ARTICLE 16 Appearance in the Requesting State

When the appearance of a person who is in the Requested State is needed in the Requesting State, the Central Authority of the Requested State shall invite the person to appear before the appropriate authority in the Requesting State, and shall indicate the extent to which the expenses will be paid. The response of the person shall be communicated promptly to the Requesting State.

ARTICLE 17 Safe Conduct

1. No person in the territory of the Requesting State to testify or provide a statement in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty shall be subject to service of process or be detained or subject to any other restriction of personal liberty by reason of any acts which preceded his departure from the Requested State.

2. The safe conduct provided for by this Article shall cease when the person, having had the opportunity to leave the Requesting State within 15 consecutive days after notification that his presence was no longer required by the appropriate authorities, shall have nonetheless stayed in that State or shall voluntarily returned after having left.

ARTICLE 18 Returning Documents, Records for Articles

The Requesting State shall return any documents, records, or articles furnished in execution of requests as soon as possible unless the Requested State waives their return.

ARTICLE 19 Compatibility With Other Treaties and National Laws

Assistance and procedures provided for by this Treaty shall not prevent either of the Contracting States from granting assistance through the provisions of other international agreements to which it may be a party or through the provisions of its national laws.

ARTICLE 20 Ratification and Entry Into Force

1. This Treaty shall be subject to ratification; the instruments of ratification shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible.

2. This Treaty shall enter into force upon the exchange of the instruments of ratification.

ARTICLE 21 Termination

Either Contracting State may terminate this Treaty by means of written notice to the other Contracting State at any time. Termination shall take effect six months following the date of notification.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their respective Governments, have signed the present Treaty.

Done at Bangkok, in duplicate, in the Thai and English languages, each text being equally authentic, this nineteenth day of March in the two thousand five hundred and twenty-ninth year of the Buddhist Era, corresponding to the one thousand nine hundred and eighty-sixth year of the Christian Era.

For the Government of the United States of America:

Edwin Meese III, 

Attorney General of the United States of America.

For the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand:

Siddhi Savetsila, Air Chief Marshal,

Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

Part 8