Hi Robert, thank you! Can you drop me a line by email please? [email protected]. Thanks.

Hi Tom, Sure. Can you drop me a line on my email please and I will give you the details. It's [email protected].

It's [email protected]

Well, as I said in the video, I used an agency to compare insurance offers. I think that is probably a good idea. Apparently if you ever need to make a claim it can also be very useful to have the support of the agency if there are problems getting reimbursed. At the end of the day I expect it is probably impossible to know how good the policy is until a claim is actually made.

You are very welcome Ross

Hallo Sebastian, alles OK bei Dir? Ja, ich habe davon gehoert. Sizilien habe ich ausgewaehlt auch wegen des Wetters und wegen der Geschichte und Kultur usw. Ich denke, dass man fast ueberall in Italien jetzt 1 Euro Haeuser finden kann. Allerdings sind die echten 1 Euro Haeuser oft nur Ruine, sodass man sie komplett neu bauen muss, z.B. auch ein neues Dach etc. Das Haus welche ich gefunden habe kostet unter 30K Euro, aber ich glaube dass man keine grossen Kosten hat oder neue Konstruktion braucht. Das ist mir lieber. Ich bin jetzt dabei das Haus technisch zu untersuchen.

​@@ancientbiker Cool dass du geantwortet hast :) Ja mir gehts gut. Bin wieder zurück in thailand. diesmal mit gemietetem haus. gefällt mir direkt nochmal doppelt so gut jetzt :D. diesmal 1 jahr, evtl 2-3 sogar. Spätestens danach wollen meine freundin und ich uns festlegen auf einen ort wo man länger bleiben kann. Italien ist für uns beide ein super mittelding, um beide familien (deutschland und osteuropa) relativ nah zu haben, gleichzeitig wetter und naja halt die essgewohnheiten, das meer. Ist sehr vieles was uns anspricht. Für mich persönlich geht thailand auch klar, aber mit distanz zur familie ist blöd wenn man langfristig plant. Und für meine freundin gibts beim essen in thailand größere umstellungsschwierigkeiten bzw ist eher suboptimal in dem punkt sagen wir mal. Vielen dank für deine infos dazu! Triffst gerade einen guten zeitpunkt bei uns damit. Auch die begründung warum du dann doch lieber ein haus kaufst macht sinn. Ich denke mit diesem video und deinen kommentaren hier hast du allein uns beiden schon sehr geholfen vielen dank dir! Wir gehts dir soweit? Gesundheitlich alles den umständen gut? Übrigens sehr cool, dass du immernoch fleißig dabei bist youtube videos zu machen! Hab lang nicht rein geschaut, bis jemand aus dem freundeskreis meinte dass du ein video zu diesem thema gemacht hast :) Ich wünsche dir auf jeden fall allen erfolg den du brauchst, um das projekt in frieden fertigzustellen und danach deine zeit in italien hoffentlich entspannt genießen zu können Finde ich sehr cool wie du die herausforderungen des lebens anpackst. nie zu stolz alte entscheidungen nochmal zu überdenken und chancen beim schopf zu ergreifen.

@@sebastianshine4262 und wo bist Du? Wieder im Sueden? Chumphon?

@@ancientbiker ja wieder am selben ort :) selbe straße sogar :D finde es sehr schön hier

Hi Tom, Can you contact me by email please? [email protected]. Thanks, Patrick

Insurance companies are crooks - all of them. It's a giant scam.

That's a truly shocking account. I tried to do a lot of checking and research about the company I chose before deciding on them but I suppose, at the end of the day, it's only when we need to make a claim that we discover how bona fide they are.

Well I guess that all these autopilot systems are still in their infancy. Am sure that with AI they will rapidly improve.

@@ancientbiker Let’s hope so.

Hi Tom. Well, according to the insurance agency my inpatient cover also includes outpatient costs if they are connected to a condition which in treated as an in patient. I think it is very typical for cancer (or kidney failure) to lead directly to rehab costs (or dialysis) and these are also covered in my case.

@@ancientbiker Maybe I need to ask more questions. Are you with Pacific Cross?

@@tombkk1322 yes I am. I specifically asked about outpatient e.g. post operative treatment cover when I chose the policy. I think it would make a nonsense of the concept of proper health insurance cover if it excludes (often long term) treatment after being released from the hospital.

Sure Hugh, I'd be happy to connect

hi, that is certainly true for the village where the house is that I'm interested in. What I failed to mention is that, in the weeks that I have so far spent in Sicily, I have seen almost no children of ant ages. In Thailand they are very visible everywhere either on motor scooters before or after school or at the mall. Quite different here.

I think you might be right David. Although, having said that, I have watched a few KZbin videos of Americans and other non EU citizens who bought houses in Italy and seem to have found it easy to get a long term residence status and visa. Also easy enrollment in the Italian health system. Maybe the Italians recognise that they have a very real demographic problem and need to do everything possible to facilitate migration.

Sure. At the end of the day it's only when we have to make a claim that any of us discovers how good our health insurance provider and cover actually is.

