Thailand's Department of Intellectual Property teams up with police to combat IP violations

Auramon Supthaweethum, Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), announced on October 27, 2025 that the department, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Police, is ramping up efforts to tackle intellectual property (IP) violations.

Following a meeting with Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Auramon revealed that the initiative aims to enhance Thailand’s IP protection and remove the country from the Watch List of US Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets list under the Special 301 Report, which includes markets with significant counterfeit goods.

Auramon stated that the DIP aims to improve Thailand’s intellectual property protection to align with international standards, while also focusing on proactive measures to prevent and combat intellectual property violations. The goal is to address IP infringement issues both online and offline and to enhance the capacity of law enforcement personnel working in IP enforcement, which will help improve the effectiveness of legal enforcement and ensure fairness for both rights holders and business operators, creating a favourable environment for trade and investment. This, in turn, will enhance the country’s image and build confidence among international trade partners.

Auramon further explained that the DIP and Royal Thai Police have held discussions on several key issues, such as:

• Establishing investigation strategies and expanding efforts to dismantle production, storage, and sales networks for counterfeit goods in both Bangkok and other provinces.
• Focusing on markets with a high volume of intellectual property violations (Notorious Markets), as reported by the US Trade Representative, to tackle the problem at its source.
• Pushing for measures to cancel lease agreements in shopping malls if tenants are found to be selling counterfeit goods.

She also highlighted efforts to enhance the effectiveness of IP enforcement personnel, including regular training for police officers to build expertise in intellectual property law, law enforcement, and investigation procedures. This will also involve connecting data between the two agencies, such as records of enforcement actions, IP infringement cases, and trademark databases, which include details such as trademark images, registrations, owner names, and product categories to ensure swift and responsive action against IP violations.

In the first nine months of 2025, the Royal Thai Police, in collaboration with the DIP, seized over 1.7 million counterfeit items and initiated 706 legal cases.

Auramon thanked the police for their continuous support in the fight against IP crimes and also awarded certificates of honour to outstanding police officers working on intellectual property law enforcement.

The DIP has called on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities involving IP violations. Citizens can submit tips to the Intellectual Property Infringement Prevention Division via 02-547-4702, the 1368 Hotline, or through the official website at www.ipthailand.go.th