The "Economic and Justice Teams" jointly announced their 6-month enforcement results, intensifying the crackdown on intellectual property violations by seizing over 1.3 million counterfeit items, with economic damages estimated at 2.3 billion baht.
On 27 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Supachai Sutthamman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, serving as Chairperson of the National Intellectual Property Policy Committee (NIPPC), together with Mr. Akniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, co-chaired a press conference on enforcement against intellectual property violations during the first six months (Oct 2025 - Mar 2026) of fiscal year 2026. The event involved the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, and the Royal Thai Police, with representatives from government agencies, private rights holders, and foreign embassies of Thailand's trading partners present.
Ms. Supachai Sutthamman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, stated that the Ministry of Commerce, as the central agency coordinating intellectual property protection and enforcement, together with partner agencies under the NIPPC—including the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and the Royal Thai Police—has actively and intensively worked to protect intellectual property rights of both Thai and foreign investors. Intellectual property is a key tool for the country's economic development. Meanwhile, violations threaten economic security, causing significant harm to domestic trade and investment, directly affecting producers and consumers broadly. This includes risks to life and health from counterfeit goods and disadvantages to honest businesses unable to compete on price with counterfeit products. Intellectual property violations severely undermine the country's trade competitiveness.
Ms. Supachai added that the government is systematically addressing this issue, with the Prime Minister instructing relevant agencies to urgently strengthen measures to prevent and enforce against intellectual property violations to build confidence in the country's trade and investment environment. Under these directives, the Ministry of Commerce, in cooperation with the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and the Royal Thai Police, has integrated enforcement efforts targeting both commercial districts and online channels.
In fiscal year 2026's first six months (Oct 2025 - Mar 2026), enforcement actions led to 332 intellectual property violation cases, with over 1.3 million counterfeit items seized, amounting to economic damages estimated at 2.3 billion baht. The government focused on cracking down in commercial areas, warehouses, and cross-border customs checkpoints. This resulted in a 78% increase in estimated economic damages over the first half of fiscal 2026 compared to the 1.3 billion baht damage recorded for the entire fiscal year 2025. These damages not only impact the national economy but also damage the country's credibility and image in trade and investment over the long term. This collaborative enforcement reflects the serious commitment of all agencies involved in addressing intellectual property violations.
This aligns with the government's Trade Plus policy aimed at elevating trade standards, developing a robust intellectual property ecosystem, and fostering a transparent, fair business environment. The government wants investors, businesses, and consumers to see that it prioritizes intellectual property protection, which is a fundamental foundation for modern economic development. It is also crucial for building investor confidence and protecting honest businesses. The government has systematically intensified prevention and enforcement by integrating proactive work across economic, security, and judicial sectors to sever the cycle, close loopholes, and expand impact to the root causes that significantly harm the national economy.
Ms. Supachai emphasized that all agencies are committed to strengthening intellectual property law enforcement, closely coordinating between government bodies and private rights holders to continuously and seriously combat violations alongside proactive prevention. This includes raising consumer awareness, developing international cooperation mechanisms, and updating laws to align with the country's economic development context. The goal is to build investor and business confidence across all business sizes. Additionally, the government works with online platforms to curb intellectual property violations in online markets, aiming to elevate Thailand to a country with strong intellectual property protection systems meeting international standards. This supports an innovation ecosystem favorable to both Thai and foreign creators and marks Thailand as a trade and investment hub that values creativity, intellectual property, innovation, technology, and respect for fair trade rules.
However, beyond government agencies and private rights holders, the public plays the most crucial role in preventing and addressing intellectual property violations by cooperating in this effort. "Do not buy, do not use, do not support intellectual property violations," the appeal urged.