Pib

I love how Xiaomi uses V6 and V8 as part of their electric engine names which "implies" internal combustion engine terminology...this will probably help to win-over ICEV users who are EV gunshy (or haters) partly due to EV terminology & talk they may not fully understand. Heck, Xiaomi even talks "oil" cooling for their EV engines as when you hear oil related to car operation it would probably make many people think just like an internal combustion engine uses....one again, trying to make their electric engines simply sound like much improved combustion engines, the natural next step from combustion engines, don't be afraid of electric vehicles. And I love where they say "....from the era of internal combustion engines...." as in old technology now relegated to the history books. If Xiaomi has been around in the early 1900s when iCE vehicles first started being produced in mass, like the Ford Model T, Xiaomi would have probably used terminology along the lines of: "....from the era of horse & buggy.... https://www.mi.com/global/discover/article?id=3095

Gosh, the Xiaomi SU7 could be real BYD Seal Slayer if it does come to Thailand soon at a price in the same ballpark as a Seal. The SU7 specs appear on the surface as awesome...and a much lower curb weight than the Seal. But personally I would be gunshy of a Xiaomi since they are brand new to EVs and don't have an EV dealership network...plus I still see them as a smartphone manufacturer.

1099's for the wife and I arrived today...we live in Bangkok.

I don't think so. Now to register for an SSA online acct you need to first pass an identity verification process with ID.me or Login.gov. I recommend using ID.me. Once passing an identity verification I'm fairly sure you can create a MySSA online acct...or it will be created automatically when logging on via ID.me or Login.gov which is now acting as a portal for logon to MySSA and various other govt website logins.....govt website that now use ID.Me and/Login.gov.

Yes, by law the SSA COLA increase begins 1 December and that pension benefit month of December is paid in Jan. Each monthly SSA pension a person gets is really payment for the previous month. Kinda like working a job where you get paid once a month....you don't get paid for that month until the last day or more likely the first few days of the following month. The wife and I got our COLA notices in the mail here in Bangkok around the middle of last week....I don't remember the exact day. I expect yours will show-up soon. But even if your upcoming 3 Feb payment was suspended like maybe because Wilkes Barre not getting a 7162 "I'm Still Alive Form" from you that would not have any effect on your COLA letter generated/mailed in December as it's telling you about the COLA increase, what you new payment amount will be, etc., regardless of whether your payment might get suspended around mid January. Just two separate administrative procedures. HQ SSA (the Baltimore Int'l Ops Office) does not generate suspensions until the early-mid Jan period. If you don't have a SSA Online acct to see if your acct is suspended, a Feb payment already planned, etc., you could call SSA at their 1800 number to find out. Or you could email Manila SSA Office----but you may not receive a reply from Manila for weeks or possibly ever based on my personal experience for some questions. Years back Manila use to respond well within two weeks to requests; but now they typically take significantly longer. Cheers.

Regarding "diesel smokers" my BYD Atto EV has a PM2.5 detection system that is always showing on the infotainment screen the PM2.5 level inside and outside the car. While driving on the highway the inside PM2.5 level is typically within 5 to 10; but whenever I get right behind a big diesel truck (like a dirt truck) that's blowing a lot of black exhaust smoke the outside level PM2.5 level shoots up to over 400 (yes, four hundred) in some cases. And even when directly behind/close to "big" diesel trucks which are not blowing any or very little "visible" exhaust smoke" the outside PM2.5 can climb to almost 100...pass the truck and the PM immediately drops way down. Now when driving real close to a "passenger" car/truck type diesel vehicle like say a Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu Mu-X, Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, or similar vehicles with a small diesel engine like around 2.2-3.0L the PM level does not increase unless it's got a real engine problem and blowing significant exhaust smoke. But since so many of the vehicles on the road are small diesel engine vehicles it's hard to tell what the PM level might drop to if I could magically make them disappear for a minute or so and get an updated PM reading. It can be a real eye opener seeing real time PM levels shoot so high when following close to a big diesel truck (or really any vehicle blowing exhaust). But hey, I'm a proud owner of a 2009 Toyota Fortuner 3.0L diesel vehicle that I bought brand new and took good care of...now has around 317K Km's under its belt and doesn't blow black exhaust not to imply it's not spitting out pollutants when putting a PM detector next to its exhaust. And now I'm a proud owner of a 2023 BYD Atto EV with no exhaust which I'm taking as carbon credits for against the occasional use of my Fortuner.

