17 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

Question about Going to the LTR visa people at Chimichurri Plaza, Bangkok:

 

I want to take the US$100,000 deposit option for maintaining my LTR visa.

 

I have the relevant account statements for the last 12 months. Can I just drop by at the Chimichurri building? Or do I need to get an appointment? Contacting them on the phone has been a futile effort and email messages get a canned irrelevant response.

Yes...you can just drop by to ask questions.  I guess you want to "show and confirm" your bank account statements will be acceptable to prove self-insure coverage.  You will first have to interface with the LTR Customer Info reps right after entering BOI LTR venue (these reps are typically contractors vs govt employees)....explain to them you need to confirm the bank statement provide adequate proof and would like to get that confirmation from a BOI rep that actually reviews LTR applications.   

Hopefully, the BOI Customer Info rep will ask a more senior BOI govt employee to come talk to you on the subject and give you an answer....that's the way it has worked for me a couple times.  Of course there is always the chance the day you just show-up/pop-in there is not something preventing the availability of a BOI rep to talk to you (like some meeting they are in, etc).  

It's my understanding from questions to BOI on this subject as long as the bank acct is a savings/checking or even a CD acct, PROVIDES A MONTHLY STATEMENT, AND THE FUNDS ARE IMMEIDIATELY ACCESSABLE TO PAY MEDICAL BILLS then the acct satisfies the self-insure requirement.  BOI needs to ensure the type of acct allows immediate access to the funds and is not some acct like a stock market acct that could quickly go from having a $100K or more balance to a low balance due to stock market crashes...or the funds are locked in the bank acct for a set period I.e., 6, 12 months, etc) which does not allow quick accessing of the funds. 

I see the Dept of Land Transport (DLT) has posted March 2024 vehicle "registrations."   Registration means the sale has completed the process and vehicle blue book issued.   For the RY1 Passenger Cars (7 or less people) the total registrations in Mar 2024 for EV "and" ICEV was 45,315.   For Feb 2024 (which was a very weak month) the total RY1 EV "and" ICEV registrations was 47,063. 

So, the sales slump for EV/ICEV is continuing....actually got a little worst from Feb   I expect folks are burnt-out from their end of 2023 vehicle buying spree and also gun-shy of buying right now due to ongoing cut-throat pricing.

RY1 for Feb 2024

RY1 for Mar 2024

https://web.dlt.go.th/statistics/.

49 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

How is it better? That you can stay longer? Because you need more money to qualify? Because it´s new? 

No annual renewals, unlimited multi exit/reentry, no 90 day address reporting, tax exemption,  work permit if wanted even on a LTR Pensioner visa, etc.  If you have the pension/income then why not apply for a LTR....and the LTR Bt50K fee works out to Bt5K/year over the 10 year visa.  A 1 year Non-O with multi-entry permit would cost Bt1.9K+Bt3.8K=Bt5.7K/year.   

Other than being able to apply for a work permit for some 1 year visas, got any of above mentioned LTR benefits with a 1 year visa?   Yes, yes, for many a 1 year renewal of a Non-O goes smoothly but for many it don't which keeps the AseanNow forums constantly abuzz....and the "every year" worry/concern of the renewal...what will possibly change for the upcoming renewal that arrives all too soon year after year.

I just noticed below red text note on the LTR website basically pointing out a person needs to meet LTR visa requirements "during the entire length of the visa"....pretty much just like a person say on a Non Immigrant OA visa needs to maintain the income and health insurance requirements throughout the entire 1 year period of the OA visa.    Maybe that note has been there for a many months because after getting my LTR visa I don't check the BOI website that often.

Now, to me this requirement "goes without saying" but there has been a good amount of talk regarding what BOI will request document-wise during the mid-term/5 year renewal point such as to if they they only request 1 or 2 years of documents like during the "initial" LTR Visa application or will they request 5 years worth for some requirements such as income/health insurance to ensure a person maintained visa requirements throughout the length of the visa permitted to stay period.   

As said, to me it goes without saying based on how immigration currently checks annual extension of stays for non-O/OA type visas where they need proof you maintained income/insurance requirement during the entire previous extension period.  So it's probably best that a person maintain a copy of annual income and health insurance coverage for historical purposes just in case BOI/Immigration requires such proof during the mid-term/5 year renewal process.  A mid-term process that no one really knows how it will be handled since it will be mid 2027 before the very first mid term renewal process occurs since the it wasn't until Sep 2022 when LTR visas first began being issued.

https://ltr.boi.go.th/#type

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

That is an opportunity we can't miss. The floor is open for bids on March 7th (April 7th, right?) sales numbers 🎰. 

Wild guesses from my side.

BYD = 1,888

Vinfast = 222

I'll guess 3,200 for BYD since they booked 5,455 at the 29 Nov-10 Dec 2023 Motor Expo 2023 (see pic at bottom).    I just can't see the current, outgoing motor show booking numbers approaching the late 2023 motor show numbers of over 53,000 for all EV/ICEV manufacturers as I think potential buyers are gun-shy of buying right now due to the ongoing cut-throat pricing for EV and ICEV....that is, buy today and next month the same new vehicle will be Bt100K cheaper pis%ing a person off.   

