Stop Snoring Now!

Thailand Expat Life: Visa Run to Vientiane, Laos

A few days ago, I made my first visa run to Laos, by bus.

Normally I go to Singapore to get a 60-day tourist visa, but the last time I went, they refused to give me a 60-day visa because I have an open e-ticket back to Canada. They now want a confirmed ticket, and will not accept an open ticket. This is stupid, if you ask me. I told the lady at the front desk that if the violence in Bangkok gets bad, I can phone Air Canada and be on my way next day, so an open ticket is much better than a ticket for a particular date. No dice. So I had to fly back to Bangkok and got the usual 30-day entry at the airport. The entire trip cost me 18,000 baht, counting hotels, flights, meals, taxis, etc. What a waste.

I did a couple of visa runs by bus to Cambodia, and find that a pain in the bum, since you only get 14 days and then have to do it again, and it costs 2000 baht each time.

So this time, I signed up for the bus to Vientiane.

I must say that the service by the visa run company was excellent; the bus (a 40-seater) was full, and it was the same comfortable bus they use for the Cambodia runs, with the same driver. The driver is relatively conservative, seems to be mindful of the fact he’s got 40 farangs on board, and is as careful a driver as you would want.

The bus left PB Tower on Sukhumvit Soi 71 exactly at 8:30PM.

There was a pee break about an hour later at a service centre, and then another 2 hours later, and so on, throughout the night. These gave the driver a chance to relax a bit, which I thought was a good idea.

Unfortunately, I have never been able to sleep on a bus or airplane, and this trip was no exception. While my seat mate happily snored away the night, I sat there bleary eyed, shifting in my seat periodically as my bum got sore. I appreciated the rest breaks as well.

A DVD movie was played at the start of the trip, but after it finished, it was after 11PM, so no more movies were shown.

We arrived at the border early, before 6:30. I watched the sun come up. We had to sit around for a while until the border office opened, and then one of the bus company ladies got all our passports processed. She had previously collected them on the bus.

After being stamped out of Thailand, we took 3 mini-buses (vans) across the bridge (Mekong River) into Laos, where again we waited while the lady got our passports processed by Lao immigration. In less than an hour, we took the mini-buses into Vientiane, and arrived at the street for the Thai Embassy about 7:30 or 7:40 AM. There were already at least 200 people lined up along the sidewalk, and it was hot.

The embassy gates opened about 8:15 AM, and we all filed into the embassy compound. There was a ticket machine at the front, and we joined the queue.

However, our erstwhile visa run lady ushered us up the stairs into an air-conditioned area and handed out low-numbered tickets from the machine. Our numbers started around 95, whereas the people at the ticket machine were getting tickets numbered over 350. So I presume she had some contact in Vientiane who stood at the beginning of the line at the gates at an early hour, and then passed the tickets to her when she arrived an hour or more later.

The ticket numbers were called out over the public address system in both Thai and English, and repeated once: “Ticket number 37, please proceed to counter number 2″.

I soon noticed that there was no pause in the number callout, the announcements came non-stop, and soon reached the 80s. We all rushed downstairs to the counters and were there when our numbers came up. But the numbers just kept on rolling by. Our lady collected our passports and tickets, and lined them all up along the counter, and then told us to go wait in the other building.

Over there, we found there were four more counters, numbered 3 through 6, but only one, counter 4, was active, and there were at least 100 people waiting, sitting on chairs. This waiting room was also air conditioned.

Again, the numbers were called out, but this time there were big gaps between, and there was a substantial pause after each number was called. When a number was called, a person went up to counter 4, received a paper receipt, and then exited stage left.

After every batch of 10 or 12 numbers, there was a 5 or 6 minute delay. That was when I noticed that the Thai lady behind the counter was printing out and then separating the receipts. Clearly, the passports and applications were being processed in the other building, entered into a computer, and then the receipt was printed in this building at counter 4.

