Thailand expands crackdown on intellectual property crime

Vuttikrai Leewiraphan, Permanent Secretary of the Commerce Ministry, together with Pol Lt Gen Rutthapol Naowarat, Justice Minister, jointly announced the results of raids and crackdowns on intellectual property violations at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday (March 24).

The action followed the intensification of proactive suppression measures to sweep up infringing goods and dismantle criminal networks, reinforcing the Thai government’s commitment to tackling intellectual property violations in a serious manner.

Vuttikrai said the government remained firmly committed to promoting and protecting intellectual property rights, as intellectual property is highly important to the development of the country’s economic system.

It is also closely linked to the confidence and image perceived by both Thai and foreign investors, as well as Thailand’s trade negotiations on the global economic stage.

He said the Commerce Ministry had been working in close cooperation with the Justice Ministry and relevant agencies to suppress intellectual property violations through prevention, enforcement and the systematic expansion of investigations into related criminal networks.

As a result, operations have become faster, more targeted and more effective in deterrence, with a focus on tackling the sources of counterfeit goods and major offenders, alongside encouraging participation from the private sector, rights holders and legitimate businesses to ensure that the problem is addressed continuously and at its root.

Most recently, in a crackdown on intellectual property violations in Bangkok carried out through cooperation between the DSI and the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) under the Commerce Ministry on March 12, 2026, authorities arrested offenders and seized more than 48,000 items infringing intellectual property rights.

These were counterfeit trademark goods from major brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Celine, Versace, Gucci, Hermes, Loewe and Prada. Most of the seized items were shoes (26,620 items), clothing (17,777 items) and bags (2,464 items), with the total economic damage estimated at more than 500 million baht.

Officials are now pursuing legal action and preparing to expand the investigation to the sources of production, distribution channels and related networks in order to close off avenues for criminal activity and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.

In the overall crackdown on intellectual property violations in 2025, the DIP under the Commerce Ministry, together with the Royal Thai Police, the DSI and the Customs Department, arrested offenders in 1,180 cases nationwide and seized more than 3.5 million items, representing economic damage worth 1.17 billion baht.

Compared with 2024, the volume of seized goods rose by 24% and the value of damage increased by 64%.

During the first two months of 2026, the four agencies further stepped up proactive suppression measures against intellectual property violations, recording 118 cases and seizing a total of 390,000 items, with total estimated damage of 92 million baht.

The Permanent Secretary of the Commerce Ministry said integrated cooperation between the Commerce Ministry, the Justice Ministry and relevant agencies was a key mechanism in laying the groundwork for the long-term suppression of intellectual property violations.

The effort focuses on protecting consumers from substandard goods, safeguarding rights holders and entrepreneurs conducting legitimate business, and creating a transparent and fair trading environment.

He said all agencies would continue their proactive work and accelerate coordination with both domestic and international agencies to sweep up and cut off criminal networks, especially major offenders and transnational networks, while also working with online platforms to suspend the sale of infringing goods in the digital marketplace.

In addition, importance is being placed on raising awareness among entrepreneurs and the public to foster respect for intellectual property rights, encourage the purchase of lawful goods and discourage support for infringing products in all forms over the long term.

Intellectual property violations are regarded as a threat to economic security and directly affect producers and consumers, while significantly undermining the country’s competitiveness.

Thailand has also remained under scrutiny from key trading partners, particularly the United States, which has raised intellectual property violations as one of the important factors in shaping its trade policy.

According to the 2025 Notorious Markets Report by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), while no Thai online marketplaces were listed, shopping centres in Bangkok remained named among markets with high levels of intellectual property violations.

However, the USTR report also reflected progress in Thailand’s suppression of such violations, particularly the integration of public and private sector cooperation in strengthening enforcement measures and maintaining continuous pressure on offenders.

This is seen as an important signal for future assessments of Thailand’s intellectual property protection status.

Vuttikrai stressed that the government has a clear goal of elevating Thailand into a country with a strong intellectual property protection system aligned with international standards and positioning it as a destination for trade and investment that values creativity, innovation, intellectual property and respect for fair trade rules.

The Commerce Ministry also thanked the Justice Ministry, relevant agencies and the private sector for working together seriously to tackle intellectual property violations.

It also urged the public to play their part by not buying, using or supporting goods that infringe intellectual property rights, in order to help build an intellectual property ecosystem that supports trade and investment and drives sustainable growth in the Thai economy.