Patent Lawyers in Bangkok.

Working with a patent lawyer in Bangkok

A patent lawyer in Bangkok usually does three jobs: drafting the description and claims, filing and prosecuting the application with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), and acting if the patent is later opposed, challenged or copied. The firms listed above work from Bangkok. This page covers the local layer: which offices are involved, how to compare providers, and what to bring to a first meeting. For patent types, protection terms and PCT national phase entry, see the national guide to patent registration in Thailand.

Where patent matters are handled around Bangkok

The patent office. Thailand has one patent office, the DIP, and it sits just outside the capital, at 563 Nonthaburi 1 Road in Mueang Nonthaburi. Applications can be filed there on paper or through the DIP's e-filing system. For internet filings, the DIP's invention patent registration page says the applicant presents the application and supporting documents to the Department within 15 days of receiving the application number. In practice a registered agent handles filing and examination correspondence, so an inventor rarely needs to visit the office.

The court. Patent disputes go to the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, on floors 5 to 7 of Building A at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, Lak Si. The law gave it six provinces around Bangkok, but because no regional IP courts have been set up, its jurisdiction currently covers the entire Kingdom. It hears civil and criminal patent cases and disputes over technology transfer and licensing agreements. A civil plaintiff may also file at the provincial court where the defendant is domiciled or where the cause of action arose.

Foreign applicants, agents and Thai translations

An applicant who does not reside in Thailand must authorise a patent agent or patent attorney registered with the DIP's Director-General. A power of attorney signed abroad needs its signatures certified, for example by a Thai embassy or consulate or a notary public, and each power of attorney carries a revenue stamp of 30 baht per agent per application.

Documents in a foreign language go in with a Thai translation and the translator's certification. If the DIP finds a correctable defect, the applicant has 90 days from notification to fix it, or the application is treated as abandoned unless the Director-General extends the period. Official fees are modest: the DIP fee schedule lists 500 baht for an invention patent application and 250 baht for a design or petty patent application, with annual fees from the fifth year. Drafting, translation and prosecution are billed by the firm on top.