After about 30 or 40 minutes, my number was called; I went up to the counter, got my receipt and exited. The guy next to me had a lower number, but his number was not called, so he got a little upset and went up to the counter, where the lady told him to wait.

I went out the exit, and there was my visa run lady collecting the receipts, and then ushering us over to one of the vans. My receipt had shown “60 days double entry tourist visa” and “fee: $0″, so I was happy.

The van took us to a local restaurant where we had a Thai/Lao food breakfast or brunch of fried rice and whatever. This was free, paid for by the visa run company, but soft drinks were 20 baht extra.

In Laos, you can use Lao kip, Thai baht, and US dollars interchangeably. If you pay in Thai baht, you get change in Thai baht. If you pay in US dollars, you get change in Lao kip, which, like Cambodian currency, has very high denominations and no value. A Pepsi was 20 baht, which was reasonable, but no diet drinks were available. By the way, ATM machines in Laos only dispense Lao kip.

After brunch, we were taken by van to the hotel, which turned out to be quite acceptable, maybe 2.5 stars. There was no pool, just a room, but it was a big room, private bathroom, and cable or satellite TV with many Thai, a few Lao, and some movie channels, including HBO and Star Movies.

The bathroom was typical Thai-style, with no shower stall or bath, and a shower head on the wall. There was a flash water heater which worked, and the toilet worked. The towels were large, red, fluffy, and obviously new.

I had paid an extra 200 baht at the front desk for a private room. The visa run fee of 5000 baht includes a shared room (2 per room). The fee will increase to 6000 baht after the free tourist visa promotion ends June 5.

In bed by 1PM in the afternoon, I slept for several hours, got up, showered, watched a movie, then went out in search of dinner. I walked up and down the main street near the hotel, but there was nothing appealing. However, the office complex 20 meters from the hotel had a restaurant, so I went in there and found 5 other farangs from the visa run also there. The food was good, the prices were not expensive, and I was able to pay with Thai baht. The young lady behind the bar was probably the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on, and I have been to Thailand off and on for 20 years. She made me wish I was 25 again.

Next day, I had breakfast at the same restaurant, and then around 1PM, we piled into the vans again and were taken to the border. There are a lot of “duty free” shops at the border. We waited about 45 minutes or so, and then the visa run lady showed up, and we all went through Immigration with the Lao border people just looking at us, not asking to see our passports, which the visa run lady had.

Back across the bridge to Thailand, where we waited another 45 minutes or so, then it was back on the bus for the return trip. Within an hour, we stopped at a restaurant, where we had another Thai meal, again free, soft drinks extra, 20 baht.

The return trip seemed much faster, as several DVD movies were played, which occupies the time and the mind.

We arrived back in Bangkok at 1:30 AM. You can get dropped off anywhere along the route; some exited at Ramkhamhaeng. I waited until the end, which is just beside Ekamai BTS station, where I quickly discovered that the BTS was closed. An 80 baht taxi ride later, I was home again.

Would I do it again? Definitely, yes. The whole process was pretty much automatic. The company took care of everything.  You do have to book a seat in advance, though. One farang apparently called to find out the price and time, showed up and was angry that there was no seat for him. But he had not made a reservation, had not left his name or phone number, so was out of luck. Of course, he had left it until the last day of his visa, so he would have to leave the next day somehow and pay the 500 baht overstay fee.

To summarize: you leave at 8:30PM, spend a night on the bus. Then it’s half a day waiting around, with brunch included. Check into the hotel, sleep a bit or, if you have the stamina, explore Vientiane. Not much there, though. Have dinner, sleep one night at the hotel. Next day, wait around for a morning or visit Vientiane, then bus it back to Bangkok, arriving about 1:30 AM.

If you want to do this yourself, the company I used was “Quick Thai Visa Run”, 6th floor, PB Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 71. The contact is Phillip, who speaks perfect English, at 02-713-2498 (office hours) or 09-0245-255 (24 hours). They have a web site at www.ThaiVisaRun.com, but it hasn’t been updated in a while, and only mentions their Cambodia run, not the Laos run.

