Thailand’s DIP Consults Stakeholders on Strengthening IP Protection and Enforcement
On 8 September 2026, Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (“DIP”), Ministry of Commerce, convened a consultation meeting (the “Consultation”) with international and business representatives and Thai government agencies on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property (“IP”) rights in Thailand.
The Consultation was attended by more than 80 participants, including:
- The Members of the European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) IPR Working Group; Delegation of the European Union to Thailand; Embassy of the United States of America in Thailand; British Embassy Bangkok; US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC); American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM); and British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT).
- The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (“MDES”), Customs Department, Department of Special Investigation (“DSI”), Economic Crime Suppression Division (“ECD”) and National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
The Consultation formed part of the Government’s efforts to align Thailand’s IP protection and enforcement more closely with international standards. It gave businesses, rights holders and other stakeholders a forum to raise practical issues directly with the DIP and other relevant agencies. The DIP will take the feedback into account in further developing Thailand’s IP system.
Key Issues Discussed
Participants discussed IP registration, use of technology to improve the registration process, and coordination between the DIP and other government agencies to improve IP enforcement, particularly in addressing IP infringement and promoting more integrated cooperation among relevant agencies. International and business representatives called for shorter processing times and more efficient registration procedures.
The DIP also provided updates on three areas:
- IP registration: The DIP is using technology to modernize its registration system such as Trademark e-Filing and AI-Image Search and Trademark Checker to facilitate the registrars’ working processes.
- IP enforcement: Enforcement has been strengthened in commercial areas, at storage facilities and at border checkpoints through inspections, seizures of infringing goods and coordinated enforcement actions by the DIP and relevant authorities, including the Customs Department, DSI and ECD. From January to August 2026, Thai authorities handled 672 IP infringement cases and seized 2,039,432 items infringing copyright rights, with estimated economic damages exceeding THB 875.9 million.
- Online enforcement: The DIP continues to work with rights holders and e-commerce platforms under existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the protection of IP rights on the internet. To date, more than 39 parties have signed this MOU, including several leading e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, TikTok Shop, NocNoc, Nex Gen Commerce and LINE Shopping. More than 1,700 infringing listings have been removed through the Notice and Takedown mechanism implemented under this MOU. In addition to its cooperation with the private sector the DIP is also working with the MDES and DSI to improve measures for blocking websites involved in IP infringement.
Next Steps
The DIP will consider the comments and recommendations received as it develops Thailand’s IP system, with a focus on improving IP registration process and timeline, strengthening enforcement (including against online infringement) and enhancing inter-agency coordination.
Key Takeaways
- The Consultation gave stakeholders a direct channel to raise practical IP issues with the relevant Thai authorities.
- Registration efficiency, technology adoption and inter-agency coordination were the main topics.
Author: Panisa Suwanmatajarn, Managing Partner.
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