DIP seizes over 720,000 infringing goods worth Bt757 million in Q1 crackdown

The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has stepped up its crackdown on intellectual property violations by integrating its work with the Royal Thai Police, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the Customs Department and other related agencies, while also working closely with private-sector rights holders and online platform providers.

The campaign has produced concrete results in a wide-ranging sweep against infringing goods, reflecting stricter law enforcement and continued co-operation from all sectors in removing illegal products from the market.

Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the DIP, said that in the first three months of 2026, from January to March, authorities made arrests in 150 cases involving infringing goods in physical markets and seized more than 520,000 items, with estimated economic damage exceeding 690 million baht. The value rose 65.58% from the same period in 2025.

Throughout 2025, integrated suppression efforts against infringements in physical markets resulted in 1,180 cases, with 3.5 million items seized and estimated economic damage of 1.17 billion baht, she explained.

Meanwhile, in the online sphere during the first three months of 2026, authorities handled 57 cases involving infringing goods and seized more than 200,000 items, with estimated economic damage exceeding 67 million baht. The value rose 362% from the same period in 2025.

For the whole of 2025, online enforcement resulted in 275 cases, with 475,000 items seized and estimated economic damage of 183 million baht.

Auramon said the results were due to co-operation among relevant agencies, including law enforcement bodies, private-sector rights owners and trade operators, who jointly carried out inspections and raids at key high-risk sales locations nationwide, while also monitoring the sale of infringing goods through online channels, where violations have continued to increase.

Authorities have also expanded investigations to arrest importers and major offenders in order to block infringing goods from entering the country. Most of the goods were found to have been imported from overseas before being distributed into the domestic market.

Officials have pursued legal action rigorously, helping to build confidence among domestic and foreign businesses and investors. This reflects Thailand’s commitment to raising intellectual property protection to international standards.

Looking ahead, the department plans to strengthen suppression efforts in every dimension by intensifying co-operation with law enforcement agencies and the private sector, while also applying anti-money laundering laws to dismantle networks linked to major offenders.

It will also focus on removing infringing goods from online platforms, while expanding co-operation with platform providers to widen investigations and legal action against offenders.

At the same time, the department aims to raise public awareness of the dangers of fake goods, strengthen officers’ capacity to conduct in-depth investigations, and help consumers better understand the impact of infringing goods while encouraging them to choose lawful products.

The DIP stressed that promoting the use of legal goods alongside serious suppression of infringing products would be a key mechanism in strengthening the Thai economy, enhancing competitiveness, and building long-term confidence among manufacturers, businesses and consumers.