Baby Scared By Snoring

why does my dog snore when sleeping and when she wants something?

Without more information, the snoring while sleeping could be because of the breed, or because she has had a weight gain.

My cat recently began snoring, and the vet says it is because she has gained weight. She hasn’t gained much, but like people, animals who gain weight can suffer from a type of sleep apnea.

If she is a bulldog breed, it could be that. Some breeds are more predisposed to snoring.

You may want to take her to your veterinarian to have her checked out, and be sure she is getting enough oxygen.

As to the “snoring” when she wants something, I have no idea unless it is more of a snorting, and that too sounds like it could be a possible breed traight.

Best of luck.

Private Pickles the Pug Sleeping and Snoring

It Is Essential That You Know How to Stop Snoring

You could be one of the many millions of people on the lookout for a successful way to stop snoring. This is not something that is strange as most households will have at least one member that snores. This often disturbs the family members and gives rise to a need to stop snoring before it gets out of hand.

Use Special Pillows

Often, snoring problem stems from the fact that you may be sleeping on your back which causes the throat as well as tongue muscles to relax in the direction of the throat, therefore causing a person to snore. You will untangle many different solutions on how to stop snoring and among them is the use of special pillows that will be shaped in a manner that promotes relaxed and quiet sleep.

Throat Muscle Exercise

A possible option that you might want to consider in your quest to know how to stop snoring is to be aware of the reasons behind snoring and then act in a manner that eliminates these causes. For example, you could try and increase the strength in the throat as well as tongue by performing certain exercises that will prevent the tongue from falling back towards the throat.

If you are at a loss about how to stop snoring the ramifications in your life could be quite massive, and you may also be affected in terms of the quality of your health. Often, a snoring problem that is left untreated can become something worse such as a person developing sleep apnea which can be a threat to his or her life. Other harmful consequences could include the end of a marriage, or otherwise seeing discord in a relationship that is threatened by as simple an ailment as snoring.

There is really no reason for not knowing how to stop snoring as there is an abundance of information available. It could be as simple as skipping the glass of milk you have before bed or trying a few different sleeping positions.

Medical Involvement

It is important that you know how to stop snoring by experimenting with simple solutions first. If they fail, consult a doctor in case there might be a latent medical condition that you are unaware of. By being proactive and finding out just what it takes to stop snoring, you will be nipping this bothersome habit in the bud and it will make you a happier and healthier person.

Sleep Apnea Cure – What Are Your Options?

Cure Your Snoring Problem

I wanted to talk to you about a cure for snoring problems. If you’re the one snoring than you probably don’t think it is that much of a problem, but speak to the people that have to live with it and you might change your mind. Just because you sleep through your problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It is extremely annoying to your spouse and people that live in surrounding rooms, which the noise penetrates. Snoring is a sign of being unhealthy, so I think it is important for you to start taking this seriously because it is a sign. I’m going to show you the cure for snoring problems.

There are a few solutions available for you. If you think about a person snoring, what characteristics do you see? What I see is someone sleeping on their back with their mouth wide open. What happens is that the air comes in the mouth and it vibrates against the loose tissue in the back of your throat. It becomes exceedingly difficult to snore if you sleep on your side while breathing in your nose. Gravity pulls the loose tissue out of the airway and it should eliminate it. The problem is that you’re asleep and you really can’t force yourself to be on your side all night, while breathing in your nose.

The cure for snoring problems is a wrap for your head. The idea sounds pretty bad, but it’s actually comfortable. There is a specific wrap designed to go around your head to hold your mouth closed. It’s comfortable. The idea is to force your mouth closed, so that you’ll breath in your nose. After you do this for a while, you’ll get used to the idea of breathing in your nose and won’t have to use the wrap any more and the problem is solved.