Uncle Sam is now warming-up to the metric system and now wants his Kilogram of Flesh especially after he found out there is 2.2 pounds in a kilogram.

Just last night when I started googling "Electric Vehicle Autocharge," EV Plug and Charge, etc., I came across quite a few weblinks and Youtubes that talked the automatic charging processes. EV Autocharge and EV Plug & Charge are somewhat different with EV Plug & Charge being more secure since it uses authentication certificates but apparently it's not in use much yet since manufacturers can't seem to agree with each other on the final standard. But the EV Autocharge standard seems to be more agreed to and easier to implement so a fair amount of EV Charging companies across the world are now using EV Autocharge like PEA Volta. As digbeth mentioned in his post above EV Autocharge does use your EV's "MAC address" to fingerprint your EV so to speak. See below weblinks for more info: Overview/Differences Between Plug & Charge and Autocharge https://cloudics.com/difference-between-autocharge-and-plug-charge/#:~:text=The EV sends its MAC,found%2C authorizes the charging session. A PEA Volta webpages showing which EVs will work with the PEA Autocharge https://peavoltaev.pea.co.th/cars-autocharge/ And finally a Bjorn Nyland Youtube on Autocharge. As many of you know Bjorn Nyland does a LOT of videos on EVs in Europe and Thailand (plus other countries) and has family roots to Thailand.

Whoops....typo where I addressed this to Andrew as in @Andrew Dwyer...I meant Robert as in @Robert Paulson. I had Andrew on the brain as I just finished reading several of his posts in another EV thread. And for Robert, with your Honda City 2021 model car having around a 59MPG manufacturer/govt fuel efficiency rating although manufacturer's/govt's fuel efficiency ratings are typically very generous, best case scenarios done under "not so real world driving conditions" 70mgp you said you are getting in your Honda City is probably possible under just the right conditions.

Yes, the COLA increase is effective 1 Dec 2023 and payable Jan 2024...so, your Jan payment does reflect the COLA increase.

Andrew, This gets you closer to 70mgp.....25Km/L highway equates to almost 59mpg (US). Need 11 more. https://www.zigwheels.co.th/en/new-cars/honda/city/rs#:~:text=Honda City RS Fuel Consumption,22 kmpl in the city.

70mpg is a long way from 55mpg.

OK, going to the webpage you have it says a Honda City 1.0L (3 cyl) gets 23.3km/L (this is probably a "combined" city and highway speed rating since city and highway fuel efficiency is not reported anywhere that I could see on the website) which when converted to miles per gallon (US) does indeed equate to 55mpg.

If I understand your chart correctly where the red colored lines represent home power usage it doesn't appear you use any air cons, maybe just use a small one sometimes, or maybe not at all. But then again, the chart does not show usage/production from "other" solar production invertors you may have...like Invertor #2, #3, etc., which may be providing more power/showing some load usage. Where you say "your house is probably only using about 1KW per hour" I would agree if a person was "not" running any air cons or other "Kilowatt-eating machines" like air cons. Say a home is running one 18K BTU Mitsubishi invertor A/C during the day and/or night. That A/C alone is going to be pulling around 1KWH...maybe up to around 1.5KWH when it's really hot outside and probably in the 0.5KWH ballpark at night when not needing to work too hard to keep things cool....but probably averaging right around the 1KWH ballpark over a 24 hour period.

Just provide a weblink showing your Honda City car gets around 70 miles per gallon (US). I don't think "your" calculations are convincing anyone you are indeed getting around 70mgh highway in your Honda City. Go to below U.S govt EPA weblink to see official MPG ratings for a variety of 2021 compact cars like your Honda City...it shows city and highway speed MPG. You see they are in the 30 to 40 mpg ballpark...not 70mpg. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/Honda2021.shtml Or go to this website where Honda City drivers have reported their actual MPG....554 Honda City drivers have reported their MPG...the great, great majority report MPG in the 30 to 40 mpg ballpark. https://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/city

