Article 36, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
The treaty article requiring host states to inform detained foreign nationals, "without delay", of their right to have their consulate notified.
Article 36(1)(b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR, 1963) requires the authorities of the arresting state to inform a detained foreign national of their right to have the consulate of their home state notified, "without delay". The article also requires the state to transmit any such notification request to the consulate and to permit consular officers to visit, communicate, and correspond with the detainee. Thailand has been a party since 1985. Article 36 does not entitle the consulate to challenge bail, plead on the defendant's behalf, or interfere with the prosecution — it is a communication right, not a substantive-representation right. See the /foreign page for practical scope.
Sources
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations — Article 36 (Communication and contact with nationals of the sending State) — United Nations, 1963 (ratified by Thailand 1985)