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From November 15th, 2018 to January 13th, 2019, Thailand will implement a free landing visa fee policy for 21 countries and regions. That means you can travel to Thailand without applying for a visa in advanced nor any visa fee!

© Image | SINA

 Official Thai government documents

 

© Image | 泰国头条新闻

On November 6, according to Thai media reports, the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr. Putipone, officially announced that the cabinet meeting has deliberated and approved the temporary exemption of landing visas fees for visitors from 21 countries and regions. It’s confirmed today that this policy will last from November 15th, 2018 to January 13th, 2019, for a period of 60 days.

 

 

21 Countries&Regions

© Image | 泰国国家旅游局

 

• Andorra 

• Bulgaria
• Bhutan 
• China 
• Cyprus
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• India 
• Kazakstan
• Latvia
• Maldives
• Malta 
• Mauritius
• Papau New Guinea
• Romania
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan

© Image | GOOGLE

 

★Landing Visa Preparation

© IMAGE | GOOGLE

 

Handling method

• According to the guide card to the relevant office, to apply at port of entry for landing visa in Thailand. 

 

Visa fee

• FREE of charge!!!

 

Stay days

• 15 days (The arrival visa can only let you stay in Thailand for 15 days and cannot be extended.)

 

Required materials

• Passport and photocopy of valid period of 6 months or more

• A completed tourist visa application form

• A 4*6 cm color barehead photo taken within six months

• Copy of valid return ticket and confirmed ticket within 15 days after entry

• When entering the country, the individual must carry a cash value of not less than 20,000 baht, and a family of not less than 40,000 baht.

 

Application Process

▲ Complete the immigration card on the flight to Thailand.

 

 

▲ After arriving at the airport, follow the signs to the office, get the application form and fill out.

 

 

▲ Filling the application according to the template prompt on site. After that,  prepare the materials mentioned above and wait in line at the window.

Nov. 11, as you know that it is China’s e-commerce shopping gala, but it’s also China’s “Singles’ Day. A recent survey conducted by Chinese online matchmaking platform zhenai.com showed the top reasons why people choose to remain single in China.

© Image | IMAGECHINA

Two men wearing coats that say they want to stop being single and start a relationship pose at a crossroads in Changchun, Jilin Province, on November 9, 2018. 

Love Desire Is Downgraded

According to the survey of single time, there are as many as 50.72 percent of the singles for more than three years, and the top three Chinese cities are 

• Beijing, 

• Guangzhou,

• Changsha. 

 

© Data | ZHENAI

It can be seen that the single people are showing a tendency to gradually extend their single time. 

According to the survey, nearly 50% of men and 60% of women said that they are not eager to change their single status. It can be seen that the desire for single men and women to stop being single is gradually decreasing.

“Awkward Chat”

 

© Image | GOOGLE

 

Being afraid of starting an “awkward chat” is one of the top reasons to remain single. Among the 8,390 participants, 53.35 percent said they always feel embarrassed when striving to make conversation on a date.

Personal Economic Status

 

Apart from troubles in communication, personal economic status is another major consideration in relationships. More than 70 percent of the participants consider buying an apartment a necessity in marriage while only 30 percent accept rental housing.

Pursue Their Career Goals

 

© Image | sixthtone

For some of those surveyed, the pursuit of career is also a factor in their decision of remaining single or not, with 54.31 percent stating that they would not give up their careers for the sake of marriage.

Other Factors

 

Some respondents believed that physical appearance, personality or family background can determine whether or not to start a relationship with someone as well.

 

© Image | GOOGLE

 

Zhang Shasha, an expert in marriage and relationship with zhenai.com, commented that as single people now enjoy better living standards, they should spend more time on improving their skills in getting along with people of the opposite sex and learn more about love, so as to develop healthy and lasting intimate relationships.

In addition to the speculation of foreign exchange stocks and crude oil, the global rich also like to buy passports. New York Times has conducted an investigation, these rich people spend an average of 2 billion US dollars (about 12.6 billion RMB) each year to buy a second or third country passport and visa. 

© Image | SHUTTERSTOCK

Among them, the Caribbean countries’ passports are the most popular for the travel, investment and tax advantages. They do not have to pay personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax, etc., the greatest extent to avoid the loss of wealthy assets.

But! Buying passports and visas to hide assets won’t work anymore!

 

October 16, 2018 – The OECD publishes the results of more than 100 CBI/RBI programs provided in the jurisdictions that have committed CRS to determine which investment immigration projects may pose a high risk for CRS integrity.

Potentially high-risk CBI/RBI schemes are those that give access to a low personal tax rate on income from foreign financial assets and do not require an individual to spend a significant amount of time in the jurisdiction offering the scheme. 

© Image | GOOGLE

Such schemes are currently operated by Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Colombia, Cyprus, Dominica, Grenada, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Montserrat, Panama, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu.