As to what triggers the PEA app to generate that pop-up window during your charging session is unknown to me. As mentioned earlier the first time I used the PEA app/charger I'm pretty sure I still had my red tags and in my PEA Volta Profile I can't remember if I had left the Vehicle Registration Number blank or just put 12345 like I had done on some charging apps....or maybe I had left it blank....just can't remember. Now when I got my white license plate in December I started entering it in all my charging apps profiles if the apps asked for it like the PEA app has a spot for it....right at the bottom of your main Profile info. And today I also had the Autocharge turned on in the Card Management and Autocharge menu. I had it turned on because I figured it had to be on if Autocharge was ever going to work. Plus, if I remember right I think Autocharge is turned by default when you first install the app...but really not sure...but I think it was. So, in today's charging with Autocharge turned on and me starting that first test charging the normal way by scanning the QR code on the charger and pressing icons on the app that Autocharge windowed popped-up and said my car is eligible for Autocharge, enter my license plate number in that pop-up if I wanted to setup Autocharge. So I entered my license plate number (which was already entered elsewhere in my Profile) and then that pop-up window said "Verifying" for about 2 seconds and then said it was successful...I'm now setup for Autocharge. And now, my license plate appeared directly under the Autocharge Mode off/on setting in my app. And it has a little trash can next to it if I ever want to delete it. When you turn off the Autocharge setting the license plate disappears...turn Autocharge back on and the license plate reappears. Just enter you license plate number in your main Profile and turn the Autocharge mode on---and hopefully at the next charging session a pop-up window will appear asking to to setup Autocharge which just required me to enter my license plate number in that pop-up window. What PEA did during the few seconds of Autochagre "Verifying" I don't have a clue....maybe it just bucked the license place number I enter in the popup-up menu against the license plate number in had entered elsewhere in my Profile....or maybe it took a fingerprint so to speak of my EV via communications between my EV and the charger, etc., and that fingerprint is what identifies the car for future Autocharges when I have Autocharge turned on. Kinda like how you can logon to some sites (like some banking website ) and some offer a setting during the logon to remember your computer/don't challenge it a OTP next time...or maybe the next 24 hours, etc. What it does is take a "fingerprint" so to speak of your browser/computer. Maybe that is what the PEA app does although I didn't think anything other than very basic communications regarding "charging amp and voltage" level occurred between the EV and charger....but I do know there is a more sophisticated EV charging communications that occurs with commercial chargers in being able to communicate with the mothership, the charging app being used, etc....gives me something to research/google. I too started thinking about should I leave Autocharge on or off....what are the possibilities for fraud, biting me in the butt some way, etc. But since I keep less than Bt200 in my PEA Wallet and I have no credit card/debit card loaded as I top-up via QR code payment which requires me logging onto my mbanking to pay for that top-up I doubt there are reasons for concern. If someone does "borrow" my EV without my permission they indeed could drain my PEA Wallet of the entire Bt200 and continue their getaway with a higher charged battery. But to play it super safe I will leave Autocharge turned off until I do need to charge...only takes a second to open the app and turn on Autocharge. And if lose my phone or gets borrowed I have it password protected....and if loss my phone the PEA charger app would be way, way down on my worry list....my biggest worry would be the phone password protection be broken/hacked and the important apps like mbanking apps might get broken into someway although they are protected with different passwords, PINs, fingerprint, face scan, etc. Who invented these durn smartphones?....nothing but no-good has come from them.

You are right....I made a math error. I did it all by hand/in my head vs finding an online calculator....don't hire my hand & head to do your taxes as you might end up in jail. What I originally did was simply determine how many liters there were in 1 US gallon (3.78 liters) and then multiplied 20Km/L by 3.78 liters to get 75.6....which would have 75.6 kilometers and not miles. I failed to then convert those 75.6 kilometers to miles by multiplying 75.6 by 0.62 to get 47 miles per gallon like you got. Ditto similar error on my IMP/UK gallon conversion. So, yea, back to Robert regarding his 70mpg US gallon estimate very questionable....unless he swapped out his Honda City 1.0L or 1.5L motor for a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower motor.