Snore Cure by Snore-Op

Best Anti Snoring Devices In The Market Today

Many Anti Snoring Devices claim to do the job but not all of them will be suitable for everybody. The Best Anti Snoring Devices are here reviewed. It is hardly amusing to listen to a person who snores, it can actually even be irritating. If you’re living with somebody who snores heavily, a relative or a family member maybe, then the noise might sometimes be really upsetting. Whenever you can’t have a sound night sleep and all of the time get up many times in the middle of the night by a sound that could be even as loud as a lawnmower or a jet engine in action, then you have to think about anti snoring devices as a remedy to solve the problem.

Here are some very important anti snoring devices you could consider buying for your family member and prevent them from troubling your sleep:

Anti Snoring Device – Sleep Position Monitor

This anti snoring device makes a beeping noise to alert the snorer once he changes to a posture where snoring generally occur (like sleeping on their back). However, if you are a relative of a snorer and would like his/her snoring to end, then this device may turn a whole new problem. But, the intention of this device is not to to help you not stay a wake in the middle of the night. Instead, it’s there to make a brand new sleeping habit.

Anti Snoring Device – Throat spray

A very good natural remedy to end snoring is the snoring spray. This is developed with natural components. Snoring spray comprises essential oils that when sprayed on the throat, leave a lubrication that brings down the amount of vibration, hence more than effectively minimize snoring. Still, it is ironic that when throat spray is applied often, it could lead to more snoring.

Prior to applying the throat spray, the physician’s evaluation on the patient is essential to prevent any undesirable complications.

Nasal dilators anti snoring device

Generally made up of stainless steel coil or plastic, nasal dilators help maintain the air passage open thereby bringing down the throat’s vibration which results in snoring. Nasal dilators are used by introducing it into the nostrils.

Nasal Strips Anti Snoring Device

Just Like the nasal dilators, nasal strips are employed to open the airways on the nose and maintain the proper amount of airflow during sleep. Nasal strips are very often made of plastic. This is among the more popular anti snoring devices for it is inexpensive, safe, and effective. As a matter of fact, nasal strips are employed by athletes for better airflow and respiratory efficiency while in the game.

When the snorer begins to sleep on his side, the sleep position monitor can be removed.

Snore ball anti snoring device

A snore ball is arranged at the back of the snorer. Once he shifts in his sleeping position from side to back, the snore ball gives out discomfort, in other words, it avoids the snorer from sleeping on his back. It might not be the device an individual needs to experience in the middle of the night but some actually need it inorder to change their sleeping posture for good. Many people use golf balls, baseballs or tennis balls as snore balls.

Anti Snoring  pillow

Among the many  causes of snoring today is an improper sleeping posture. This makes the air passage to stretch and tighten making it more difficult for air to flow in and out. To solve this problem, there are anti snoring pillows that relax the air passage and maintain the correct sleeping position in order to avoid a person from snoring throughout the night.

Sleeping Jaw Supporter – Best Anti Snoring Device

The sleeping jaw supporter has been identified after thorough research as one of the best Anti Snoring Devices. Snoring research has shown that a Sleeping Jaw Supporter, keeps the lower jaw in an upward position and thus increases the three dimensional space in the airway, this then reduces air velocity and soft tissue vibration. These actions can eliminate or substantially reduce snoring.

For one thing, all these anti snoring devices could keep a person from snoring, nevertheless, snoring may be caused by some other medical conditions that might require medical attention. It might help to seek a doctors advice if you are unsure and to to find out exactly what treatment does he need. Checkout one of the the anti snoring devices: http://bestantisnoringdevice.com/

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How to Stop Snoring

Using Pajamas To Stop Snoring

Remedies to help a person stop snoring abound. Walk through the aisles of any pharmacy or health food store and you’ll probably see entire shelves devoted to snoring cessation medications, sprays, inhalers, syrups, and so on. Do any of these actually work? Are there any that seem to have more success than others? And how can you actually use your pajamas to stop snoring, if at all?

