Pib

UPDATE to above post...I succeeded in adding my foreign card: Although the automated responses from my card issuing bank where they said my card is good-to-go now since I confirmed it was indeed me attempting to add my card to the net PTT app I decided to "call" my bank to confirm since PTT rejected my card again...and I didn't even get to the receiving the security code part of the process. I have had these a few times over the years where you respond to the card-issuing bank automated texts/emails asking if it was indeed me or not attempting a transaction and that always cleared things up....the card was indeed good-to-go again. But this time I decided I wanted to call and confirm with my bank since I wanted to try to determine if it was just PTT rejecting the card but making it appear it was my card issuing bank...OR was my card issuing bank indeed causing the issue....the card was really not-good-to-go again. When I called my bank they just asked again if it was me who attempted the transaction and I said Yes. The rep then said she refreshed the card and I can try again. I then talked to the rep about, Does the automated process/replies I gave saying it was indeed me...asked does that automated process really work or not? The rep said Yes it does but sometimes it "takes a little time." Anyway, the rep said I could try again....I said thanks...have a nice day...and ended the call. I then tried adding the card again to the new PTT app and this time I once again got to the prompt to receive the security code....I received the code...entered the code to hopefully complete the PTT card addition process and this time it was a success!!!!---card was accepted and added as a payment option in the PTT app. So, the new PTT app "will" accept foreign cards.

I did try one of my foreign (U.S.) credit cards...a card I had added in another Thai charging network app....but when trying to get it approved in the PTT app it failed. I thought it was going to work because during the process of adding the card I had to receive a security code/one time passcode from my credit card issuing bank just like what happened when adding my Bangkok Bank debit card. I did get that code from my card issuing bank...but after then entering the code to finalize the process the addition of the card as a payment option failed. And then I also got email/text from my card issuing bank saying the transaction had been "declined" as possible fraudulent transaction and also asked to to confirm if it was me attempting the the transaction. I responded with a Yes it was me who attempted the transaction...and then my bank said now good to go and can try the transaction again. I did try to add the card again in the new PTT app but now the PTT app would decline it right up front...not even go thru to process to have a security code sent...said to contact my card issuing bank. I figure what is going on is since the card payment option addition process failed once/the first time that PTT don't even want to try a second time. Maybe others have added a non-Thai credit/debit card in the PTT app with success? Anyway, I'm not going to try any of my other foreign cards...will just go with the one payment option (the Bangkok Bank debit card) which I did get added successfully.

In my above post I mentioned PTT EV Station Pluz responded to my query about no charging stations showing right now in the new app...below is a quote of that response which gives a little more detail on the downtime between the currrent/retiring PTT Pluz app and the new/incoming PTT Pluz app. From 2 Dec at 7pm till next morning/3 Dec at 8am the apps will be doing their handoff and you will not be able to use either app. So, if you were planning on using a PTT charger during above apps switchover dates/times you might want to adjust your plan.

Got an email today regarding the current PTT Station Pluz charging app being retired 2 Dec 2024 at 7pm Thai time and being replaced on 3 Dec 2024 with their "new" app. Below is a google translation of the email and I also added Google Play and Apple Store links to the new app which became available today/26 Nov. You can "now" download/install the new app and have it all setup for 3 Dec when it goes fully operational. I did install from Google Play and got registered OK....I used my foreign passport to register. I also was able to add a payment method....only payment method allowed is via credit/debit card payment just like on the current/being retired PTT Pluz app. I used my Bangkok Bank debit card (Mastercard)....during this payment setup process where "one" baht is debited from my bank acct account to finalize/confirm the payment method. I may try later to see if it will accept a foreign card which supposedly the old app would not...had to be a Thai credit/debit card. Based on memory when I added my debit card over a year ago under the current, soon to be retired app it also made a debit for a few baht and it was refunded about 3 weeks later to my bank account. Anyway, I was able to setup my Profile, payment method, EV to be charged, etc., in the new app. However, currently the new app does "not" show any charging stations. I figured this is probably due to the app not going fully operational till 3 Dec. I sent an email to PTT Pluz customer service about this and they responded about 30 minutes later saying full use of the app to charge "and display of charging stations, booking stations, etc., " would not occur until 3 Dec. So, if you install the app before 3 Dec you can still get everything setup and ready to go but charging stations will not be displayed until 3 Dec. Google Translate Snapshot.