UPDATE: I hereby nominate the PEA Volta chargers & app as the easiest to use (and pay) among the 4 other charging apps (PTT EV Station Pluz, EA Anywhere, Elexa by Egat, and Altervim) that I'm registered with and all of which I have used several times each. Now, none of the apps are hard to use but the PEA Volta app is still the simplest to use especially with Autocharge....repeat, especially with AutoCharge. Without Autocharge the app works pretty much like other apps where you use your phone app to start, stop, possibly select payment method, etc....etc...etc. Today/14 Jan I was able to get PEA Volta Autocharge working. Did the weekly visit to the mother-in-laws home and dropped off the wife to visit as I went to play with a nearby PEA Volta DC Fast charger. The goal to see if Autocharge would work since I had Autocharge turned on in the app but the Autocharge would never work like described in above video...which is pretty much plug the charging cable into your EV, push the Start icon on the charger display and then the charging starts....when you want to stop the charging just push Stop Charging on the charger's display which stops the charging and deducts the payment from your PEA Volta Wallet which you can top-up with either a debit/credit card or QR code. I've always used the QR payment method to top-up my wallet. No need to push anything on the app to start and stop charging...make payment...etc.,....Autocharging can all done on the Charger's display with just a couple button pushes on the its display screen. OK, more details. On my first use of the charger today although the PEA Volta Autocharge setting was turned on in my app Profile, my EV did not start to Autocharge. However, right after hitting Start Charging in the app or right after I hit the Stop charging in the app a window popped-up saying my EV was eligible for Autocharge and I just needed to enter my License Plate number in that pop-up window which I did...and a few seconds later while it said "Verifying" it then said I was now setup for Autocharge. I already had my license plate number entered in my app Profile but after getting setup for Autocharge the plate number now also appears right under the Autocharge Mode setting. I was happy to see this Autocharge window pop-up and ask me to register for Autocharge because before today it had only done that on my very first use of PEA Volta a month or so ago at which time I declined Autocharge because I didn't really understand what AutoCharge really detailed. And on a couple of follow-on uses it didn't ask me again about registering for Autocharge even though I had the Autocharge setting turned on in my app Profile. But today when it asked again I did accept by entering my license plate number. I complete that charge and hang the cable back on the charger. Now time to do a 2nd charging session and see if just pressing the Start button on the Charger's Display (not the app, on the Charger) gets the charging session going. I hook cable to the EV again, press the Start button on the Chargers display, about 5 seconds later I see the display say "Verifying" for a second or two and then the charging starts---I never pushed any buttons on the App....I did not scan the QR code on the charger...etc. And when I pressed Stop Charging on the Charger's display it stopped and a few seconds later I get a notification on the PEA Volta app the charging had stopped and I got charged/paid X-amount. I unplug the cable and hang it back on the charger. Once again, I never used the app other than having it open...didn't press any icons on the app....the charging was all Automatic...controlled by pressing start and stop on the Charger's display screen. I then turned off Autocharge in the app and tried another charging session....the charging session would not automatically start by simply pressing the Charger's Start Charging button....when pressing start I would see "Verifying" for a second or two but no charging would start. So, I started the charging session by scanning the charger's QR code, pressing Start in the app, and stopping the session by pressing stop....basically use using the app to control the charging session. I then turn Autocharge back on in the App and tried a new charging session....once again the app is not being used at all....the whole charging process is done by just pressing Start Charging on the Charger's display (you don't even have to select which connector on the charger is being used if it has more than one connector)....the charging will start about 5 to 10 seconds after you press the Charger's Start Charging button. Truly Automatic. And you don't even need to have your phone "turned on", repeat, your phone can be powered off....dead as a door nail to have Autocharge work. As long as you had Autocharge turned on in your Profile in app that information is being maintained on the PEA Volta server in the sky. I did such a "phone turned off test" where Autocharge was left turned on in the PEA app before closed the app/powered off the phone. I was able to accomplish charging session without my phone/PEA app not even being used. Turn the phone back on, turn off Autocharge in the app, turn the phone off, and try another charging session---Autocharge would not work....would need to turn the phone back on and use the app to start/stop a charging session. I could leave my phone (turned off) here at home....go the nearest PEA charger numerous kilometers away and since I left Autocharge turned on in the PEA app....I could charge my car as the app is not needed at all. Truly automatic DC Fast Charger charging by just pressing Start and Stop on the charger itself. About as simple as plugging my EV into my home wallcharger and waving the wallcharger's RFID card in front of it to turn on the charging session....wave the card in front of my wall charger again to turn of off. Yeap, the PEA Volta system has my vote as clearly the easiest charging app/chargers to use compared to above mentioned other four charging apps/chargers---not to imply the other four I use are hard to use, it's just the PEA Volta app when setup for Autocharge makes it the clear winner. Heck, leave your phone at home if desired....almost like Plug-and-Play....just need to ensure you keep your PEA Volta Wallet topped-up with enough baht to pay for charging sessions.

