Pib

Late breaking news!!!!!...Toyota and Honda holding emergency meeting to discuss high EV sales at Motor Show. Honda upset they came in behind BYD...Toyota worried BYD is breathing on their neck after being use to Honda for many years. Toyota seriously considering dropping their "hydrogen-powered" line of BS.....

Interesting the Motor Show stats over recent years...other than a couple of COVID years suppressing the trend, the trend has been up, up, and away with this year & last year showing BIG increases surely caused by all the Chinese manufacturers with their new and lower priced models coming to Thailand ...especially EV models.

Yeap...they are out. BYD booked the 2nd highest number...Toyota was 1st....Honda 3rd.

I'll take another look over the next few days regarding the data download/upload stuff. You can see how much data each app has used but that's a combined download and upload....I'm seriously doubtful of a special setting/monitor that reports "upload" only. Even many ICEV come with SIMs now days so their infotainment systems and associated apps to talk to the cloud. I have no more worry over the EV being remotely disabled as I do my phone being remotely disabled---could either be disabled remotely--sure....that possibly has to be considered in today's internet world where even washing machines, refrigerators, etc., can connect to the internet.

As little more info. About an hour ago I remembered to go into the SIM settings again to hopefully see what is the telecommunication company name of the SIM card. So, went into that area and it's a SingTel SIM and it was connected to AIS although it was also showing a bunch of True, DTAC, etc., towers which I may have been able to switch the connection to by manually selecting the cell service you wanted to hook to. But I left it alone as in being connected to AIS as AIS has wide coverage across Thailand and SingTel (a Singapore company) owns 23% of AIS.

Below is the Thai PBS news article....and also a crude oil price snapshot. Yes, a small diesel price increase but its added on to a diesel price that already hurts the pocketbook. Earlier in the week the govt said they were going to try to maintain the current diesel price and subsidy, but I guess the govt oil fund high/increasing debit and also increasing crude oil price since early 2024 is too much handle right now. Probably more small increases to come over the coming months unless crude oil starts decreasing soon. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/diesel-price-to-increase-by-50-satang-per-litre-this-saturday/ The Fuel Fund’s executive committee decided on Friday to increase diesel price by 50 satang to 30.44 baht per litre, effective tomorrow, according to Wisak Watanasap, director of the Office of Oil Fuel Fund. He said that the committee also increased the subsidy for diesel by 20 satang to 4.77 baht/litre, adding that the price increase will help improve the cash flow of the Oil Fuel Fund which, by March 31, was in the red to the tune of 99.82 billion baht, including 52.73 billion baht for diesel and 47.1 billion baht for LPG. Wisak attributed the committee’s decision to global diesel price fluctuations, because of the continuing war in Ukraine and in the Middle East, as well as the recent price jump of diesel on the world market by US$2.74 per barrel, which are affecting the Oil Fuel Fund’s cash flow. He maintains that the diesel price adjustment is in line with the global price situation and will not add too great a financial burden on consumers. Currently, Thailand is consuming about 71 million litres of diesel per day https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts/#Brent-Crude

Just announced in Bangkok Post around 7pm/today/5 Apr that the govt is reducing the diesel subsidy by 0.5baht and B7/B10/20 diesel price will increase by 0.5baht tomorrow morning/6 Apr....article says the govt subsidy fund is too much in debt. PTT and Bangchak has since announced a 0.5baht increase which means all other fuel companies will surely follow. That may help EV sales a little especially if the public fees more fuel price increases to follow.

Yeap...agree. Just like stock markets which go up and down from day to day, month to month, year to year, etc., due to various factors but with a long term trend of upwards I expect the EV sales trend to do the same. And with battery chemistry/range steadily getting better and costs dropping pretty rapidly we are only a few a years away from EV sales really taking off. Plus it takes a while for the masses to get comfortable with new technology....it took around 3 decades to transition from the horse & buggy/livery stable era to the ICEV/gas station era....transition from ICEV to EV era will probably take another 2 decades.

Cool. Which Seal model? How much?