Elon's tax return is probably bigger (i.e., number of pages declaring tax write-off/deduction/credits) than all the tax returns "combined" by all LTR applicants to date. And when the dust settles Elon's tax bill is probably close to zero....pretty much like Donald's....which as you said might not allow him to qualify for an LTR visa.😜 But Elon is not worried....he would just fork out Bt5M in pocket change for an Elite Reserve 20 year visa if he wanted to spend a lot of time in Thailand and have an army of tax CPAs/lawyers ensuring he paid no tax in Thailand.

The LTR website does say 2 years for a Work from Thailand visa but there have been posts of 1 year being enough depending on the nature of the person's finances/employment. Plus, I thought you wanted to try for the Work from Thailand visa by using only 4 months of financial data which wouldn't fly. 1 year's worth will possibly fly depending on the nature of the finances/person's situation, but 2 years is indeed what the BOI says they want to see. Now, if going for a LTR pensioner visa then they will ask for only 1 year of tax returns and since some pensions are not taxed at all or only partially taxed (i.e., not even reported on a tax return) that where other financial docs is critical such as a pension benefit letter/certificate saying you are paid X-amount per month/quarter/year....and just to repeat an amount that may not even be reflected on a tax return depending on tax laws/regulations which vary from country to country. And if you just started a pension(s)/some kind of passive income that takes you over the minimum financial requirement but it could be a year (or more) before a tax return would possibly reflect such then a tax return might not even be required if your pension docs clearly show you just started a the pension like says some type of govt pension that BOI is sure will continue. And a short memo explaining your pensions such as not being taxable/partially taxable, just started, etc., will help prove/show you do meet the required income requirements although a tax return might show you falling a little short.

The Sealion 7 is a bigger and heavier car than the Seal. Sealion 7 Seal

Probably not going to fly because Nov-Dec of previous year thru Jan-Feb of the following year is only 4 months max of financial data; not the required 12 months of data. Proof of income doesn't have to cover the calendar year period of Jan-Dec....it can be any 12 month period like say Oct 2023 thru Sep 2024, etc., but you'll need the financial docs to prove it like for those Jan-Sep months since you will not have an income tax return for those 9 months. This may require you to provide more than 12 months worth of proof like maybe your previous year income tax return "and" part of the current calendar year you are currently in thru the use of bank/brokerage statements, pension statement, etc. Can keep in mind the "type" of LTR visa you are applying for will determine the "type" of income BOI will accept. For example when going for a LTR "Pensioner" visa BOI is looking for unearned/passive income; not income from wages/employment.

If you feel the proof has already been provided then upload it again "with a short memo" which you feel will help explain the proof and/or point out where the proof is stated/provided Although you may feel the proof provided is clear as the nose on your face maybe it's really not that clear to the BOI reviewer and you need to gently & politely resubmit the proof "with memo." Throughout this l....o.....n.....g thread there are many posts where additional proof/docs were requested....the applicant then resubmitted the same proof/doc initially provided....and this time BOI was made happy. So, submit the requested docs/additional proof....if you don't your application will just gather cobwebs in the BOI "awaiting applicant to provide additional docs" box. Good luck...and just the fact BOI is already seriously reviewing your application after on a few days is a good thing. When the LTR program first kicked off several years ago sometimes it would take BOI over a month just to do a "first look" of your application.

Steps 2 and 3 are very basic steps...kinda like knocking on someone's door and then they let you in to sit down and talk. In Step 4 Under Consideration by Relevant Govt Agencies just means BOI (i.e., a govt agency) and other agencies will now review your application. I think BOI does the initial review before they forward it out for other govt agencies to review. How long this govt agencies review really takes will vary from individual to individual....but BOI's "goal" is for all agencies to complete the review within 20 working/business days....which works out to almost a 30 "calendar" days. Be sure to watch your LTR acct closely for changes and possible requests for additional documentation which can stop the 20 working day clock since BOI can't continue the review until they get the additional docs from you. Good luck.

Good article today/18 Nov 2024 in the Bangkok Post about issues affecting EV industry and actually the ICEV industry also such as sluggish sales for various reasons. Reasons such as slow economic growth, high household debt, and an ongoing vehicles price war. An ongoing price war which makes people reluctant to buy a new vehicle right now (i.e., buy/finance this month only to find out next month's promotion significantly lowers the vehicle's price). https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/motoring/2904017/raft-of-issues-hindering-ev-industry Raft of issues hindering EV industry