OK, thanks....when I google up a Honda City Hatchback, like a 1.0L engine, (see snapshot below) it does come back with approx 20km per liter range....converting that to "miles per US gallon" (since you were talking miles per gallon vs kilometers per liter) that results in approx 75 miles per US gallon like you said assuming you were talking US gallons. Now if you were talking "Imperial" gallons like used in some countries such as the UK then the Honda City gets around 90 miles per Imp/UK gallon. Appears a City 1.5L engine has about the same fuel efficiency from some other googling. Still a lot less than a typical EV like my BYD Atto BEV which gets 134 MPGe/US gallon or 161 MPGe/UK gallon. Or said in km/liter approx 35 km/L equivalent.

Whatever date you put on your application that you wanted your benefits to begin is the date you are paid from. Of course it can't be benefits begin date for many, many moths ago....has to be within a window of plus or minus 3 months I think of your application submittal date. Say you submit your application 1 March and on the application you said your want your benefits to begin 1 May. But it takes say till Sep before your application is approved for whatever reason. Once approved the SSA will issue backpay pay for May, June, July, and Aug....4 months of backpay. And then you get paid for Sep in early Oct which gets you all paid up.

Regarding savings related to EV fuel (electricity) vs ICEV fuel (fossil fuel) I made myself a spreadsheet to compare a variety of costs factors relating to driving my 2023 BYD Atto 3 BEV vs my 2009 Toyota Fortuner 3.0L Diesel ICEV. Just today the wife asked me how much fuel money have we saved since getting the Atto on 25 Oct 2023 and since then driving it 5,890 kilometers as of today/13 Jan 2024 instead of driving the Fortuner. I did quick modification of my spreadsheet and showed her....see snapshot below.

@bobonzo If I understand your post right you applied "online" in Sep 2023 and then processing of the application seemed to standstill....move at a snail's pace. And on your application you identified your physical/residential address as Thailand. Then you got notice that the "Manila SSA office" wants to do a telephone interview. If above is correct this is not uncommon at all as the Baltimore SSA office which is the headquarters office "for all SSA applicants/beneficiaries residing outside the U.S." and is the office that "first" reviews each online application will routinely handoff part of the application review/processing to the SSA office which oversees the foreign country you reside in. That office will do a review/telephone interview and the send the application back to Baltimore for final review/approval. The Manila SSA office is responsible for approx 40 countries in this part of world to include Thailand. When I say "not uncommon" I mean it happens to a lot of applicants especially if they are a Naturalized U.S. Citizen...or a non-U.S. citizen who still happens to be eligible for U.S. SSA benefits. Heck, it can even happen to a U.S. born citizen to where they want to do a telephone interview. Now once Baltimore handoffs/relays your application to Manila (all done online) the Manila office will schedule a phone interview and notify you of the date/time they will call you. And that interview could be almost two months down the road from when they notify you of the interview. And that telephone interview will only last 10 to 15 minutes basically asking you to confirm the info you put on your online application. Name, address, place of birth, date of birth, email address, phone number, spouse info (if you have)....etc....etc....etc....just all that info you already put on your online application. Near the end of the interview they will tell you the estimated amount of your pension (as they did advance work/calculation on your application before they called you) and tell you what additional docs/forms they may want you to provide. If a Naturalized Citizen they will probably want you to send your them your "original" US passport and/or Naturalization Certificate OR a "certified" copy. Also maybe a SS card application form even thought you already have a SS card....and maybe another form or two. After the interview Manila will also immediately send you an email telling you once again what they still need from you and how to send them. If you do need to send some important doc(s) to Manila via mail like your passport I highly recommend you DO NOT send your original but instead get a certified copy from the US Embassy - Bangkok/or Chiang Mai who will provide certified copies "for free" at time of your appt with them...free certified copies like a US Passport, Naturalization Certificate, just whatever doc the SSA Manila asked for in their email. The US Embassy will note code the certified copies "for federal benefits application purposes"....that's also why the certifications are free. You can also get certified free copies by using the embassy's Certified True Copy by mail method...see their weblink below. https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/certified-true-copies-of-u-s-passport/ Once Manila receives whatever docs they asked your for they will then forward your application back to HQ Baltimore SSA (all done online) for final review/approval. Final approval should occur within two weeks. I hand-walked three dual US-Thai citizens (neighbors) thru this SSA pension application process over the last few years....latest hand-walk occurred in the last half of 2023....he got his first payment 3 Dec 2023 which was actually for two months as it included one month's worth of back-payment...got his 2nd normal amount payment on 3 Jan 2024....he's a happy camper. Don't sweat your upcoming interview...it's just to verify the information you put on your application, probably ask for another form or two, etc. Each person's SSA application is different as each person's application is different, each person has a different work history, and various other factors can come into play. That's why on the internet you can find horror stories of regarding one some people's applications and nothing but easy-peasy stories for another applicants. Good luck...hopefully your SSA pension will approved shortly after your telephone interview and you will then officially become an "Ol' Geezer" in the eyes of the U.S. govt.

