ePCT now lets Thai businesses file patents in 158 countries, says Department of Intellectual Property

Thai businesses can now better protect their work from being copied. The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), together with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has held training on obtaining international patent protection under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The aim is to build understanding of filing abroad via the PCT system among the private sector, educational institutions, law consultancies, inventors and creators, and IP practitioners, while also promoting access to ePCT, the online filing platform that makes overseas patenting faster and more cost-effective—opening business opportunities and unlocking Thai innovation for global markets.

Oramon Sapthaweetham, Director-General of the DIP, said the PCT is a facilitation system under WIPO that lets applicants file a single international application and then choose multiple countries for protection among the 158 PCT contracting states. These include key Thai export markets such as China, South Korea, Japan, the United States and the European Union. The approach saves time and expense by avoiding separate national filings at the outset.

Patents, she added, are critical to national economic development and innovation—not only shielding creations from imitation, but also incentivising new R&D and supporting industrial competitiveness at the global level.

Since Thailand acceded to the PCT in 2009, Thai applicants have filed over 1,100 PCT applications; 72% were by legal entities. The top three Thai filers via the PCT are:

1. PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited
2. National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
3. Chulalongkorn University

The top three destinations chosen by Thai applicants are:

1. Japan
2. European Union
3. United States

The top three technology fields for Thai PCT filings are:

1. Electrical machinery, apparatus and energy
2. Macromolecular chemistry and polymers
3. Basic material chemistry

Oramon said this PCT training is part of ongoing DIP–WIPO cooperation to raise awareness among Thai entrepreneurs, inventors and institutions about the importance of securing overseas patent protection via the PCT. WIPO experts served as speakers, advising on procedures and how to prepare complete, high-quality applications.

The session also introduced ePCT electronic filing, which enables online submission, two-way document exchange and real-time status tracking—anytime, anywhere—plus fee discounts of up to 13,000 baht per application. Through DIP–WIPO collaboration, Thailand is encouraging wider ePCT use: over 80% of Thai PCT applications already go through ePCT, reflecting the system’s efficiency and user fit, and tangibly helping Thai innovators reach global markets.

Targets: DIP aims for 100% of Thai PCT filings via ePCT and at least 100 PCT applications per year, to expand Thai innovation’s global protection, facilitate technology transfer and international licensing, and drive sustainable economic growth.

DIP noted that PCT filing is only the first step. Whether a patent is ultimately granted depends on each designated country’s laws. The PCT nonetheless buys time for business planning and strategic decisions before entering each national phase.

Globally, the PCT system receives over 270,000 applications annually. In Thailand, around 7,000 PCT-based entries are filed per year—about 75% of all patent applications in the country. The top three origins filing in Thailand via PCT are Japan (37%), the United States (20%) and China (12%).