Trademark Registration and Maintenance

Once someone else has registered your trademark first, the cost of enforcing your rights far exceeds the cost of registering early. Nor is registration the end of the story: an application may face opposition during the publication period or receive an office action during examination, and a registration must be renewed every ten years. Missing a deadline at any stage can cause the mark to lapse.

Z&X's team of bilingual Chinese–Thai advisors and intellectual property specialists supports you across the full trademark lifecycle, working closely with the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) and reporting to you in Chinese throughout.

· Who it's for: Chinese businesses seeking to register trademarks in Thailand or to maintain existing Thai registrations, including applicants designating Thailand under the Madrid System that need to respond to provisional refusals, and brand owners facing opposition, cancellation or infringement disputes.

· Search and assessment: Similarity searches and preliminary registrability analysis to identify registration risks and potential conflicts early.

· Filing and registration: Preparation and filing of single-class trademark applications, completion of registration formalities upon approval, and collection and delivery of the registration certificate.

· Office action responses: Responses to examination reports, including disclaimers of exclusive rights and amendments to names and addresses.

· Disputes: Preparation and filing of oppositions, appeals and cancellation actions, and responses to provisional refusals of Madrid designations of Thailand.

· Renewal and maintenance: Trademark renewals, publication monitoring and status updates.

· Step 1 Clearance search and assessment: 1–3 working days for an official database search, registrability analysis and risk alerts.

· Step 2 Preparation and filing: 3–5 working days to prepare the power of attorney, company documents and specification of goods and services, and file with the DIP.

· Step 3 Acceptance and formality examination: Approximately 1–2 weeks for the DIP to accept the application and issue a filing receipt.

· Step 4 Substantive examination: Typically 6–9 months, assessing distinctiveness, legality and conflicts with prior rights. Any office action must be answered within the prescribed deadline.

· Step 5 Publication and opposition: 90 days. If no opposition is filed, the application proceeds to registration; if an opposition is filed, a counter-statement must be submitted.

· Step 6 Registration certificate: Issued after the publication period ends, then collected and delivered by Z&X.

The overall process typically takes 12–18 months, depending on the DIP's actual examination progress.

· Power of attorney: Template provided by Z&X, signed and sealed by the client.

· Company documents: Business registration and company certificate issued by the Department of Business Development (DBD).

· Director's ID: Copy of the authorized director's passport, signed and certified with the company seal.

· Goods and services: Trademark classes and itemized goods and services in Chinese and English.

· Mark: Electronic logo file, plus the Chinese pronunciation and meaning (if any).

· Contact details: Thai telephone number and email address.

· Term and renewal: A Thai trademark is valid for ten years from the filing date and may be renewed indefinitely. Renewal must be filed within the 90 days before expiry. The law provides a limited grace period for late renewal, after which the mark lapses; we recommend working to the 90-day window rather than relying on the grace period.

· Examination outcome: The outcome is subject to the DIP's examination decision. Owing to updates in official data and examiner judgment, an application may be refused in whole or in part.

· Client responsibility: The client is responsible for the authenticity and legality of the information provided and for the legitimacy of the trademark applied for.

Trademark searches, class selection, application documents and progress tracking can all be discussed with us first; we start once the plan is confirmed.

Want advice tailored to your company? Book a trademark registration consultation →