Over the past few weeks, Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has placed Geographical Indications (GI) squarely in the national spotlight, signalling a shift from pure legal protection towards active commercialisation of GI as an economic asset.

On 13 August 2026, DIP publicly reaffirmed that “Cham Kai Lampang" of Lampang province's chicken-motif ceramic bowl is a registered GI product, warning traders against unauthorised use of the name or its associated mark and urging consumers to buy only certified GI goods. Days later, DIP partnered with Siam Takashimaya to set up a dedicated "GI Market" inside one of Bangkok's premium retail spaces, curating top GI products from 15 provinces. In a related initiative, "GI Journey: Taste Map of Thailand," DIP is working with well-known restaurants to bring GI-registered local ingredients into fine-dining menus, turning everyday regional produce into a culinary and marketing asset.

Under the Geographical Indications Protection Act in Thailand, a GI protects names, symbols, or other indications identifying goods as originating from a specific geographic area, where a given quality, reputation, or characteristic of the goods is essentially attributable to that origin. Once registered with DIP, a GI cannot be used by producers outside the designated area or process, and unauthorised use can trigger both administrative enforcement and civil remedies.

For international brand owners, this wave of activity is a useful signal. Thailand's enforcement posture on GI is becoming more visible and consumer-facing, and not just a registry exercise, a pattern already familiar to owners of protected European names such as Champagne, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Feta, who have fought with varying degrees of success to police use of their names abroad. As Thailand pushes GI products into premium retail and fine-dining channels, the commercial stakes of misuse and the value of active enforcement rise accordingly.

For businesses and brand owners engaging with Thai-origin products, or holding foreign GI rights and wish to extend into Thailand, this is an opportune time to review geographical coverage, registration status, monitor marketplace use, and consider Thailand's growing GI ecosystem not merely as a compliance matter, but as part of a broader intangible-asset strategy in a market that is actively building the legal and commercial infrastructure to support the economic use and growth of GI-protected products.