Of course other factors will also probably suppress total numbers as a sales slump of EV and ICEV seem to be occurring right now in many countries to include Thailand...probably by mid 2024 the sales pace will start picking up again.  But who really knows...my cloudy crystal ball gets it wrong all the time.

https://www.motorexpo.co.th/exhibitors/profile/2449

5 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

If someone is over 50, has health insurance in Thailand of over the correct amount, and more than $80,000 in annual interest income.

 

But is from Europe and not required to file a tax return anywhere - how do you correctly for the BOI show (in English) your annual income - without a tax return and is that allowed or is a tax return required?

That someone would need to include a short memo with his LTR application explaining that no income tax return is provided as he is not require to submit an annual tax return for reason(s) XYZ.  BOI is very aware of income tax return requirements for many countries as to if and when a return would be required or not.

Then the person will need to submit other income documentation such as pension statements/letters and/or various other financial  statements to prove he meets the required income requirements especially for the pension/passive income.   See below from BOI LTR website regarding LTR Pensioner documentation requirements.   

And even when that someone "did" have a tax return to submit but it showed less than the required income requirement because some of his income is "non-reportable/non-taxable" then that is when the other income documents come into play....actually become the primary documents to prove the required income and the tax return is just a secondary document.   An example would be for a U.S. military veteran drawing a "Veteran's Administration (VA)" pension/benefit which could be tens of thousands of dollars per year---not one penny of that is taxable/reportable on a tax return per U.S. tax law....and the VA does not even provide an annual tax document because by law the benefit is not taxable/reportable.    

From BOI LTR website

https://ltr.boi.go.th/documents/Required-Documents-for-Qualification-Endorsement-for-Wealthy-pensioner-16-03-66.pdf

2 hours ago, vinny41 said:

Is this a new marketing technique

I don't believe that BYD and a number of other brands  haven't received a single booking at the current motor show more likely not releasing figures for some reason

Details of car reservations at the event

https://bims45.motorshow.in.th/statistics#

Correct.   The motor show booking/reservation stats up until today had a note code sayings those manufacturers with "slashes" for their booking numbers was due to some manufacturers having decided not to release their booking numbers until the end of the motor show on 7 March.   That note seems to have disappeared now. 

41 minutes ago, Jake72 said:

 

lol.. are we just going to take your word for it, or will you post a screen capture of PlugShare with a 100kW+ filter.. let's see it... you EV cult guys are really something.

Any DC Charger is a fast charger....DC Fast Chargers start at 25KW and go up.  AC chargers are limited to 22KW (it will be a 3 phase charger and a EV will only charge at that 22KW "if" the EV has a 3 phase onboard charger.   

Most EVs don't have a 3 phase onboard charger since in many countries 3 phase power is not that common so manufacturers don't waste money with 3 phase onboard chargers if its likely a person buying an EV in country XYZ where 3 phase power is not readily available.   Now some EV do come with 3 phase onboard chargers.

But when it comes to DC the onboard charger is not used as the DC Fast Charger (starting at 25KW) provides DC vs AC to the EV.

1 hour ago, Jake72 said:

These are not fast chargers, do not trust anything from KhunLA, he is known for posting false information.

What are they then?

And before you answer be sure to use the Charge Loma app to view chargers around Thailand...and be sure to set the filter to display DC chargers Only which will give you the map KhunLA posted.  You can then click on any of those many, many, many DC Fast Charger pindrops to see a picture of the DC Fast Charger---several of which I have used.

3 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

That is very interesting.  The Euro zone is of course a much bigger and diversed market, but also a more mature EV market. 

At 20% EV sales, Thailand is already double the EU numbers. 

Asia is generally faster at adopting new technology and Europe has not been exposed to the Chinese shock, but it could also be that Thailand has overshoot the target and sales will fall a bit, like we already saw in February. 

Europe is being exposed to Chinese EVs at a very healthy rate....see below 27 Mar 2024 CNBC article...see link for full story....a partial quote also below.    I expect governments in both Europe and US will continue to be lobbied hard to stem the growth as the Chinese EV manufacturers can simply produce quality EVs at a lower cost than European/US manufacturing their EVs in Europe/the US.   

P.S.  Today in a trip to the mother-in-laws house my 5 month old BYD Atto reached the 10,000km point....other than a few very minor issues like experiencing some squeaking front brakes for about 20 minutes right after the EV had its 3 month/5,000km point in Dec 2023, an Infotainment system glitch right after an OTA update (the glitch was cleared by simply rebooting the Infotainment system), and "squeak" in the back seat when hitting certain bumps at certain speeds (the dealership fixed that in about an hour) the Atto has been a joy to drive.  Smooth, quiet, extremely fuel efficient...most any potential customer should like that.   European/US car manufacturers have very good reason to be afraid of Chinese EV manufacturers.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/28/china-made-vehicles-will-make-up-a-quarter-of-europes-ev-sales-this-year.html

Quote

 

China-made vehicles will comprise a quarter of Europe’s EV sales this year, study shows

PUBLISHED WED, MAR 27 20248:14 PM EDT

 

 

About 19.5% of battery-powered EVs sold in the EU last year were from China, with close to a third of the sales in France and Spain constituting EVs shipped from the Asian country, the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E) reported in a paper shared Wednesday. 

 

The share of made-in-China vehicles in the region is expected to rise to just over 25% in 2024, according to the T&E research, as Chinese brands such as BYD ramp up their global expansion.