Based on what I've seen in many malls, like Central Malls, AC Type 2 (a.k.a., slow charger) are predominately what you will see in many malls. Yes, quite a few malls also have CCS/DC Fast Chargers also, but I think the AC slow chargers greatly outnumber the number of DC chargers in malls. Maybe because the malls have limited space and available power for the bulky/big/high power DC chargers and the malls figure many mall customers many times may want a slower charging process as they spend a couple of hours in the mall dining, seeing a movie, just taking their time shopping....don't want to have to run out after 30 minutes to move the car to a new parking space. Below is a partial quote from a website listing chargers in some Central malls around Thailand....I cleaned it up a little by deleting some parts/malls that didn't define what type of charger (i.e., AC slow or DC fast) was in the mall. Anywhere you'll see "Type 2" below means an AC slow charger; CCS a fast charger. https://www.motorist.co.th/en/article/2728/list-of-ev-charging-stations-in-shopping-malls-2024 CentralWorld Tesla Supercharger at B1 floor, located at parking spots G36 - G37 and F36 - F38 On | ion EV Charging Station at B1 floor, located at parking spots P30 - Q33 Evolt electric vehicle charging station with Type 2 connectors at B1 floor, located at parking spots Q26 - Q28 and P27 - P28 Central Village Suvarnabhumi Outdoor parking area adjacent to Phra Phrom Shrine, electric vehicle charging station with Type 2 connectors (12 spots), CCS/SAE (8 spots), and Tesla Supercharger Central Grand Rama 9 Parking area at G floor, slot E Parking area at 3rd floor - ½, Type 2 (11 spots) Parking area at 3B floor, Type 2 (10 spots) Central Eastville Parking area at G floor, zone F16, Type 2 (13 spots) Parking area at B1 floor, Type 2 (4 plots) Central Westgate Parking area at G floor, zone G17 Parking area at 2nd floor, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Ladprao Parking area at 1st floor, zone C14 Parking area at 2nd floor, zone E20 - E24, Type 2 (11 spots) Parking area at 3rd floor, Tesla Supercharger V3 (11 spots) Central Pinklao Parking area at G floor, zone D03 - D06, Type 2 (12 spots) Parking area at 2nd floor, zone E4 Central Rama 2 Parking area at G floor, Type CCS/SAE (8 spots) Parking area at 1st floor, Sun Zone, zone A07, Type 2 (8 spots) Central Rama 3 Parking area at G floor, near the mall entrance Parking area at G floor, Type CCS/SAE (4 spots) Parking area at 3rd floor, Type 2 (8 spots) Central Chaengwattana Parking area at 3rd floor, Building B, zone A04, Type 2 (9 spots) Central Rattanathibet Parking area at 3rd floor, zone P6 Central Sala Ya Parking area at LG floor, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Chonburi Parking area at G floor, VIP Car zone Parking area at 2nd floor, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Pattaya Beach Parking area at 2nd floor, zone D07, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Marina Type 2 (6 spots) Central Sriracha Parking area at LG floor, zone N07 - N09, Type 2 (7 spots) Parking area at G floor, Type 2 (10 spots) Central Rayong Parking area at G floor, zone M12 - M14, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Chiang Rai Type 2 (7 spots) Central Phuket Festival Type 2 (10 spots) Central Hat Yai Parking area at G floor, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Nakhon Si Thammarat Type 2 (8 spots) Central Khon Kaen Parking area at 1st floor, zone C01, Type 2 (12 spots) Central Udon Thani Parking area at 1st floor, zone 3A Parking area at 2nd floor, zone OE-OF, Type 2 (10 spots) Central Ayutthaya Parking area at LG floor, Type 2 (7 spots) Parking area at B1 floor, Type CCS/SAE (8 spots) Central Phitsanulok Type 2 (8 spots)

Yeap...as @digbethsaid not in Thailand yet. Below are a couple of snapshots from the Tesla app showing Tesla Supercharger locations in Thailand for "Tesla EVs" and then "non-Tesla EVs." 1st snapshot is with the app set to show all Tesla chargers available for Tesla EVs. And then the 2nd snapshot shows the app set to display those Tesla locations in Thailand which also support non-Tesla EVs. 1st Snapshot...Tesla Superchargers for "Tesla EVs" in Thailand 2nd Snapshot...Tesla Supercharger locations in Thailand for "non-Tesla" EVs. Results: None

Some more charging curves of some EV models most people have heard of. Charging curves that may not have a staircase curve at all but more like a ramp curve.....or a staircase with with an unexpected step-up for a brief period and then resuming a steeping down pattern. All kinds of charging curve shapes. Toyota bZ4X Tesla Model Y BYD Dolphin Zeekr X