Andrew, Good rundown...thanks. Your costs were basically identical to this lady's installation costs in Chonburi. Below snapshot is from her Youtube video on her install where she detailed the costs of "Running a 2nd Circuit + PEA Costs"....took pretty much all day in her case. I expect installation at her residence was more complicated than yours.....each install will be different. If Google Translate and I understood her video/cost chart correctly, here's a summary of costs: The 1st column shows what parts/labor are included in a typical "Bt9,000 package" deal to install a 2nd circuit. The 2nd column gives more detail on the package deal. The 3rd column shows the installation cost "at her residence" which went Bt2,700 over the Bt9,000 package flat price adding up to Bt11,700 before she got a Bt1,700 with final price (parts and labor) for the 2nd circuit/charger install being Bt10,000. But we haven't got to PEA costs yet. The 4th column is just a column reflecting "market retail" parts costs excluding any labor costs....just something to help show the package deal of the charger installer is a probably a good deal compared to open market (retail) price. Now at this time PEA has "not" installed the 2nd meter or inspected the installation.....the installer just does a quick check of the charger installation by temporarily connecting to her currently installed meter (a.k.a., 1st circuit) Once the charger is tested and its operation explained to the lady that temporarily connection is removed awaiting PEA to come out inspect the installation and install the 2nd meter. And the 5th column reflects the PEA cost of Bt4,795.80. So, if I understood her video/cost chart correctly she paid Bt10K to the charger installer plus another almost Bt4.8K to PEA for install of her charger which required a second circuit/meter. Grand total approx Bt14.8K....ah heck, let's just call it Bt15K. Snapshot from the video detailing the cost of a 2nd Circuit/Meter required for her charger installation.

I expect the LTR visas will eventually be one of the visa types acceptable to the PR program....but how long "eventually" turns out to be is anyone's guess...."Thai time" marches forward very slowly many times. But if after all the dust settles on this new Revenue Dept ruling regarding taxing of foreign sourced income "when remitted to Thailand," since I'm a US citizen and if the US-Thailand DTA ends up shielding the great, great majority of my foreign sourced income (which is govt pensions like social security and similar) and when combined with the deductions/exemptions allowed on any Thai tax return my tax liability to Thailand will probably be zero each year. Having an LTR Pensioner visa maybe not be needed at all to avoid Thai tax liability. So, if I could apply for PR based on having an acceptable visa (say a LTR eventually turns out to be acceptable) I would apply.....just to no longer need to worry for the rest of my life about getting/renewing some type of Thai visa that allows me to stay another year, 5 years, 10 years, etc. Now of course since a PR also requires that you have paid taxes/filed a tax return in Thailand for 3 straight years and I've never had to do that (and may never have to) and also pass a Thai language test, those two things may prevent me from ever being able to apply for PR. Now maybe I can still file a Thai tax return each year with zero tax being due after the DTA and/or LTR income shielding and then meet the PR income tax return requirement...just have the Thai language part to pass. Yes, hopefully LTR visas will become an acceptable visa for PR application purposes in the future...."eventually."

BINGO!!!! Yes, I have the tool bar but the "text" icon was not highlighted blue/activated. I clicked on it to turn it blue/activate it (see snapshot below) and then I could type text into the TM95....turn it off and no-can type text. I've never, ever had to do this on other fillerable PDF forms I've used over many years. Maybe those other fillerable PDF forms had underlying, hidden coding that automatically turned on text entry, but this TM95 PDF does not. Thanks...and to say it again BINGO!!!! And I use Win 10.