Take a look at this 4 Apr 2024 Sky News article on the same subject....it gives a lot of detail...nothing as dramatic as a bubble bursting. https://news.sky.com/story/electric-car-uk-market-share-shrinks-figures-suggest-13107632 Above Sky News article gives a ton more detail than the below clickbait Times news article that is only around six sentences long....the Times article leaves out a lot of details about the overall economic and vehicle sales situation in the UK. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sluggish-ev-market-holds-back-recovery-in-new-vehicle-sales-8fpzzxwv8

Full info (like the screenshot) at the BOI LTR website: https://ltr.boi.go.th/ The LTR visa stamp that goes into your passport is just a plain jane stamp....for visa category it just has "LTR" preprinted followed by a handwritten code like "P" for pensioner. And Cap Gains is passive income since it was not earned from employment/wages.

I doubt it regarding the BYD-provided SIM. Whether it's an AIS SIM or was just connecting to the AIS network I couldn't say. The BYD infotainment system will show the long IMEI number of its mobile communications circuit and the long ICCID of the SIM card but does not show the actual SIM phone number. ************ Unlike an IMEI number, which refers to the mobile device, an ICCID number refers to the SIM card itself. Since each SIM card has a unique ICCID, you may sometimes hear it called the SIM card number

Just use Manila SSA to change your DD info....use the Manila SSA website inquiry form. They have a specific inquiry heading/topic just for that purpose.

Yea...any OTA that could be hundreds of megabytes in size do not count against the monthly BYD data allotment.

The SIM that comes with my BYD Atto is provided free by BYD...and it's free service for 2 years...or maybe it's 4. Then you can extended the service with BYD or switch to another SIM according to what the dealership told me. The BYD SIM 2GB monthly limit (connects to AIS) which is much, much more than needed for basic communication. Actually, when you want to make calls and stuff like that you would still be using your Smartphone's SIM via bluetooth/USD connection to the BYD infotainment system just like how it works on my 2009 Fortuner. Yes, the car will continue to work without a SIM.

Yes....but BOI may want proof that since you just went over the minimum income requirement that level of income is likely to continue. if it's primarily pension-based then that's easy enough to proof since it's unlikely a pension will decease...usually just increase from period cost of living increases. If not primarily pension-based the the stability of your income could come into question without income from previous years supporting your current income level. As far as I know they expect you to meet the minimum income levels each year. Income based on pension/passive/fixed income should be fairly stable compared to income based on selling of stocks. For the Pensioner LTR their is no requirement for $1M...that's a Wealthy Global Citizen LTR requirement. The LTR Pensioner income requirement is either $80K/yr "or" $40K/yr with $250K investment in Thailand.

BYD vehicle example: it connects to the internet via mobile/SIM and/or Wifi....just like your smartphone. It's always connected whether using SIM card or Wifi.....always connected where you have started/driving the car or not because when you turn off the EV it's really just going into standby mode where certain communications is still available. And this type of connectivity is not really unique to EV....heck, ICEV can have the same capability.

Yeap, big trucks, taxis, and many people with private autos were tripping over themselves in trying to convert from petrol/diesel to LPG/CNG as fast as possible. I had several in-laws who converted their petrol cars to LPG because at that time it would cut their fuel cost approx in half due to the spike in petrol/diesel prices.

OK, that confirms your direct deposit is on the International Direct Deposit (IDD) funds transfer system that uses the SWIFT system and therefore using SWIFT codes to identify the bank....codes consisting of "letters" and maybe occasionally a number or two mixed it.. The U.S. Automated Clearing House (ACH) uses routing "numbers"...a nine digit number. So, assuming you are using the SSA Automated Phone System to try to change your DD bank....the automated system expects your current US bank "routing number" that you are currently using for your DD (what loaded in your profile right now)....you will never get past that because you are "not" currently using an routing number...you are using a SWIFT code plus you are on the IDD system vs ACH system. The SSA Automated Phone System is geared for changing from one U.S. bank to another US on the ACH system....it's routing number based. You are currently on the IDD system trying to change over to the ACH system....trying to mix apples and oranges. Seriously doubt the Automated System can accomplish the switch between IDD and ACH (or vice versa); instead you'll will have to talk to a "human" SSA representative who still may ask you to send in the ACH DD form since you are switching from IDD to ACH. Probably best to just do that thru the Manila SSA....they can enroll you in the ACH or IDD system. https://ph.usembassy.gov/services/social-security/faq/