Below website is one of the best for specs, charging curve, charging time, etc., for EV. Now keep in mind the site's charging data they are using chargers which "equal/exceed" the EV;s highest charging capability...that is, if the EV can accept 150KW (or higher) then the EV is hooked to a charger that can fully satisfy that need at 150KW (or higher. But for many people they will not be able to locate/use a "fully satisfying" DC charger. 😁 And considering each EV's charging curve will be different and often graphs-out to a strange shape curve instead of neat staircase type curve it can make it hard for a layman to get an accurate charging time just using math....but graphing the charging curve and using a stopwatch with a fully satisfying charger is more accurate. Below are a few snapshots regarding the charging times for a BYD Seal with 85KW battery and 150KW max charging rate. Keep in mind the website is using a "fully satisfying" charger....can give the EV every KW the EV asks for. https://evkx.net/models/byd/seal/ Seal Charging curve....note it has a staircase stepping shape "except" from 0-10% (typical for EVs) and from approx 65%-75% which is unique to the Seal.

Yeap...even if we lived in a world where all DC chargers had BIG charging capability, like say at least 360KW, a person needs to consider the "charging curve" of any EV they plan to buy "if", repeat, if a HIGH charging rate/fastest possible charging time is a priority/top consideration as to whether you buy or not. Here's a real life example of how a vehicle's charging curve affects charging rate/speed. I own a 2023 Atto 3 Extended Range with 60.5KW battery and max charging rate of 89KW. But that charging rate is only achievable at a DC charger with at least 180KW capability where it will pump-out 90KW to each of its two DC outlet cables. Now of course a single connector DC charger with 90KW capability would work also but I haven't run across any such single outlet charger's yet with 90KW. The Atto's charging curve allows an approx 89KW max charging rate...and this max charging rate only occurs between approx 5% to 63%. Then from approx 64% to 85% the max rate allowed is approx 57KW... then from approx 86% to 99% the max rate allowed is approx 32KW.. and finally from 99% to 100% it tapers down to around16KW. Charging "steps"...a charging staircase so to speak is in affect. Note: and I have seen up to 89.1KW charging rate twice on my Atto when I was doing some DC charging "tests" at an EA Anywhere 180KW charger around 9 months ago. And that "very same charger" has since been downgraded from an 180KW charger to a 110KW charger with one 60KW outlet and one 50KW outlet. Don't know why EA Anywhere had to downgrade the charger's KW capability...maybe a power limitation of feeding power to it...maybe it had problems in trying to operated at 180KW. Maybe EA Anywhere swapped-out the charger's guts to a lower capacity but if they did they retained the charger's battle-scared cabinet (and cables) which still has the same cracked DC lights, scratches in certain places, and other visible marks that are easy to remember. A few weeks ago I went to above EA Anywhere charger to do a brief charging test so I could see the OBD2 data and found out this new 110KW configuration with DC cable 1 allowing 60KW max and the DC Cable 2 allowing 50KW max. I had to use DC Cable 2 since several motorcycles were parked in the DC Cable 1 space blocking its usage. Anyway, my Atto would not charge anywhere close to a 50KW rate since I was using the DC cable 2 which only allowed 50KW max. Why wouldn't it provide at least 50KW you may wonder? Since my Atto was already charged to approx 70% when starting the test where the EV allows up to a 57KW charge rate the charger could not provide more than 50KW "even if the EV allowed it." But since the EV was asking for 57KW but the charger would respond with "I can only give a max of 50KW...is that good enough?"....well, the EV was responding based on its charging curve design where 50KW is not one of its charging curve steps it must request the charger provide 32KW which is one of the EV's charging curve steps and the charger and EV agree to provide 32KW....the EV is now charging at 32KW because it's one of vehicle's allowed charging curve "steps" as shown in the Atto charging curve below. And a few days ago at another charger I used a single outlet ReverSharger 50KW charger (getting some free electrons) when the Atto was at around the 50% charge level and its charging curve would allow up to a 89KW charging curve step (or even a 57KW step) what the charger and EV ended up agreeing to was a 32KW rate since the charger could only provide 50KW max and couldn't satisfy a 89 or 57KW charging curve step so the charger ended up providing 32KW. Yeap....when evaluating an EV's advertised/hyped max charging rate be sure to take into considering the "charging curve" of the EV and available DC chargers to meet the requirements of the EV's charging curve. Buying an EV that has some HIGH charging max charging rate is not going to provide you much benefit if there are no or few DC charger's available that can meet that HIGH rate and/or the EV's charging curve is actually going to operate at some much lower charging rates for a lot of the EV's 0 to 100% charge range. Atto 3 Charging Curve for Example https://evkx.net/models/byd/atto_3/atto_3/chargingcurve/

