sezze

What do you mean salaries haven't increased in last 20y ? They did in Thailand and my job certainly went up by around 100% in last 20y ( taking out inflation it still is a rise ) .

On topic , all food products are prone to rise in very near future , thx to grain and oil shortage involving the war in Ukraine . What does it have to do with salmon you would say ? Well , a salmon if wild caught , then the oil prices are much higher . If produced salmon then the feed for the fish is much higher . Also , for other food products , if 1 goes up in price , then alternatives need to be found, so they will rise also .

20 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Yeah, our baby "starter" system has ballooned from 4 panels to 32!

 

Well , yes , off course , that is always something people need to consider . Getting free consumption always means , more consumption . So if you are using now 10kW per day , better start calculating at 15kW per day .

For myself , i am still on my way heading there , since i need(ed) to fix some other stuff 1st .I am getting there but i am also already preparing for electric car and motorbike and complete home airco since prob that will be there . Now my transport costs in Thailand are minimal so that's no issue , but preparing for the complete home airco , i certainly need a few kW more then i would need right now . But do not let it stop you , since the energy is free for many years to come . I mean , solar is there , and yes they need to be produced , but they keep working and are very reliable . Even 30-40y old panels still produce electricity . Batteries are a different thing , but if you put out 10-20% of the budget for electric a month aside for replacing them , then you can be sure that even complete failure can be replaced without issue.

Li batteries can and will go up in fire once a while . That is a fact , but everybody got several Li batteries in their home and pockets . All smartphones , computers , and similar equipment are all powered by Li ion batteries , and nobody gives a sh/t . There are also plenty of examples of cars which do/did run on gasoline , gas , diesel , which went up in fire . Some cars even got withdrawn after production because of high risk of fire in a accident .The batteries will get safer but there will always be fires because of high energy/high currents running , same like there are many fires every year in homes thx to short circuits .

Can it be better , yes , but remember this . Fuel driven cars are basically end of development , same like CRT TVs were 25y ago .And like the CRT 's being replaced by plasma , lcd , led , oled , the technology is growing fast and is getting better each single year . 

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

60 cm in ground & 40 cm above, you may not need rebar at all.  Mine was close to 2.5 meter deep.  That's a lot of downward pressure.

The rebar is not needed for outside to inside pressure . Yes , certainly not so many rebar or concrete needed for a 1m pool vs a 2.5m pool , but being completely in ground or not does not make a lot of difference because it needs to keep the water in . You can use a steel freme , this way you do not need rebar , because the strength comes from the steel , not from the concrete . Concrete impact strength is low , so the pressure makes it crack without rebar . Concrete however is cheaper then steel , especially is you want a nice finish and a deeper then 1.2m pool . Steel structure pools are build with a liner , not ( i never seen or heard it) with tiles or similar .

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

Problem was lack of understanding, just how much water weighs, especially 16-20k liters.  So the floor seam to the walls, cracked/slight separation, barely

 

 

If you use metric system it is all so easy , instead of 2 fingers and 1 coffeecup and 2 fridges , you can use the very simple metric system .

1l of water is 1 kg , 1m3 is 1000l is 1 ton . You can even widen it to pressures , 10m of water equal 1 bar . and also equals the barometric pressure ( so you can't suck water higher then 10m , that is impossible ) .

So back to the topic , yes a pool of water does create some pressure on the soil , 16-20 ton in your case , equal of about 10pickup trucks ( in imperial system ... just joking )

Land prices in Isaan are the same as land prices anywhere else . Meaning they can be very low or very high depending on road access , sunken or raised land , land title , proximity to city/village , present owner ( and the need for money) ....,....

3 hours ago, carlyai said:

Let me know how the planning, installation of the heat exchanger goes. I'm thinking of a solar house project this year and thinking about including  pool heater. Definitely 'brisk' when the temp. drops. I've got to heat about 100000 L which may not be possible for my budget.

https://gettopics.com/en/calc/water-heating-time

100m3 of water is a lot , but depending on where you are and how many you want to heat up all is possible . If your pool is 16c and you want 28c then it is gonna proof a difficult task ( or expensive ) . If you have some room in the sun , a simple homemade solar heater can well do it . The sun's output is 1000 watt/m2 . So that,s a few kW you can put inside your pool for free . Add a foam blanket at night to reduce temp loss during the night and in a few days you might have gained enough .

