Boosting Thai SMEs Growth with Intellectual Property Across 6 Regions to Enhance Economic Value

The Department of Intellectual Property has partnered with OSMEP to launch the "Thai SMEs Increase Value with IP" project, setting a course to tour six regions and intensively train 300 businesses, aiming to empower Thai enterprises for sustainable growth.

Kickoff of the "Thai SMEs Increase Value with IP" project to upgrade businesses for the modern era.

Oramon Supthaweetham, Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property, revealed that the department has collaborated with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) to launch the project. "Thai SMEs Increase Value with IP" The initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness of Thai SME entrepreneurs.

The department recognizes intellectual property (IP) as a crucial mechanism to differentiate products and services, including brand creation, packaging development, and innovation advancement, to build strengths that meet modern consumer market demands, while enhancing credibility and expanding trade opportunities.

"This project will encourage Thai SMEs to create, protect, and utilize intellectual property to add value to their businesses, especially by using trademarks to build brand recognition and trust, enabling trademarked products to generate revenue and sustainably boost business competitiveness," said Oramon.

Unveiling a roadshow plan across six regions, providing fee support and promoting Fast Track registration.

The main activities under this project focus on on-site training for over 300 SME entrepreneurs between June and August 2026, covering six regions nationwide: Bangkok Metropolitan Area, Ratchaburi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, and Khon Kaen. Key benefits and highlights include:

• Intensive training sessions Providing knowledge on intellectual property (IP), marketing strategies, and brand building approaches.
• One-on-one consulting Offering in-depth mobile consultation services to ensure proper trademark registration.
• Financial support injection The first 300 entrepreneurs joining the project will receive support for intellectual property registration fees up to 3,000 baht.
• Rapid approvals Entitlement to legal trademark protection quickly through the Fast Track service.

Additionally, the project will provide exhibition and sales spaces for 150 participating entrepreneurs to create business matching opportunities with major buyers such as department stores, modern trade outlets, wholesale and retail stores, and large manufacturers. The event is scheduled for 4-6 September 2026 at Central WestGate Shopping Mall, aiming to generate an economic value of no less than 15 million baht.

Revealing statistics on the crisis facing Thai SMEs, the key economic driver still lacking momentum for GDP growth.

According to the latest current statistics, Thai SMEs are a fundamental backbone driving the economy, with over 3.28 million enterprises, accounting for 99.5% of all businesses in the country.

However, when considering their share of economic value creation, Thai SMEs contribute only 34.95% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), approximately 1.72 trillion baht. This figure highlights a significant limitation for Thai SMEs in accessing markets and adding value to their products and services.

Therefore, government agencies must urgently equip SMEs with intellectual property tools and strengthen them comprehensively to increase market share and sustainably elevate their economic value in the future.

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