John Hansen

Hello everyone, I am unsure about what I need to do regarding the new tax law. Currently, I spend more than 180 days in Thailand with my girlfriend as a tourist. Someday, I intend to stay in Thailand permanently with her, but due to financial issues, I will have to wait a few years. It is difficult for me to stay in my home country for 180 days just waiting to return to my girlfriend. My situation is that I am 45 years old and receiving an early retirement pension from my government due to an illness, so my income comes solely from my government. I know that my country's government has a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with Thailand, so I should supposedly be exempt from paying taxes in Thailand. My questions are: 1. Do I still need to go to the tax office and declare anything, even though I am exempt from paying taxes in Thailand? 2. What kind of proof do I need to show that I receive a pension? 3. Will the Thai tax authorities contact my government's tax authority? 4. What happens if I don’t go to the tax office? Will I receive a fine from the Thai government? If so, how would that happen—would it occur when I visit the immigration office to extend my visa? I don’t want any problems in the future when applying for a new visa. I tried reading other threads in the forum but I didn't find any clear answers regarding my situation Thanks for reading