ARTICLE 26
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION

1.         The competent authorities of the Contracting States shall exchange  such  information  as  is  necessary  for  carrying out the provisions of this  Convention  or of the domestic laws of the Contracting States concerning taxes  covered by this Convention insofar as the taxation thereunder is not contrary to  the  Convention,  as  well  as  to  prevent  fiscal  evasion. The exchange of  information  is  not  restricted  by  Article 1. Any information received by a  Contracting State shall be treated as secret in the same manner as information obtained  under the domestic laws of that State and shall be disclosed only to  persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) involved in  the assessment or collection of, the enforecment or prosecution in respect of,  or  the  determination  of  appeals  in relation to, the taxes covered by the Convention. Such persons or authorities shall use the information only for such purposes  but  may  disclose the information in public court proceedings or in  judicial decisions.

2.         In no case shall the provisions of paragraph 1 be construed so as to impose on a Contracting State the obligation:

            (a)        to carry out administrative measures at variance with the

                         laws and administrative practice of that or of the other

                         Contracting State;

            (b)        to supply information which is not obtainable under the laws 

                         or in  the normal course of the administration of that or of the 

                         other Contracting State;

            (c)        to supply information which would disclose any trade, 

                         business, industrial, commercial or professional secret or 

                         or  information,  the disclosure of which would be contrary to 

                         public policy (order public).

ARTICLE 27
DIPLOMATIC AGENTS AND CONSULAR OFFICIALS

            Nothing  in  this  Convention  shall  affect the fiscal privileges of  diplomatic agents or consular officials under the general rules of international law or under the provisions of special agreements.

ARTICLE 28 
ENTRY INTO FORCE

1.         This  Convention  shall  be  ratified  and  the  instruments  of  ratification shall be exchanged at Bangkok as soon as possible.

2.         The  Convention  shall  enter  into  force  upon  the exchange of  instruments of ratification and its provisions shall have effect:

            (a)        in Sri Lanka:

                         In  respect  of  taxes  on  income for any year of assessment 

                         commencing on or after the first day of April next following

                         that in which the exchange of instruments of ratification takes

                         place.

            (b)        In Thailand :

                         (i)         in respect of taxes withheld at the source, on amounts

                                      paid of  remitted  on  or  after the first day of January

                                      next  following that in which the exchange of

                                      instruments of ratification takes place;

                         (ii)        in respect of other taxes on income, for taxable years

                                      or accounting  periods  beginning  on  or  after  the 

                                      first day of January next following that in which the

                                      exchange of instruments of ratification takes place.

ARTICLE 29
TERMINATION

            This Convention shall remain in force indefinitely, but either of the  Contracting States may, on or before 30 th June in any calendar year beginning after the expiration of a period of five years from the date of its entry into  force, give to the other Contracting State, through diplomatic channels, written notice of termination.

            In such event the Convention shall cease to have effect :

            (a)        In Sri Lanka :

                         in respect of taxes on income for any year of assessment

                         commencing on or after the first day of April next following

                         that in which the notice is given;

            (b)        In Thailand :

                         (i)         in respect of taxes withheld at the source, on amounts

                                      paid or remitted  on or after the first day of January

                                     next following  that in which the notice is given;

                        (ii)        in  respect  of other taxes on income, for taxable years

                                     or  accounting periods beginning on or after the first

                                     day of January next following that in which the notice is

                                    given.

            IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned duly authorized thereto have signed this Convention.

            DONE in duplicate at Colombo on this fourteenth day of December 1988,  in Thai, Sinhala and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In the case of divergence of interpretation the English text shall prevail.

PROTOCOL

            The  Government  of the Kingdom of Thailand and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, having entered into a Convention for the  avoidance  of  double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect  to  taxes  on  income,  have  agreed,  at the time of signing the said Convention,  that  in  connection  with  paragraph 4 of Article 19 "Government Services", the term "Government" shall also be deemed to include the Central Bank of  Ceylon  and  the Bank of Thailand but only for so long as the remuneration derived from the Central Bank of Ceylon by its employees is exempt from Sri Lanka tax.

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