Mrs. Ornmon Supthaweetham, Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce, said that local Thai community products and services possess distinctive uniqueness and competitive potential, rooted in cultural heritage, local wisdom, and natural resources.
If these products are further developed and properly managed in terms of intellectual property, they can significantly increase their added value in various dimensions. Therefore, the department continues to advance the IP Local Hero project to strategically transform products in tourist areas by leveraging intellectual property to eliminate weaknesses, enhance strengths, and boost capabilities.
Regarding marketing, the belief is that ordinary local people can become heroes of their communities by wielding the key asset of intellectual property, which creates competitive advantages, raises value, and generates tangible income for the community.
This year, the department focuses on Nakhon Si Thammarat, a secondary city with high potential in the South, known for its creative and cultural tourism, famous community products, and more than 5,166 SMEs. In 2023, the province's GDP was valued at 194 billion baht, and in 2024, it is expected to attract the highest tourism revenue among secondary cities in the southern region.
The IP Local Hero project aims to strengthen small entrepreneurs through workshops that provide basic intellectual property knowledge in an easy-to-understand manner, along with techniques to apply this knowledge to increase product and service value.
Following this, selected entrepreneurs who demonstrate readiness will receive in-depth, product-specific consulting to guide them on criteria and procedures for intellectual property protection, such as trademark registration, copyright notification, brand building, and market analysis to appropriately develop products and images. Marketing channels, both online and offline, will also be promoted, with expert teams mentoring from start to finish to help products and services gain intellectual property protection and compete effectively.
Additionally, the department will collaborate with government and private agencies to enhance production capabilities and target new markets to export unique community products, attracting both domestic and international tourists, creating jobs, generating income, and improving quality of life.
Since the IP Local Hero project began in 2021, DIP has developed over 105 model heroes in tourist communities from 9 provinces across 5 regions nationwide—Nakhon Sawan, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Chanthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Sisaket, Ubon Ratchathani, and Chiang Rai—with products entering intellectual property protection systems.
These include trademarks and copyrights totaling more than 122 items, such as Chanthaburi pepper, which received support for trademark design and modern packaging development, boosting sales from 900,000 baht annually to 1.8 million baht. Ubon Ratchathani herbal products received support for the Boonrata trademark and attractive packaging, increasing sales from 120,000 to 360,000 baht annually.
Processed Phulae pineapples from Chiang Rai received support for the AYO trademark design and packaging development, increasing sales twentyfold from 60,000 baht to 1.2 million baht annually. Leading modern trade outlets such as The Mall, Central, CP All, and global e-commerce platforms like Alibaba have shown interest in distributing these products.
Additionally, Robusta coffee from Chiang Rai received support for the FinebusS trademark and distinctive packaging, enabling higher pricing and boosting sales from 150,000 to 300,000 baht annually. Foreign buyers from France, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates have also expressed interest in importing these products.
Meanwhile, the Director-General led a team to visit the community enterprise in Ko Thuat Municipality, Nakhon Si Thammarat, to inspect the production site of the Pak Phanang Ruby Siam Pomelo GI product, a key agricultural identity of the area known for its outstanding quality, featuring large fruit with velvet-like skin and deep pink to red flesh resembling rubies, sweet and fragrant, with products distributed domestically and internationally.
Key export markets include Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the product is currently undergoing GI registration in China to expand future market opportunities. This GI product exemplifies the community’s strength in preserving local wisdom while controlling product quality to meet national and international standards.
During the field visit, the Director-General discussed with entrepreneurs and local agencies plans to promote and expand markets in 2026, including participation in domestic and international trade shows, increasing distribution channels in leading modern trade outlets.
Plans also include adding value by promoting raw materials for use in Michelin-starred and fine dining restaurants. Since the Pak Phanang Ruby Siam Pomelo was registered as a Thai GI product in 2012, its market value has steadily increased, now retailing at 350–400 baht per fruit, generating over 63 million baht for the community in 2024.
On this occasion, DIP also surveyed the production area of the prospective GI product, Li-Phao weaving crafts in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a unique local handicraft using native plants with toughness and durability to weave various household items such as bags, hats, betel nut trays, offering trays, and flower and candle holders.
These crafts require high skill and delicacy to produce intricate and beautiful patterns, reflecting the culture, lifestyle, and traditions of Nakhon Si Thammarat and southern communities for hundreds of years. Currently, these products are under consideration for GI registration in Thailand.
"The department remains committed to advancing projects that elevate local communities nationwide by using intellectual property as a mechanism to connect identity, culture, and local wisdom with the modern economy, leading to income generation, trade opportunities, and sustainable improvements in community quality of life," said the Director-General.
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