Yamato

Finally time to standby as train arriving soon Long long escalator Platform The 2hrs 40mins ride begins A gift Goodies Almost 300

After rushing through 2 meetings in Panyu in the morning its time to rush again. Took a taxi 2 hours ride to Dongguan East Station for my ride to Ji'an in Jiangxi province. Dongguan East Station Realised I hadn't any lunch so went to a convenient store as there's no restaurant in this station Got some grocery Hot water is easily available everywhere in China so this is easy

If you looked at the hotel room above you could guess I had a terrible night sleep. Luckily breakfast was great. Hotel does not provide breakfast so staff directed me to a shop about 100m from hotel. Owner preparing rice rolls Lady cooking porridge This type of local shop is not for everybody especially foreigners however if you like local food this is it Century egg and pork porridge Egg roll with pig liver Egg roll with fish My wonderful S$4 breakfast

I had dinner alone at a roadside restaurant Claypot chicken Steamed fish Steamed crab Its small but fill of delivious roe Fried noodle My dinner With 3 very light beers I thibnk this was a good meal

By today day 8 I had gone through 8 cities and completed 13 meetings/visitings. Yesterday was rest day for me in Shanghai however later I will move on to my 14th meeting today. Last post was still Sunday my second day and lunch in Dongguan, after that I took a taxi to Panyu district of Guangzhou. Ended up at a small town hotel that my counterpart here booked due to proximity to his factory. This is the best hotel around The run down lobby Street outside the hotel Many food establishments along the streets around the hotel The village The entrance to the room as you can see is very dated BIg bed that's full of noisy springs that you can feel on your back Simple old furniture Furnitures that I wouldn't touch looked old, mouldy and sticky

Sunday after work in Dongguan's Nan Hai district, went for lunch at a Cantonese restaurant before leaving for Panyu. Cantonese soup Meats from the soup Hakka tofu Chili with pork Roast goose Steamed grouper Stir fry vegetables

My first night in China was staying in a very nice hotel in Dongguan known as Vienna International. Very nice room. Unfortunately its only one night. Breakfast was had in the restaurant adjoining the hotel Seems very popular with the people in this town, got to queue by 8.30am. I was early. This is their open kitchen preparing dimsum Big restaurant but full Serving porridge Lor Mai Gai - simply delicious Rice roll Steamed pork ribs Great breakfast

It is rather frustrating to post here in China as first I need to upload the photos then posts and all these websites including here is blocked so gotta use VPN to help to open up however getting through the VPN is a difficult task in the first place second the speed is low and third you keep dropping the connection as I believe the authorities are trying to block the VPN as well. So finally arrived after about 2h 45mins Getting my luggage (45kg load) Right after arriving, Visited 2 factories and then dinner at a Cantonese restaurant (I love Cantonese cuisine) Cantonese soup Roast goose Beef Prawns Hakka tofu Steamed fish Stir fry vegetables Spring onion bao The spread

So why I had stopped posting here past few days is because since Saturday I had travelled 6 cities finished visiting 9 businesses in China and this morning continue to move on. Now in a taxi to my next meeting having 40mins to spare. Saturday arriving at the Suvarnabhumi airport Checking in Going to the gate, Suvarnabhumi is actually quite beautiful. My ride to Guangzhou Full flight Ready to start my 21 days of travel

Leaving Ranong by Nok Air Check in counter in Ranong Airport Departure hall Walking down for security checks and gate Queueing up for security check Gate waiting for our flight The smiling bird had arrived Love that smile Boarding Cabin Arriving in Don Mueang Airport Quiet Arrival Hall Waiting for luggage

Was told Ranong is also popular for muslim food especially roti, so on the day I was to leave Ranong I went in search of roti for breakfast. The Muslim Shop Menu Stall She is making roti The kitchen Full house My breakfast that costs $7.00

My second morning in Ranong I discovered a traditional porridge shop Was told they've been in business for more than 30 years. Shop opens 5am and closes when sold out which is about noon. The stall Dining area Menu on the wall Owner preparing food Food preparation Porridge Pork rib soup Coffee and fritter My rice noodle with pork Porridge and pork rib soup

At Ranong I went to a beautiful cafe in a SHELL gas station. 168Cafe

Taking a Night Walk Along Ranong's Short Walk Street

After the long morning walk chanced upon a dimsum shop Chill Chill Dimsum refrigerator Morning fix, traditional black coffee Ordered century egg pork porridge Some dimsum

Friday 6.30am morning walk in the main street of Ranong Old building 1959 Chinese school Many shops still not open Classic shopfront [img]https://i.imgur.com/lR1RO87.jpg[/img] Old walkway Waiting for the ride to school Everyone seemed to be looking at their phone Morning delivery Ranong main market, lets go in to take a look Morning pick [img]https://i.imgur.com/zyERaX5.jpg[/img] Fresh fish from the boats Waiting for customers Meats Provision shop Vegetables Unloading Alms Dry stuff

Had a great seafood dinner at a restaurant in Ranong Steamed egg Grilled squid in sweet sauce Deep fried prawn in tamarind sauce Mixed vegetables and chicken Soya sauce groupa Deep sea pomfret steamed with sour plum

Visited a cafe in Ranong beach

I like the hotel breakfast simple yet comprehensive

On Thursday last week I arrived in Ranong, my first trip to Ranong. Checked into this rather new hotel Very bright and nice room The spacious toilet very well designed

Next morning before leaving Chumphon for Ranong, had breakfast at a local dimsum place. Name of restaurant is Hor Jiak meaning delicious Dining Pick what you want The kitchen My picks ready to steam and fried Breakfast ready Bak kut teh Fried dimsum