Using Natural Remedies to Stop Snoring

Before you try some special pajamas to stop snoring, consider sprays and inhalers, as these sometimes do work when looking for a natural remedy to stop snoring. A common reason for most who snore is that they have excessively dry throats, mouths, and tongues, and this causes these areas to vibrate loudly when they breathe while sleeping. These sprays, inhalers and syrups coat the mouth and throat and keep them moist throughout the night.

The only problem with many of these sprays is that sometimes they contain alcohol or have narcotic properties that are so strong that they interfere with other medications, health conditions, and sometimes are reportedly even addictive! There is another remedy that involves your pajamas to stop snoring, but we’ll get to that soon enough.

In addition to sprays, inhalers, and syrups, you can also try to keep your throat moist by using a humidifier or vaporizer in your bedroom and making sure the room is warm enough. Having a room that’s too cold can also cause your throat to become tense and dry, which is one way that you can use pajamas to stop snoring. Make sure that they are warm enough for your particular climate or environment. If you’re not comfortable with ones that have high neck or that feel scratchy, shop around for soft cotton or flannel, but make sure they’re also loose enough so that you can move in your sleep without waking up.

Lifestyle Changes

Before you think about what you can do to your pajamas to stop snoring, think about your own lifestyle. Sometimes people don’t want to hear how they are bringing their snoring on themselves, but unfortunately they may be doing just that with things such as smoking or excessive body weight. Smoking of course damages your health overall in many ways, and has been linked with not only lung cancer but cancers of the throat, mouth, tongue, and bladder, as well as heart disease and heart attacks. Smoking has been tied to snoring in that it severely dries the throat and mouth, and this dryness causes snoring. If you smoke, there’s no way you can use a simple pair of pajamas to stop snoring, and of course you have more to worry about than the snoring itself.

Additionally, being overweight often causes people to snore as the extra weight puts pressure on the neck and cuts off the airway. Obese people often are heard gasping and choking at night since they have such a hard time breathing. Again, there are no magic pajamas to stop smoking if you are literally choking yourself during sleep.

Using Pajamas to Stop Smoking

So, just how do you use special pajamas to stop smoking? The truth is that there is nothing special about pajamas to stop smoking, it’s what you do to them.

Some people have found that they begin smoking when they sleep on their back and their head falls back, lower than their neck. This lets their mouth fall open, and breathing their mouth makes them snore. Many bedmates of snorers often spend quite a bit of time rolling the snorer onto his or her side during the night. However, you can do this yourself by putting tennis balls or some other uncomfortable item in the back of your pajamas. When you try to sleep on your back, the tennis balls are painful and you naturally avoid that position.

Some have found too that using pajamas to stop smoking works if you avoid the tennis balls in the back and instead put them in the neck of the pajamas. Usually just one is sufficient.

Sometimes however this method can make a person too uncomfortable as they don’t naturally roll onto their side but instead find themselves waking up in order to readjust their positions by themselves. Waking up several times in the middle of the night can be just as disturbing as snoring.

Additionally, it can be somewhat awkward to try to attach tennis balls into the inside of your pajamas to stop snoring if you’re not very handy with a strip of Velcro. And of course tennis balls are not washable, so heaven forbid you forget to take them out on laundry day!

There are other ways to keep you on your side that aren’t quite as complicated. For example, some snore pills will cradle your head and keep it in proper alignment with your neck regardless of what position you sleep in. If your head is upright and aligned properly, you won’t be likely to breathe through your mouth. You can also try to prop up the head of your bead by an inch or two. Or, try putting a pillow behind your back and under your pajamas to stop snoring, as this too can keep you from rolling on your back.

Of course if none of these remedies work, you can always see your doctor for medical intervention. He or she can recommend other options for you. There are oral medications available by prescription. Surgical intervention may also be necessary, and these surgeries are not as invasive or dangerous as you may assume. In severe cases you may need to use an oxygen machine at night, but of course these things are better than the health risks that come with chronic insomnia. There may be no magic pajamas to stop snoring, but there are solutions, and every day there are new options being made available for those who suffer from chronic snoring, whether it’s theirs or their person they sleep with!

How to Stop Snoring at Night