Since Thailand joined the Madrid Protocol in 2017, the Thai Trade Mark Office (TMO) has expressed its commitment to issuing local registration certificates for International Registrations (IRs) designating Thailand, following the statement of grant from WIPO. However, a technical issue related to provisional refusals concerning the specification of goods and services has delayed this process.
As of August 2024, the TMO has resolved this issue and began issuing registration certificates in early September 2024. The TMO is addressing the backlog chronologically, starting with applications from 2017 and 2018. Certificates for IRs that did not face refusals will be processed later.
The TMO’s long-standing intention to align local registration practices with national trade mark registrations is now coming to fruition. While there may still be delays in clearing the backlog, this development provides much-needed assurance to applicants awaiting the completion of their international trade mark registrations in Thailand.
For brand owners looking to enforce their IR trade marks in Thailand but who have not yet received their registration certificates, it is often sufficient to request a certificate extract for enforcement purposes. We recommend consulting with local counsel to obtain this document and assist with further actions.