After that , a heat pump might be the answer . Especially a combined system were the cold is moved inside home and the heat in the pool . Everything is always possible and they do not have to cost fortunes .

Been looking at installing a roof gutter since the overhang of the roof is 1st of all not big enough to keep water splashing down hitting the lower end of the wall and doors (wood , preparing to change those to alu or upvc , would never put wooden doors again since unless you can you can keep them 100% dry all the time , they will need replacement after 10-15y )  . Addding a gutter would add another 20cm of overhang . And a 2nd reason is to reroute the flow of water from the roof to a "removal point" which can be a tank , but can also be just the street instead of adding more water to the land . The land itself is raised quite a lot so it is no issue of overflowing the land from streetside .

10 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

UK regs. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-electric-vehicle-smart-charge-points

 

How does this affect the "granny lead" that comes with the car? (less then 3kW)

It won't . You can charge any electric car by standard wire from plug ( non charge station , i think max is around 2000 watt ) . This will still effect the grid if many people around a same block do at the same time , but the 7kW and more charging stations , they are effected . IMHO most people do not need these things , as they require many times higher incoming lines to your house . If you are doing less then 100km per day , no problem charging from your normal outlet .

Will be more and more around the world , more and more things are running electric and cars do need a lot of electric . The grids , allthough in many countries are charged , are not upgraded to that job . It is just a extra reason that cheap energy will be a thing of the past , since the new technologies need large investments fast and are clearly payed by 1 person ( aka the consumer) . It is also a reason to go off grid as fast as possible , if you are able to do so . It will come with a cost , no doubt about it , but it will pay itself back quite fast .

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Everyone I know has already had COVID (vaxxed or not) at least once.

What's wrong with you?

I did not get covid , i did stay away from anyone for 2.5y , except for work . And yes you could very well take it literally , no visitor , no restaurant visit , nothing at all for 2.5y .

Having said that ,

So the rules are getting more stronger again , i am fully vaccinated , i did not need a negative test right now to enter , now i need one ... fails me why but ok .

oh comon , i did spend a few days in Pattaya before going to the village . I did wear my mask in the daytime outside , but in the evening practically i never worn . I did have 1 with me but nobody wore it . And basically it is as stupid as it can be . Like i said before in another topic , i am not at all against masks , in fact i am all for it . However , it must be used have its function . What's the point of wearing a mask when im walking in the daytime on the beach and spend 2 hours in a crowdy nightevent indoors where its crowded and no mask wearing ? I just fail to see the use of it . If it is for covid you can just ask also to wear a red nose and big shoes outdoors , and inside do what you want . Just the same ....

I repeat again , i am not against masks , i got a bucketload full in my luggage , and i do wear them , but in most cases over here in Thailand i just 100% fail in comprehending why . Like somebody showed me (Thai person) of a woman in rural Thailand complaining about her aircon not working and breaking down after a few months , while the house it is installed got no doors ( a blanket as doors) , huge gaps under the tin roof , non-insulated open space practically ... . Basically it is just the same , whats the point of it ...  I still wear them here in the village when i go out of the house , but there's people all the time coming in , with their mask on , and taking it off when they entered , and then we are all drinking and eating here together ... as stupid as it can be .

Freezers are nothing , they are large consumers in any household , but that is because of the 24h/7 consumption . On hourly basis , it's a ok load . The circulation pump if it is correct , that might be a problem . Is that running all the time ( can't be since that alone would be way over your 350 kWh use / month ) ? You need to check it , is it a start stop with timer ? Also , a 2500watt pump is not small , can be but it certainly would be a problem . Startloads on such things are big and most solar inverters do not like it . There are ways around it , like the low frequency inverters which are better suited for it , but otherwise you better check in front . You could also run it like the additional aircons on different grid ( aka your incoming lines split between your normal household and then the other ones who only run on the grid ) . Sounds complicated but really it isnt , since you need fusebox for you solar inverter anyway , 1 is powered by the inverter the other one direct from grid .

Also Your aircon in gym , i guess you mean a 9000btu unit , non inverter type . Thats ok for a 5000 watt inverter . 9000 btu is 750 watt engine , so peakload is still well under the 2hp ( 1500watt) which in general is the max a 5000 watt inverter can handle .

