mirandah asia’s Thailand office is always on hand to provide services for international clients seeking guidance on the country’s IP procedures. The team swiftly process all enquiries and matters with the highest level of expertise, which only skilled local bilingual Thai specialists can provide.
Overview
With an increasingly skilled workforce, coupled with expanding market opportunities, Thailand’s growing economy is attracting greater international investment. The country’s intellectual property environment is growing ever larger to follow this economic development.
In 2009, Thailand joined the Patent Cooperation Treaty, introducing new patent examination guidelines and amendments to IP law in order to broaden the scope of enforcement to cover all intellectual property laws and expedite processing of patent applications. Following this, it established the National Intellectual Property Centre of Enforcement (NICE) in 2013 to encourage coordinated efforts among various agencies involved in IP protection and enforcement.
The total eradication of the counterfeit industry is a key objective for the Royal Thai government. The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has introduced several initiatives to reinforce its legal framework with an aim to overcome existing challenges in enforcing IP rights.
Growth of Thailand’s IP landscape
In 2016, Thailand’s Trade Marks Act was overhauled, as it prepares to accede to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (also known as the “Madrid Protocol”) in 2017. As a result of the ASEAN Economic Community’s Harmonisation Plan, all ASEAN member states have committed to becoming party to this treaty.
| Legal Basis | Patent Act No. 1, B.E. 2522 (1979) and Patent Act No. 2, B.E. 2535 (1992) as amended by Patent Act No.3, B.E. 2542 (1999), the latter effective 27 September 1999 | |||||||||||||||
| Major international treaties signed |
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| PCT Information | Thailand has deposited their instruments of accession with WIPO on 24 September 2009, thus became the 142nd contracting state of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The treaty became effective in Thailand from 24 December 2009. | |||||||||||||||
| Costs of obtaining a patent | Please contact us at thailand@mirandah.com | |||||||||||||||
| Average time to obtain a patent | 5 to 8 years | |||||||||||||||
| Official language for patent prosecution | Thai | |||||||||||||||
| Non-patentable subject matter |
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| Grace period for prior disclosure or sale | 12 months before the Thailand Filing date (unlawful disclosure, International Exhibition, Government Official Exhibition) | |||||||||||||||
| Major prosecution events |
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| Filing and prosecution procedures | Stage 1: Filing Stage 2: Formality Examination Stage 3: Publication & Opposition (if any) Stage 4: Substantive Examination Stage 5: Grant Stage 6: Renewal/ Annuity |
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| Extension of office action deadlines | First extension: 90 days
Second extension: 30 days |
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| Necessary document for filing | Power of Attorney Deed of Assignment (only where the applicant is different from the PCT application) Priority document (where priority is claimed and has not been transmitted to the national office by WIPO) |
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| Pharmaceutical Data Exclusivity Laws | Not available | |||||||||||||||
| Search and Examination | The Patent Office conducts its own Search and Examination but favours Search and Examination reports issued in prescribed countries such as US, UK, Australia, Japan as well as the prescribed regional European Patent Office | |||||||||||||||
| Opposition term | 90 days after publication | |||||||||||||||
| Term of patent protection | 20 years | |||||||||||||||
| Patent term extension | Not available | |||||||||||||||
| Restoration of lapsed patent | Within 120 days from the date of lapse | |||||||||||||||
| Parallel Imports | Available | |||||||||||||||
| Other forms of patents (e.g. Petty/innovation patents) | Petty patents and design patents | |||||||||||||||
| Useful links |
| Infringement offence | Civil and Criminal (in special cases) |
| Specialized courts for IP | Central Intellectual Property & International Trade Court |
| Outline of the enforcement steps | File a complaint with the police or the Intellectual Property and International Trade Court |
| Relief against groundless threats | Right to counter sue |
| Declaration of non-infringement | Not Available |
| Preliminary injunctions | Available |
| Time frame for various legal actions | Criminal 6 to 18 months Civil 1 to 5 years |
| Alternative dispute resolution | Not available for criminal cases but available for civil cases if the parties agree |
| Civil remedies | Damages |
| Criminal Sanctions | Imprisonment Fine |
Patent Applications
| Year | Resident | Non-Resident | Total |
| 2001 | 534 | 4,798 | 5332 |
| 2002 | 615 | 3,874 | 4489 |
| 2003 | 802 | 4,329 | 5131 |
