Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

Name: Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients: 5 ears fresh corn (, (or 3¾ to 4 cups of frozen kernels)); 1 tablespoon olive oil (, or vegan butter (use water to saute for oil-free)); 1 medium onion (, diced ); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 4 large potatoes (, peeled and diced (about 5½ cups or 1¾ lb / 793g)); 4 cups (960 mls) vegetable stock; 1½ cups (360 ml) creamy dairy-free milk (, it MUST be unsweetened and unflavoured (light canned coconut milk is my preference)); 1½ teaspoons sea salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon thyme (, or rosemary (fresh or dried))