Did I make up my mind Teacher T? I really don't want to leave Thailand.. I hope and think that my enthusiasm for Thailand comes across. I think Sicily (or anywhere else in Europe) only appeals to me if 1) it gives me an income and 2) I can continue to live in Thailand for up to 6 months a year. Of course northern Thailand seems very unattractive this year because of the smokey season, the excessive rain and awful flooding. But the people and nearly everything else is still great. I love it.

@@ancientbiker lol

Definitely very Mediterranean, that's for 😃 sure

That's great - well, I assume that it's good news :)

I tried my best Bykersam. Wanted to test ride the V7 (Special!) and with Mount Etna in the background, but the Guzzi dealer wasn't having it 😭

Thailand definitely has a head start - very, very hard to beat I think

Sorry, no i wasn't conflating them. I was really just trying to illustrate how both of these extremely new / young Chinese companies have taken huge market shares within just a very few years. I wanted to contrast the success (or lack of it) of 90 year old "legacy" car companies like VW with brand new Chinese car companies which are taking the market not only domestically in China but globally too. When you look at Xiaomi's car it's hard to imagine that it was made by a software / phone company which is less than 15 years old.

My pleasure!

Yes. As I said in the video I am very new to this theme of EVs, but I get the huge excitement around this model as well as some other Chinese EVs. Australia is probably one of the most open markets in the world because - along with Norway - it has no indigenous car industry and is not part of the US or EU blocs which dictate policy on anti Chinese tariffs. So the Xpeng probably has more chance of success where you are than in many parts of the world. In the short term the Chinese will establish their dominance in South America, Russia and the rest of Asia.

@ancientbiker The Xpeng G6 has been selling in China since April 2023 but it hasn't had strong sales compared to Tesla. Xpeng as a company is lucky to sell 3,500 cars a week while Tesla does over 13,000 in China. BTW the Tesla Model Y was the top selling car model overall in China in 2023..(and that includes outselling ALL gasoline car models too!!!). A very historic achievement for Tesla in China's crowded and competitive EV market. BTW the iPhone was the top selling phone in China in 2023.

It seems that, at the moment, BYD is Tesla's main competitor in China. Tesla's sales seem to be stagnant, or at least not growing. Cut and pasted an analysis of BYD vs Tesla: BYD Sales BYD sold a record 373,083 vehicles in August, up 36% vs. a year earlier and 9% vs. July's 342,383. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) continued to be the main driver, buoyed by a new advanced hybrid system that offers much-longer range. Of the 370,854 passenger EVs, BYD sold 222,384 PHEVs, a sixth straight record high and up 73.1% vs. a year earlier and 5.5% vs. July. Fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) came in at 148,470, up 1.95% vs. a year earlier and 14.2% vs. July. There had been some buzz that the EV giant's sales would near 400,000. BYD may still be somewhat production constrained as it races to meet demand, especially for hybrids. Output was 366,973, below sales once again, with some evidence that official sales were below actual deliveries. Overseas sales were 31,451, up 25.7% vs. a year earlier and 4.8% vs. July. In addition to exports, BYD has a new plant in Thailand, its first full assembly plant outside China. The EV giant has plans for a number of overseas plants, including Brazil, Hungary and Turkey. Commercial vehicles, including buses, delivery trucks and more, shot up to 2,229, up 643% vs. a year earlier and 40.7% vs. July. So far in 2024, BYD has sold 2,328,449 vehicles. It looks set to easily pass the company's official target of 3.6 million EVs, and might reach an unofficial goal of four million. Over the last three months, BYD has sold 1,057,137 EVs. Overall vehicle sales are well more than double those of Tesla, but the latter still has a slim edge in BEV sales. Last Wednesday, BYD reported Q2 earnings rose 32% to 43 cents a share, in line with views. Sales jumped 26% to $24.2 billion, but missed forecasts. BYD launched a few more models Friday at the Changdu auto show, including a hatchback and new minivan. BYD stock fell 1.6% to 30, back to a cup-with-handle buy point of 30. jumped 5.2% to 30.50 last week, including Friday's 4.3% rally. Shares cleared the 50-day line and a cup-with-handle buy point of 30. BYD is up 10.2% so far in 2024, the only EV maker that's positive for the year. BYD, which trades over the counter in the U.S., is not yet trading Tuesday.

@ancientbiker BYD was already selling 500,000 cars a year in China WAY back in 2011 when Tesla didn't even have any factories up and running anywhere in the world. BYD isn't Tesla's main competitor in China. Tesla is BYD's main competitor in China. It's always been that way. To have the Tesla Model Y come out of nowhere to snatch up the #1 car model in China for 2023 (not the Xpeng G6 nor any BYD model BTW) is mind blowing considering it is $35,000+ car!!!! and there are literally dozens of auto makers in China with far far far lower priced cars. I happen to own a 2023 Model Y (in the US). BYD's overall sales are up but their Battery Electric Vehicle sales are also flat like Tesla's. It's their hybrids that are mostly spiking up.