Official Notice from Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C

 

• On October 17, 2018, countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Dominica in the Caribbean were blacklisted by the OECD.

• On October 23, 2018, among the EU member states, Cyprus and Malta were blacklisted by the OECD.

• On October 31, 2018, Seychelles, Monaco, Bahrain, and Grenada, which are known as tax havens, were blacklisted by the OECD.

# Schemes that potentially pose a high-risk to the integrity of CRS

https://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/crs-implementation-and-assistance/residence-citizenship-by-investment/

SUGGESTION

 

We have always advised our clients to do long-term asset planning and tax planning, rather than rushing to buy passports or other means to hide assets. In the face of the increasingly transparent trend of global taxation, we would like to give some suggestion to those have assets (company, bank account, property) in the countries of the CRS list…

© Image | GOOGLE

 1 

Please reply and upload relevant information in time if you receive bank letter or bank manager inquiry, including annual auditing update, accountant certified copy, tax-resident declaration, details of a transaction, and etc. If you are unable to confirm the bank’s needs, please contact our professional consultant to guide you.

 

 2 

You need to do auditing and update the latest directors’ information on an annual basis if you own the offshore companies (such as Hong Kong companies, Singapore companies).

 3 

CRS is to check the financial accounts of non-national tax residents in each country. The accounts opened before the implementation of CRS will also be in the inventory list. 

• If you still want to keep offshore companies and bank accounts, please make up for the previous annual audit as soon as possible, let our consultants provide you with the best solution; 

• If you do not want to keep the company, please pay the tax in time and cancel the company.

 

 4 

It is essential to audit and report tax on time every year. Auditing≠paying taxes, we will help you to operate your company reasonably and legally.

In the past week, two things impressed the majority of Chinese people most, one was the Double Eleven Shopping spree, the other was the movie Venom.

On Saturday (Nov 10), the move Venom made its premiere in China and as of yesterday, the box office of the movie in Chinese market surpassed 500 Million RMB(about 71.95Million USD). I have already watched the movie, for me, it is a good and interesting movie.

Before the premiere, either the promotion posters or the trailer of Venom gave us an impression that Venom, the big black alien monster from outer space, was a man-eating and evil creature. 

 

Because the alien goo cannot only transform itself into any shapes but also can seep into people’s body to control the human host. 

 

Besides that, it’s ugly face and monster like long and sharp teeth, all these make us naturally think that it is definitely a monster of hell.

 

But that is not true for Chinese netizens. Far from calling it an evil monster, Chinese netizens think Venom is ADORABLE! 

 

You didn’t mistakenly hear it,  when you put keywords like “Venom” or “cute venom” into the Chinese microblogging Sina Weibo search box, then search results like “ venom is so cute”, “ Venom angel-like emoji” will automatically pop out.

 

You think this is over? Of course not. Sometimes, we have to admit a fact that internet users are no way “average Joes”, they are geniuses with a good sense of humor. 

Look at the pictures below, these guys think there is something wrong with Venom’s teeth and they want to fix it…

 

“Help me to fix my teeth”

How about wearing a tooth brace?

 

“Look at my shining teeth”

A confident smile

A netizen even photoshopped two big eyes for Venom, making it cuter. some said that Venom with big blue eyes, it still needs blond hair…

 

 

Cute? Adorable? You did expect this right? Me too… But here comes another! On Nov 9th, the Sony Picture China posted four pictures which show Venom’s adorable and romantic image. 

 

On these pictures, Venom becomes a perfect dating partner for girls. Venom uses his symbiote powers to serve as a selfie-stick, an umbrella, a shopping-bag carrier, and a subway buddy. It’s adorable! 

 

“Who’s that good-looking dude?”

“Life’s most beautiful moment is the instant when I hold up an umbrella for you”

“Shopping has become a beautiful thing ever since I met you”

“I’m holding onto happiness with both tentacles!”

 

 

The Venom’s marketing name made for the Chinese market is called《毒液-致命守护者》or translated into English means Venom, the fatal Protector. 

 

There is a news that before the premiere the Sony Picture China’s marketing team tried to advertise Venom into an image of a good boyfriend for girls. 

 

Actually, this marketing strategy adopted by Sony for was specially designed for the Chinese market. From my personal view, I speculate that the marketing team probably wanted to highlight the word 守护者 or Protector, 

 

Because the word Protector has a lot of connections with 暖男 in meaning, translated into English means “warm male” which equally means good boyfriend who is very sensitive, caring male partners, the kind who do the housework and look after the kids. 

 

At least, the marketing strategy will help in selling more tickets to girls, right?

 

For many die-hard fans of Marvel, either inside or outside China, both the Venom’s adorable image and the marketing team’s strategy give them a big surprise, because people never expect that this a tender and romantic side of it. 

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