For IDD the BAHTNET system is only used as the last leg of the SWIFT transfer to the Thai receiving bank which for Thailandbuckeye is Bangkok Bank whose SWIFT code is BKKBTHBK. Plus the Wise SWIFT code above is for sending money to Bank of Thailand in those cases where someone would need to send funds to the Bank of Thailand (probably for companies and other central banks). Now "if" Thailandbuckeye is using the IDD system which means Citibank is handling the transfer as the US Treasury contractor bank for US govt payment to Thailand banks, then Citibank might be using the Bank of Thailand SWIFT as a "correspondent/intermediary bank" address on the way to its final destination at Bangkok. But that really neither here or there in Thailandbuckeye case and the issue he's having. Assuming Thailandbuckeye is currently on the IDD system then he will probably "not" be able to change from the IDD system that uses the International SWIFT system to the U.S. ACH system that uses routing numbers because the SSA "interactive computerized" system is geared for making direct deposit changes between U.S. banks...that is, changing from one routing number to another. Right now Thailandbuckeye if on the IDD system has a SWIFT code loaded as his bank identifier and does not have a U.S. bank routing number, therefore he could never pass the security question since the system is looking for a routing "number" (as is 0-9) vs a SWIFT code consisting of "letters."

Since you said your original DD form showed a "SWIFT" code that means you were signed up for DD via the International Direct Deposit (IDD) program which uses the SWIFT system (uses SWIFT codes to identify the bank); you were not signed up for the standard DD program that uses the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system which uses "routing numbers" to identify the bank. Direct deposit via IDD and ACH are two completely separate funds transfer systems....two different animals....it like riding in a taxi vs a bus...riding a train vs a plane....two different funds transfer systems. The SWIFT code for Bangkok Bank is: BKKBTHBK "or" BKKBTHJBKXXX. Either one works fine....the XXX is just an extended version of the basic code...either one works fine. Most people probably just use the basic code without the XXX added on. The ACH Routing Number for Bangkok Bank is: 026008681

Behind all the simple is the data that can reveal many more details versus relying totally on a news article.

HEVs can vary from from Mild HEV to Full HEV with variations in-between depending on the manufacturer....from having no capability to power the vehicle only using the electric motor/traction battery (i.e., can only assist the combustion engine) to being able to totally power the vehicles for a short distance using the electric motor/traction battery. HEV capability can be all over the map in terms of electric motor/ capability to assisting the combustion engine, traction battery size, etc. More and more ICEV manufacturers are trying to get the HEV badge on their vehicle to give potential buyers at least a little bit of EV capability....but when the dust settles they are still driving a vehicles that is predominately a combustion power vehicle. Now PHEV is a different story....they have a lot more electric capability, traction battery size, electric only range, etc., than a HEV. In quite a few cases the person could totally stay in electric mode (combustion engine never be used) depending on how far they are driving.

For my spreadsheet RY1 is 4,720 RY3 is 20 RY6 is 247 RY9 is 1 RY 10 is 13 Total: 5,001 I expect due to the DLT website being setup to where you can down stats spreadsheets under different menus that the spreadsheets must vary slightly.

Yea...I agree as more and more ICEV turn themselves into an HEV by even installing a small 48V motor/generator married to a very small traction battery of just a few KWH. That 48V electric system is typically referred to a "mild" HEV because that electric motor can "not" power the HEV by itself....can not drive only on electric power...the HEV can completely recharge its small traction battery without the need to plug-in. All the 48V system can do is "assist" the combustion engine, replace the noisy the starter, maybe run an electric A/C. Yea....more and more vehicles now days have the HEV badge on them and whether the installed electric system/traction battery can power the car under its own, maybe power the car for just a few kilometers, maybe power the car for 20 kilometers, etc., is a wildcard until looking at the car specs. ICEV manufacturers are slowing adding "some electric traction" capability to many of their cars, sticking on the HEV badge, but the vehicles are still predominately a combustion engine powered vehicles with some electric motor assistance. Preaching to the choir I know.