@@someuser7501 As you know, I am very new to this whole subject of EVs. I am not trying to knock Tesla (the video title is just a classic KZbin hook). For me - as an outsider - Tesla and its cars has always been very impressive. I think that - apart from anything else - Tesla illustrates the vital importance of SOFTWARE (navigation, self parking, auto pilot and even automatic reservation of their own proprietary charging network) for success in the EV market. Perhaps this is the main reason why VW and other legacy carmakers failed (no software expertise) and why Xiaomi has come from nowhere with a serious challenger, because Xiaomi started life as a software developer. I think this whole EV market is extremely dynamic and differs greatly around the world. In Europe, and in Germany in particular, the market seems to be stagnating but in China it is booming. I think we can expect to see radical changes within a very short timespan.

Thank you very much. Hhhhmm, may have to wait for my lottery winnings first :)

Still turns OK though Teacher T 😂 (it's the new fangled look).

Hi John, moving to Thailand is a great idea. Would you mind dropping me a line by email? The address is [email protected]

Hi, Actually I like them both. I suppose it's just that I particularly like this two-tone special edition of the Aurora. Only problem, for me, is the weak 20 horsepower engine. Maybe they will start offering it with the 450 Sherpa engine, but probably wishful thinking.

@@ancientbiker thats what super meteor provides. more horsepower.

@@RS23545 you're right, and it's a great bike. I'm also looking forward to seeing the new Classic 650 which apparently is on its way.

Awesome, thank you!

Hi, As of 2024, Royal Enfield operates 36 dealerships across 24 provinces in Thailand, with plans to increase that number to 50 by March 2025. Most major locations have a Royal Enfield dealer already.

Royal Enfield also has an assembly line here. A lot of vehicle manufacturers do this to reduce import duties.

@@ancientbiker That's just fantastic to hear & I will be able to get my hands on the bike I want.

When I bought my Classic 350 last year in May I compared the RE prices in Thailand with average European prices and found that they were about 15% lower here. That also depends, of course, on the exchange rates. But prices are also a marketing decision. Triumph makes all its bikes here in Thailand but Thai prices are about 15% higher than in the UK !

@@ancientbiker That's fantastic to know, do you you if there are any used or new Himalayan 411's for sale? I'd be interested to know the price ranges. The remaining new 411's are currently discounted in the UK, due to the new 450 being available.

I'm not surprised. I am also tempted by it but only after I have compared the CF Moto 450 MT to it first.

Hi Stuart, could you maybe drop me a line by email? I will be happy to give you more information about my insurance company and / or the agency I used too. My email is [email protected]

My pleasure

It's a bit weird especially because India must still be their most important market and Indians - like other Asians - are normally not particularly tall. I think they will also have problems in Thailand if Thais can't get it off the centre stand, then they won't be buying it in a hurry.

I think short people approach the bike differently. You push it off the side stand before you sit on it. No extra strain on your left leg. There's a short vid of a very short man getting on the bike and riding it. There's also the possibility of lowering the bike. You sacrifice a bit of ground clearance but it has ample.

I think my friend's problem was with getting it off the centre stand ... when it wasn't possible to just keep it on the side stand

@@ancientbiker mine was getting it off the side stand, when sat on the bike. Just couldn’t get the bike vertical.

Oh I see. Well, it certainly is a tall bike.

Thanks for the info! I will let Andrew know

Hi AC, you can contact me on [email protected] and I'll be happy to give you the details.

​@@ancientbikerI'm approaching 67 and looking to relocate to Thailand from the UK. I would be grateful for the broker you use. Many thanks Paul

Thanks for visiting :0

You're welcome Pat

Thanks, you too!

I just got my green book out of the drawer and had a look. No. No reference to km anywhere, neither when I registered the Rebel, nor the previous owners. I think we probably just have to assume that the odometer reading is probably wrong (especially if there's no service book).

​@@ancientbikerYes, I bought a couple of motorcycles at large used motorcycle shop in Bangkok called DBigBike. They had over a hundred second hand motorcycles there and almost all were between 6,000 and 18,000 km. Talk about fishy!

@@SecondLifeTravels1 For sure, yes. When I first noticed this extreme low km phenomenon I thought it was because of these "Instagram big bike posers", I mean those rich Thais with Harleys or GS etc. who only ride as far as the next Instagram photo shoot venue so they can pose on their bikes. There definitely is an Instagram biking thing here, but I realised that most very ordinary bikes that are no good for showing off also have suspiciously low km.

That's incredible, but somehow not very surprising.

Can I ask where you are? Maybe it's a northern Thai issue, but up here at least and especially for Honda it can be difficult or impossible to find test ride bikes. When the new Transalp came out they shook their heads in amazement when i asked about a test ride. 400,000 Baht please, but no, can't ride it first. Luckily some rental places in Chiang Mai were renting them out for, I think, 1600 Baht per day. And renting for the day is probably the best way to get a feel for a bike.

@@ancientbiker I have lived in Khon Kaen for almost 20 years and have never had a bike that Did not test drive, yes maybe Thai dealers have different rules and ideas in different areas. They tend to follow each other and are not known for doing different things.

@@oilguygamer1744 Yes, I think that's it. The same with this issue of buying from other farang in other provinces. Depends, ultimately, on the province as is often the case in this country.