[Is Acupuncture Technique Effective For Smoke Cessation?]

I am an acupuncturist & yes it is effective for people wishing to stop smoking, it works by easing withdrawal symptoms such as craving & also helps to calm nerves & speed up the removal of nicotine from the blood stream.

The one thing it can't do is give you will power but is great for those people who really do wish to give up but need help.

One treatment a week for 4 weeks is generally all thats required. Ear points are what most acupuncturists use in conjunction with 'press needles' inserted in 1 or 2 points in each ear which are gently rubbed for a few seconds when when you feel the urge to smoke. My personal sucess rate for a course of treatment is 95%.

Spiritman

Greetings Spiritman,

I spotted your response in the "Quit Smoking" post.

I posted a query in the "Health" topic area seeking an acupuncturist in Pattaya or Bangkok as well as the availability of Wheat Grass and other Herbal Remedies.

Myself and my brother are in Pattaya and he has severe Excema. In the U.S. last year he was helped by a few treatments with the needles and the use of Wheat Grass.

Can we obtain either in Pattaya or Bangkok? If so, where?

Any help is appreciated.

[Chinese Acupuncture And Herbal Remedies]

Greetings,

My brother and I have been living in Pattaya for 1 year.

He has severe Excema and was helped last year in the U.S. by an acupuncturist giving several specific treatments and recommending consuming Wheat Grass. This helped while were there and able to buy the wheat grass.

Does anyone know if, or where, there are any acupuncturists in Pattaya or Bangkok and where, or if, we can buy Wheat Grass here in Thailand?

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

[Taking My Dog Back To Usa]

I shipped my dog from USA to Thailand 11 mos. ago following all prescribed paperwork and shipping guide lines.

At that time I had heard that it would be very difficult to bring him back, due to USA inbound restrictions but, recently, heard from an expat friend of a friend that, as far as he knew, there was no quarantine or draconian demands other than shots up-to-date, etc.

Anyone have any current experience with this in the USA?

[Retirement Visa Question]

If you do not plan on traveling outside Thailand during the year of your extension, there is no need to apply for a multi entry permit. If you decide later in the year that you want to travel, you can apply for a single re-entry permit anytime at immigration. To be clear, with an extension based on retirement, unlike a multi entry O-A visa, there is no way to leave Thailand and reenter to get an automatic ADDITIONAL one year of permission to stay. The permits only keep your CURRENT permission to stay valid when you re-enter.

However, if in the future for some reason you decided to "start over" and apply for a new O-A visa in your home country, be sure this time to apply for a multi-entry O-A visa because that gives you the special benefit of being able to stay at two years in Thailand without the need to apply for an extension in Thailand. If you plan on staying in Thailand now indefinitely, you won't be doing that. Instead, you will just go in and apply for one year extensions based on retirement in Thailand like most all of the long term retirees here.

My current plans have me leaving Thailand in 3 mos. or so for an unspecified amount of time with a return possible but not definite.

If I understand correctly, the above referenced actions at immigration will cover me until then and then I must apply for a permit to leave a SINGLE time and return.

Is there nothing I can do at immigration NOW to allow me to travel at that time?

[Retirement Visa Question]

The OP should tell us about how he plans to qualify for his new extension and then he can get some specific advise on how to proceed with that. Pension? Cash in Thai bank? Combo? Enough to exceed the 800K?

Yes....thanks for all the advice guys.

I do have the funds in the bank and will get letters to confirm and plan on getting the lease Doc. as proof of address.

My plan, as it comes together in my head, is to arrive with all requirements at immigration for the purpose of extending my current O-A visa.

My only uncertainty is how big of a deal will be made of the "not reporting" and how much cash to be prepared with.

OK, sounds good.

At this point, you are not extending your O-A visa. Your O-A visa will be dead. What you are applying for now is an annual extension of stay based on retirement. As you are using the bank account method, I will mention again it must not be one baht under the 800K even for one day for two months before the date you go in to apply for the extension, not two months before the actual expiration date of your current permission to stay. You should get the letter from the bank either the same day or the day before you go in for your application meeting. Good luck.

So I'm not extending my O-A visa?

This is a new wrinkle. Am I still using the TM-7 form? Does my new status request provide multiple entries?