On 4/27/2022 at 10:25 AM, Hummin said:

I doubt I will, and I can pay 5k or 10k a month, it will not change my habits sleeping with aircon. Two aircon running is only when we have visitors, and our bill now is 2 800,- a month depending on how often we circulate the fish pond. Will change that pump to solar when coming back. 
 

@Crossy

 

They say the rule is 20m from meeter (last electric company pole) to house, everything further away double price. 
 

we talked to village boss, since there is not only us, and she said she will take care of it. Now 8 months later we have no answer. 
 

Thais have patience at least my family, and also have not guts to say what they mean to officials, and we have to use the correct line of power, the Village boss. 
 

Same the National park service was to come and give us the correct sticks border agains their land, but somebody whispered in to my ear, they will not come before someone hand over 10k.

 

Our neighbour farmer is constantly cutting trees on national park, and we fear, we will be included in his problem when they come for him. But thats another topic.  

Well if your electric bill is 2800 baht for a 8 baht rate , then it is very possible . That's 350 units a month or +/-12 kWh per day . It also means you aren't running all the aircons , prob just 1 in the bedraom . To offset that amount you need to get around 4 kW of solar power , a 5000W (are your aircons inverters , very important for the startloads!)  hybrid inverter , and 10 kW battery ( for those inverters it would mean 48V 200 Ah ) . Now this is a minimum , but it will cover a 350kWh load ( most of the time) . Adding more batteries will always be beneficial , since doubling on those would create a large buffer , for less sunny days , and or keep your batteries just last much longer .

You can think about it is all gonna cost , depending on your provider of all items .

solar panels now , most are 1.2 baht per watt ( there still are a few cheaper around ) , so 4kW sets you back 50000k

inverter between 15000 and 50000 all your choice

batteries , 10 kW , 50k with a bit of looking around

the rest are bits and pieces , like mounting rails , switch box , wires ... just make that a easy 10k .

Do not forget your peakload , idk you installation and what you do , but if you got a like a 4500 watt water heater , or a swimming pool pump of 3hp , then the inverter just won't cut it . Then its over to the design table .

On 5/9/2022 at 9:24 AM, Muhendis said:

I saw those panels in Global House too. Reason to pay more could be they are 24v and half cell sizes which is more efficient but I wouldn't care to install them without help. They look heavy.

Installing them alone would not be realistic . It  can be done , but yes solar panels aren't the lightest stuff around . The difference between all of them is minimal , if you are worried about it . You do have +500W panels , which do contain more cells , and are larger also , they come around 30-32 kg . The standard 72/144 cell type are in size all roughly 2m*1m ( there are differences ) , and vary in wattage from 300-450 watt depending on brand /type/efficiency .. and are more or less 25 kg each . Then there are the smaller panels , they are off course lighter and can be installed alone , but most of them ( the 60cell type is not so common anymore) are not for "larger" installations . I would not see anybody putting 10 times 50 watt in string to a inverter .

56 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Let's get rid of the masks. If the authorities want to keep them, to make sure the fear and paranoia remain, let's just say NO! 

 

It is getting to the point to utter stupidity, and a total lack of common sense. The other day I was in an outdoor restaurant, and there was an entire table of people wearing masks. As soon as the food arrives, they will not only be taking off their masks, but digging into the common area food with their own spoons, which they have already eaten with. The lack of science in this debate, and situation is stunning. 

 

It is really about keeping the people scared, at this time. Numbers continue to drop, standard cloth masks have limited effectiveness, wearing them outdoors is downright silly, and this ultra paranoid behavior has to stop. The government and goons like Anutin are largely responsible for an environment of fear at this stage of the game. This is about maintaining paranoia, control, and fear. After all, you would not want the people to get too comfortable. They might take to the streets again, and show their disdain for this thoroughly toxic, and nearly useless administration. 