| 2004 | 819 | 4,554 | 5373 |
| 2005 | 891 | 5,449 | 6340 |
| 2006 | 1,040 | 5,221 | 6261 |
| 2007 | 945 | 5,873 | 6818 |
| 2008 | 902 | 5,839 | 6741 |
| 2009 | 1,025 | 4,832 | 5857 |
| 2010 | 1,214 | 723 | 1937 |
| 2011 | 927 | 2,997 | 3924 |
| 2012 | 1,020 | 5,726 | 6746 |
| 2013 | 1,572 | 5,832 | 7404 |
| 2014 | 1,006 | 6,924 | 7930 |
Patent Grants
| Year | Resident | Non-Resident | Total |
| 2001 | 58 | 738 | 796 |
| 2002 | 39 | 1,063 | 1,102 |
| 2003 | 56 | 972 | 1028 |
| 2004 | 57 | 659 | 716 |
| 2005 | 62 | 491 | 553 |
| 2006 | 118 | 1,003 | 1121 |
| 2007 | 118 | 830 | 948 |
| 2008 | 62 | 904 | 966 |
| 2009 | 59 | 787 | 846 |
| 2010 | 306 | 466 | 772 |
| 2011 | 143 | 757 | 900 |
| 2012 | 57 | 951 | 1008 |
| 2013 | 68 | 1,081 | 1149 |
| 2014 | 73 | 1,213 | 1286 |
| 2015 | 83 | 1,281 | 1364 |
Source: WIPO
| Legal Basis | Trademarks Act B.E. 2534 (1991) as amended by Trademarks Act (No.2) B.E. 2543 (2000) and Trademarks Act (No.3) B.E. 2559 (2016). |
| Major international treaties signed |
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| Cost of obtaining a trademark | Please contact us at thailand@mirandah.com |
| Average time to obtain a trademark | 10 to 15 months |
| Official language for trademark prosecution | Thai |
| Registrable marks | Any distinctive device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, signature, photograph, word, letter, numeral, shape of goods, 3 dimensional trademarks, sound, packaging or combination of colors or any combination thereof |
| Filing and prosecution procedures | Stage 1: Filing Stage 2: Examination Stage 3: Publication Stage 4: Opposition (if any) Stage 5: Registration Stage 6: Renewal |
| Number of classes | 45 (Nice Classification) |
| Multiple class filing | Available |
| Filing of series marks | Not available |
| Necessary document for filing | Power of Attorney – notarized |
| Common objections | Descriptiveness Non-distinctiveness Prior conflicting rights Specifications |
| Extension of office action deadlines | Not available |
| Opposition term | 60 days (non-extendible) |
| Term of trademark protection | 10 years (renewable) |
| Restoration of lapsed trademark | Available within 6 months’ grace period from the date of expiry. |
| Parallel Imports | Available |
| Minimum period of use to avoid non-use cancellation action | 3 years (continuous) |
| Useful links | www.mirandah.com www.ipthailand.go.th |
| Infringement offence | Available |
| Specialised courts for IP | The Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court of Thailand |
| Outline of the enforcement steps | Civil – Trademark Infringement and Passing Off pursuant to the Trademarks Act B.E. 2534 (1991) as amended B.E. 2543 (2000) and Trademarks Act (No.3) B.E. 2559 (2016). – Tortious claim pursuant to Section 420 the Civil and Commercial Code (CCC) of Thailand.Quasi-Criminal – Effected through the Trademarks Acts and Sections 273-275 of the Penal Code of Thailand |
| Relief against groundless threats | Not available |
| Declaration of non-infringement | Not available |
| Preliminary injunctions | Available |
| Time frame for various legal actions | 12 to 36 months (depends on various factors) |
| Alternative dispute resolution | Mediation Arbitration |
| Availability of damages and other relief for infringement | As per below |
| Civil Remedies | Injunction Damages |
| Criminal Sanctions | Trademarks Act (registered mark only) Fines or imprisonment or bothPenal Code (registered and unregistered mark including foreign registered mark) Fines or imprisonment or both *Trademark Act has higher penalties than the Penal Code |
Trademark Applications
| Year | Resident | Non-Resident | Total |
| 2001 | 16,712 | 9,407 | 26119 |
| 2002 | 21,518 | 8,591 | 30109 |
| 2003 | 23,335 | 9,714 | 33049 |
| 2004 | 26,414 | 10,554 | 36968 |
| 2005 | 24,275 | 12,148 | 36423 |
| 2006 | 21,171 | 12,776 | 33947 |
| 2007 | 20,140 | 13,415 | 33555 |
| 2008 | 21,950 | 13,472 | 35422 |
| 2009 | 24,734 | 11,353 | 36087 |
| 2010 | 24,781 | 12,875 | 37656 |
| 2011 | 23,457 | 15,493 | 38950 |
| 2012 | 27,508 | 17,455 | 44963 |
| 2013 | 27,881 | 18,216 | 46097 |
| 2014 | 27,517 | 18,144 | 45661 |
| 2015 | 33,347 | 18,997 | 52344 |
Trademark Registrations
| Year | Resident | Non-Resident | Total |
| 2001 | 11,453 | 8,484 | 31390 |
| 2002 | 13,281 | 9,865 | 23146 |
| 2003 | 11,440 | 6,543 | 17983 |
| 2004 | 15,918 | 7,614 | 23532 |
| 2005 | 18,497 | 8,948 | 27445 |
| 2006 | 15,595 | 8,520 | 24115 |
| 2007 | 14,769 | 9,871 | 24640 |
| 2008 | 12,574 | 9,367 | 21941 |
| 2009 | 11,981 | 10,502 | 22483 |
| 2010 | 13,268 | 8,552 | 21820 |
| 2011 | 11,657 | 7,050 | 18707 |
| 2012 | 11,821 | 8,004 | 19825 |
| 2013 | 11,148 | 8,415 | 19563 |
| 2014 | 11,487 | 9,130 | 20607 |
| 2015 | 11,247 | 9,930 | 21177 |
Source: WIPO
Want to find out more about
Thailand's IP landscape?
Drop us a line or visit
our office.
Thailand's IP landscape?
Drop us a line or visit
our office.
mirandah asia (thailand) co., ltd.
12 Floor Unit 1202-1, Exchange Tower 388 Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Klongtoey Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +(662) 663 6363
Fax: +(662) 663 6364
Email: thailand@mirandah.com