable on pension income that was over the Thai tax threshold.

2 minutes ago, Homburg said:

The way that I would expect this to work is that you compute total Thai taxes due on your gross income, you are then allowed to deduct from that total any taxes already suffered, leaving a net amount payable in Thailand.  Please note that if the taxes paid elsewhere exceed the Thai taxes then no refund is due!

Isn't that the same as what I posted?

7 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You clearly don't see that promoting an illegal business on social media where millions might see it, including the authorities, is just plain dumb. That says a lot about you, I'm afraid.

In your rush to point score you have missed the point. That is exactly what I AM saying - that her immaturity shows by the fact that she is stupid enough to advertise on Twitter.

12 minutes ago, Maestro said:

No visa, not even the non-immigrant visa category B, permits employment, but the permission to stay based on some specific types of visa is a requirement for the application for a work permit.

Possibly but I very much doubt they would print 'Employment Prohibited' on a B visa. Likewise, if someone who holds a MENO based on marriage that had the same 'Employment Prohibited' remark was to apply for a work permit, I suggest questions may be asked and possibly a different visa required.

I would just like to clarify what I state in my post that includes visa pages from my passport - where I say 'one from a time when I didn't have a MENO, that is as shown, a tourist visa.  I included it to show the clear distinction of what is written on a visa where work is not allowed.

Maybe people commenting in this thread should keep one thing in mind.  Think back to when you were 19 - were you an adult? Then consider maturity levels in Thailand - they don't seem to mature as fast as other nationalities.

These girls were just 2 years apart and I think most would agree, likely to be very immature.  I don't see anywhere in the report that suggests the younger girl was taken to the resort forcibly.  It is probable that both girls didn't see an awful lot wrong in what they were doing - possibly through both immaturity and circumstances. The fact that the 'services' were openly advertised on Twitter also suggests a degree of immaturity.

This is not at all the same as some of the stories I've read about girls as young as 12 being kept in rooms in so called 'massage' establishments, run by evil adults who know very well that what they are doing is abhorent. Some of the girls in those circumstances do what they do with the full knowledge of their parents.

Most of us here come from countries that have safety nets (benefit systems). I would suggest that none of us here know what its like to be poor in Thailand. I don't see how anyone can make derogatory comments about this girl unless you've first 'walked a mile in her shoes'. We simply don't know enough about the situation of anyone involved.

I note that nobody has considered that drugs may be involved here.