I had to make a trip to the southern province of Ranong to attend a funeral. Ranong is about 600km away and require about 8 hours to drive there therefore will do it slowly in two days. Left on Wednesday and stopped at Chumphon. Novotel Chumphon The room Went to a beach restaurant opposite the hotel. Known as Mae Mai. [img]https://i.imgur.com/qYeAZcW.jpg[/img] First 3 dishes Somtam Southern Thai wild vegetables Kale with salted fish Prawn tomyam Soft shell crabs Deep sea pomfret - 1kg Dinner This meal costs only 2,400 baht or $93

One of my favourite places for breakfast is this countryside eatery by a canal Went there this morning with my truck Parked directly in front of the shop Rustic and cozy setting "Krapow moo sap khai dow" - Thai basil with minced pork and an egg (55 baht) Shrimp tomyam (70 baht) Sardine with Thai herb salad (70 baht) Each dish is freshly cooked when you order. Its delicious fulfilling and great environment for having a relaxing breakfast. Total cost $7.60

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/China-s-Great-Wall-targets-50-growth-in-Thai-sales-this-year2?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20230214123000&seq_num=18&si=44594 China's Great Wall targets 50% growth in Thai sales this year Local EV production to start in 2024 as automaker bets big on expanding market Great Wall Motor's Ora Good Cat is the top-selling electric vehicle in Thailand. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu) YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writerFebruary 11, 2023 02:23 JST BANGKOK -- China's Great Wall Motor aims to increase sales in Thailand by 50% this year over 2022, the privately owned automaker said on Friday, while also planning to launch local production of electric vehicles in 2024. GWM sold 11,616 units in Thailand during 2022, more than triple the previous year's tally, for a market share of 1.4%. The company targets sales of 18,000 vehicles in 2023, with plans to introduce five new EV and hybrid models in the country. More than one-third of the units sold in 2022 were of GWM's Good Cat, a compact electric vehicle under the Ora brand. The Ora Good Cat was the leading EV in Thailand by new registrations last year, with a 39% share, according to local automotive media. The Good Cat is marketed in other countries as the Hao Mao and the Funky Cat. Sales of the car were suspended in Thailand due to production delays, but the company will resume accepting reservations. It aims to sell 5,000 units here in 2023. Thailand has provided subsidies and tax incentives for the car on the condition that it be produced locally in the future. Good Cats currently are imported from China. GWM plans to invest a total of 22.6 billion baht ($675 million) to renovate a plant in Rayong, an eastern Thai province, that it acquired from General Motors in 2020. The company already has invested 12 billion baht. Production of the Good Cat is slated to begin at the facility in the January-March quarter of 2024. The automaker uses Thailand as a production base for Southeast Asia, exporting vehicles from there to neighboring countries. GWM also intends to begin sales in Thailand this year of a coupe-type EV called the Ora Grand Cat, also known as the Lightning Cat in some markets. "Thai people have a keen interest in EVs, and we predict that the market size in 2023 will expand [50%] from last year," Narong Sritalayon, managing director of Great Wall Motors Thailand, said at a news conference.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Toyota-to-develop-new-Lexus-EV-for-2026-incoming-president?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20230214085958&seq_num=3&si=44594 Toyota to develop new Lexus EV for 2026: incoming president Koji Sato says company will first focus on making such cars for high-end market Toyota's first electric Lexus, the RZ, will be launched this year. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto) SAYUMI TAKE, Nikkei staff writerFebruary 13, 2023 20:19 JST TOKYO -- Japanese automaker Toyota plans to develop a "next-generation" all-electric Lexus model by 2026 to meet rising demand for such luxury cars, according to the company's incoming president. "We aim to develop a next-generation battery EV in the Lexus brand in which everything from batteries and platforms to the way the car is built will be optimized for BEVs," said Koji Sato. As current chief of the brand, he oversaw the development of the first electric Lexus, the RZ, which is expected to be launched this year. BEVs refer to all-electric vehicles that are generally called EVs by other automakers, but Toyota uses this name to distinguish them from the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles that it also makes. Sato, who will replace Akio Toyoda in April as the new president and CEO of Toyota, made a speech and answered reporters' questions at a news conference on Monday. He named seven others who will form the new management team with him and talked about his plan to transform Toyota from a carmaker to a mobility company. "To deliver appealing BEVs, we need to drastically change the way we do business, from manufacturing to sales and service, with a BEV-first mindset," Sato said. "Lexus will lead this transformation." Koji Sato will take over as president of Toyota in April. (Screenshot from Toyota Motor's YouTube page) He pointed to the EV shift in developed countries, which is the main market for the Lexus brand, and said that Toyota is trying to meet such rising needs. Sato, a veteran Toyota engineer, said that electricity has "a different influence on aerodynamics... We have to sufficiently understand the characteristics of electricity... and take a step further and manufacture [the cars] in the best suited way." Toyota has faced criticism from environmentalists and investors for failing to catch up with its peers in the development of EVs. Sato pointed out that the emphasis on the electrification of Lexus was part of Toyota's goal to provide a range of vehicles that can meet demand from all buyers. "The energy situation is different in each country, and Toyota's unchanging policy is to consider the circumstances of each country," he said. Asked about concerns over Toyota's EV strategy, Sato said he regretted that there were "communication issues" around the matter. Toyota's EV strategy is for the mid to long term and it is currently focused on energy-saving efforts and cutting emissions from its models by using hydrogen fuel-cells and other technologies in addition to batteries, as well as in its day-to-day business operations.