DC charging rate of an EV can be way overhyped. Let's take the 150KW DC charging rate of the Sealion with a 91KWH battery. First, to charge at a 150KW rate at person will need to use a 150KW or greater DC charger which are very limited in Thailand. The great, great majority of DC Fast Chargers in Thailand are 120KW (or less) chargers with two charging outlets that share this 120KW which means when two EV are charging then 60KW would be the max achievable per vehicle. And even if there is only one vehicle at the charger each outlet on that 120KW charger "might still be limited" to 60KW max instead of it being able to pump-out120KW to the outlet---depends on the charger's design. Using the PTT Station Pluz charging app and setting it to only show their DC chargers with at least 147KW and higher capability there were only 6 locations in all of Thailand on the PTT charging network. Second, even if a person is connected to some HUGE charger...say a 360KW charger...the Sealion's charging curve will only allow 150KW for "part of its charging process"...the approx 15% to 45% part....between 46% to 85% only approx 80KW max...and then above 85% around 45KW max. https://evkx.net/models/byd/sealion_7/sealion_7_excellence/chargingcurve/ An EV having a high charging rate capability is a good thing but a person can only take advantage of that higher charging rate if DC chargers exist to provide the required high power....and of course what portion of the EV's charging curve can accept the highest rate because it will "not" be for its entire charging curve from 0 to 100% with current battery technology.

See weblink for full story https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/motoring/2902652/chinas-ev-sector-reaches-10-million-production-milestone-overcapacity-fears-deepen PUBLISHED : 15 Nov 2024 at 09:26 WRITER: South China Morning Post

From some googling/social media it appears this has been announced in several European countries....Belgium, Spain, UK, etc. Seems to be getting a good reception from most customers since they have to pay for the service checkups; whereas, in Thailand BYD service check-ups are free.

Been available ever since I've had my Atto which I got Oct 2023....and it was available even before then.

Now if you drawing "SSI" then No. SSI helps those who have limited income and resources. If you receive SSI, it is not possible to continue drawing benefits while you live abroad. The SSA will not continue your check if you are in another country. Once you are outside the United States or one of the territories for 30 days, your benefits will stop. After returning to the United States and remaining in the country for at least 30 days, you can request your benefits again.

Yes https://www.ssa.gov/international/payments_outsideUS.html

So, if I understand above correctly if a person does the SIM swap/upgrade say with 11 months remaining of the current original SIM 24 subscription then the person's subscription then they will have 14 months remaining? And besides OTA updates stopping after the subscription ends being able to communicate with the EV using the BYD app like to turn on A/C, checking charge level, look doors, etc., from a distance would also probably end assuming the end of the subscription shuts down the SIM completely. I know for a fact from my testing that even if you turn off the Wifi "and" mobile data connections in the car's infotainment system the BYD app is still able to communicate with the car as it's using the SIM's basic mobile text/calling system of the cell network vs the data portion used for connecting to the internet.

When I picked up my Atto in Oct 2023 the dealership said the SIM subscription period was for 2 years but BYD was talking about extending it to 3 years...and was still developing a subscription plan as to if it would be free or cost X-amount, etc. . Basically the rep (who could speak a fair amount of English) said BYD was still deciding on how they would handle SIM upgrades, extending subscriptions in Thailand, etc.,...it was still a work in progress.

Last night after the Rever Customer Support Chat line closed at 8pm I sent them a message showing above BYD Songkhla SIM upgrade poster. This morming around 11am Rever responded saying: "If you car is approaching 2 years of service, you can get the SIM card replacement service at our service center." A few hours later I went to my Bangkok BYD dealership and showed them a snapshot of the BYD Songkhla SIM poster...and fortunately I was able to speak to a rep who knew some English. He said the SIM swap includes multimedia software upgrade where GBox, Youtube, Netflix, etc., are added. Their service dept made me an appt for two weeks down the road to get it installed...install and software upgrade takes a couple of hours. Most anything my dealership does service-wise takes at least 2 hours (even if it seems to be a 10 minute job)....it's like a 2 hour service window is their minimum for any task of significance. Now I intentionally didn't ask if this SIM swap/upgrade "extends" the 2 year subscription of my current SIM or will the original SIM 2 year period still be ticking for this new SIM....or does a new subscription period of X-years begin. Also didn't ask if it provides more than a 2GB allotment per month. I intentionally didn't ask for more detailed info as the English speaking rep got pulled away to help another customer interested in buying a car.... plus, at this point I just want to get the SIM upgrade soonest even if it don't extended my current 2 year subscription which doesn't expire for another 11 months....I will ask the detailed questions after the SIM upgrade as to remaining subscription period, GB allotment, etc.