[Retirement Visa Question]

The OP should tell us about how he plans to qualify for his new extension and then he can get some specific advise on how to proceed with that. Pension? Cash in Thai bank? Combo? Enough to exceed the 800K?

Yes....thanks for all the advice guys.

I do have the funds in the bank and will get letters to confirm and plan on getting the lease Doc. as proof of address.

My plan, as it comes together in my head, is to arrive with all requirements at immigration for the purpose of extending my current O-A visa.

My only uncertainty is how big of a deal will be made of the "not reporting" and how much cash to be prepared with.

[Retirement Visa Question]

So how much cash should he bring to office to be totally safe?

2,000 is enough.

Why do you feel sure 2000 is enough?

Some of the info in the above posts seem to clearly indicate the possibility of larger and per-day fines.

Is it my O-A category that makes those references not apply to me?

[Retirement Visa Question]

Thanks for your advice. Yes, I plan on renewing the retirement visa. Regarding the PROOF of my address, I have been renting a house with the phone and utilities remaining in the owners name...I have just been paying it.

Do you think that a document from the owner will suffice? If not, what type of proof would suggest?

A copy of your lease should work.

Are you clear about what you need to get your new permission to stay? I assume now you are not on an O-A visa, correct? Or if you don't understand the distinction, tell us how you got your CURRENT permission to stay in Thailand and then we can tell if you have an O-A visa or not.

The regulations say a fine of 5,000 and 200 for each day you are in violation. That is however the maximum fine, and in practise they only fine 2,000.

Interesting. Not to be paranoid, if they were in a bad mood and really offended by a long term non-compliance, it is then POSSIBLE they could do this, yes?

I must say with an emphatic NO! I am not clear about any of this.

Looking at my passport/visa it says: Type of visa-Non-Immigrant......Category- O-A....No. of entry S

what does the O-A mean? Is this good or bad?

[Retirement Visa Question]

Yes, you have violated Thai law. You are required to file a 90 day report every 90 days you are in Thailand. If you leave Thailand before 90 days (with a reentry permit) your reporting date is 90 days after you arrive back in Thailand. You need to go to immigration ASAP and BRING CASH. You will be subject to a large fine. Someone here will be able to tell you how much but don't go in there without the cash ready to pay. Most likely, you will not be going to jail. Just be very apologetic and plead ignorance, be prepared for a stern lecture, and most importantly be prepared to pay the fine! Oh, and BTW, you must bring in PROOF of your current address, a copy of a phone or power bill is the most common.

The other encounters you had an immigration are not related at all the the official 90 day report.

Do you plan to stay next year? (Your permission to stay end is coming up.)

Thanks for your advice. Yes, I plan on renewing the retirement visa. Regarding the PROOF of my address, I have been renting a house with the phone and utilities remaining in the owners name...I have just been paying it.

Do you think that a document from the owner will suffice? If not, what type of proof would suggest?

[Retirement Visa Question]

GREETINGS GENTS,

I'M BEEN LIVING IN PATTAYA IN THE SAME LOCATION FOR 11 MOS. I HAVE A RETIREMENT VISA THAT I THOUGHT WAS GOOD FOR ONE YEAR.

NOW RESEARCHING FOR INFO ON RENEWAL, I FIND POSTS ABOUT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS EVERY 90 DAYS.

I HAVE CONTACTED IMMIGRATION THREE TIMES SINCE I ARRIVED: 1. TO GET PAPERS ALLOWING ME TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT AND 2 MORE TIMES FOR MOTORCYCLE PURCHASES.

I HAVE NEVER REPORTED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

MY VISA IN MY PASSPORT IS STAMPED SAYING APRIL 30, 2008-MY ARRIVAL DATE-AND "ADMITTED UNTIL APRIL 29,2009".

AM I IN SOME SORT OF TROUBLE HERE?

IF SO, HOW BAD?

AM I MISUNDERSTANDING ALL THE REFERENCES TO THE 90 DAY REPORTING? ARE THEY REFERRING TO A SITUATION OTHER THAN MY OWN?

ANY CLARIFICATION, ADVICE AND SUGGESTED COURSES OF ACTION IS APPRECIATED.