 

Questioning the narrative is essential to life, prosperity and well being. Being a lemming is not a desirable trait. We all know how minor the effect of a cloth mask is. Defy nonsense. Be disobedient. Defy stupidity and big brother's diabolical scare mongering nonsense, every chance you get. 

yes , exactly the same i said , with even more examples . Any country can impose any rule they want , but they got to be useful in a sort of way . Basically , i see 0 changes from behavior of people then before covid . Now i do understand it , but then the masks have to go also . In the village here , people are coming over and drinking and having food together , just like they did before . Wearing a mask until you go to other people and then sit down and talk eat together in group and then leave put mask back on , until they go other place , doing the same  well then there is simply no point at all  . 1st line of defense against spreading the virus ( or any virus that is) is stopping human to human contact . Masks do work in places where you cannot avoid contact . Now its wearing a mask where you do not meet others and when you are making contact with others , take the mask off .

3 hours ago, vandeventer said:

But there is also a new player in the game called  Monkeypox it's in America a few cases but kills 1 in 10.people The CDC said it is hard to catch but ordered millions of vaccines  Something fishy here?

nahh , it's just the press jumping on it , after covid . There's like dozens of diseases breakout every year , sometimes something is more common or happening but nothing to worry about . Few years ago it was meningitis , this year there is a hepatitis and monkey pox . Later this year maybe 1 or 2 more being picked up by the press .

BTW , if you are a bit older , and you did get smallpox vaccination , you prob are protected also . Nothing to even to be the slightest of worry about , leave that to virologists . Unless you see a big outbreak in 1 or 2 places , then it is time to worry , not for 1-2-3 people .

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

If you flip the recirculate vent on the car, it will suck in all those nasty omicrons from the outside.

 

Vehicle ventilation is one-way only, it doesn't exchange air, it either recirculates the air inside the cab or it draws air in from the outside and mixes it with the air in the cab.

 

For example, if you fart in the car, you open the window, you don't flip the recirculation vent.

Virus particles do not life long in open air , and they are spread around diluting the particles . Indoor circulation with a taxi driver makes me breath in the same air as he breaths out . Then a facemask does not help ( a FFP2 worn correct still does help ) .

16 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You came all the way here to watch how people go about mask wearing and banging on about it. There are better ways to enjoy your time here I assure you. 

I only made a observation . They can keep the rules as they want , it is their country . Same like the Chinese can spray the aircraft runways with disinfectant , 0 result but hey if they like to do , up to them . I only observing the way the masks are worn , which in many times is just not working at all . For me 10 baht for a few masks is nothing , i got bundles of masks ready , even 3M FFP2 same like worn in the hospitals for working with covid patients . However for many people the 10 baht masks is money they can't actually miss . In this regard , make the masks use as good as it gets , not a stupid feature which does not stop anything .

22 hours ago, sungod said:

2 shots of AZ, then I 'caught' covid, quite mild thankfully.

 

Wont be bothering with any more shots the way things stand after nature's own booster.

 

Cant hide behind these 'vaccines' for ever, everyone is going to get it at some point.

And that is why you got the vaccine .... vaccines will not repell the virus . If you do get in contact with it , you might get infected/sick . The difference is that your body now comes in contact with something it is suppose to remember , thx to the vaccine . This way , your body will react faster to find the infected cells in your body and you do get less sick . It boosts your natural own defense . Would you have been more sick when not being vaccinated , well in individual cases , it is impossible to know . In general population , yes , dramatic reduction in serious illness / death .

For the time being it was useful to have lockdowns . They not have been the most pleasant times , but they do cut down on movement of people aka spreading virus . It won't stop it , since people are not machines , which they did try to do in China in some points (or still are) . I could live perfectly happy on my own , but i know most cannot . Anyway , lockdown did serve its purpose , slowing down infection in a way hospitals can cope with the load . After a while , so many did have the infection already , and then they will not go to hospital even if they are infected again , leaving less and less people going hospital , even when the infections surge . This is the point where many EU or other countries went before . It is not ok , but most have had it , and the amount of others are in much smaller amount that hospitals can cope with the workload .

5 hours ago, fdsa said:

would you be so kind to show how to pay an invoice to some company that wants a "bank transfer", via the Western Union?

 

 

 

Bank to another bank in Thailand was 20 baht transfer fee , long before BTC arrived . WU got different rates , in older days much higher and also at the spread ( buying /sellling ) . Nowadays , lots of the fees on WU have disappeared , but still got huge bad spread rate ( aka the rate you get when sending money to Thailand ) , thats why Wise or other websites are used a lot more now .