TMP Intellectual Property · Briefing
Patent Protection in Thailand
Filing Statistics
8,353
Invention
patents
patents
4,891
Petty
patents
patents
6,508
Design
patents
patents
Applications filed with the Thai Department of Intellectual Property, 2025
Filing Statistics
Invention · Petty · Design patents — 2025 snapshot and the ten-year trend
Source: Thai Department of Intellectual Property
Invention Patents 2025
8,353 applications — 89% filed by foreign applicants
Thai vs. foreign applicants
Foreign7,44089%
Thai91311%
Top 5 filing countries
Japan2,696
USA1,152
China1,047
Germany366
Switzerland239
Japan accounts for 36% of foreign filings and 32% of all filings — the largest single origin.
Top 5 corporate applicants
- 1QualcommUSA211
- 2JFE SteelJapan199
- 3Toyota MotorJapan197
- 4Nippon SteelJapan166
- 5Nokia TechnologiesFinland98
3 of the top 5 corporate applicants are Japanese.
Source: DIP, invention patent applications 2025.
By technology group
Japanese applicants shown within each bar
JapanOther applicants
Electrical & digital486Japan: 486 Other applicants: 1,202 1,688
Physics345Japan: 345 Other applicants: 810 1,155
Engineering552Japan: 552 Other applicants: 474 1,026
Chemical engineering347Japan: 347 Other applicants: 564 911
Petrochemicals & polymers292Japan: 292 Other applicants: 605 897
Chemistry & materials371Japan: 371 Other applicants: 463 834
Pharmaceuticals92Japan: 92 Other applicants: 678 770
Biotechnology92Japan: 92 Other applicants: 600 692
Food & cosmetics119Japan: 119 Other applicants: 261 380
Highlights
- Electrical & digital is the largest group — 1,688 applications
- Japan holds its biggest share in Engineering: 552 of 1,026 (54%)
- Japan is also strong in Electrical (486), Chemistry & materials (371) and Chemical engineering (347)
- Pharma and biotech are dominated by non-Japanese filers — Japan ~12–13%
Source: DIP, invention patent applications 2025 by technology group.
Ten-year trend
Total applications vs. Japan, USA and China, 2015–2025
TotalJapanUSAChina
Highlights
- Total filings stable at 7,500–8,400 per year; 2025 (8,353) is the highest in the decade
- Japan peaked in 2018 (3,523), easing to ~2,700 — still #1 by a wide margin (~32% of total)
- The USA fluctuates around 1,000–1,400 with no clear trend
- China is the story: 250 (2015) → 1,047 (2025), a 4× increase — closing in on the USA for #2
Source: DIP, invention patent applications 2015–2025.
Petty Patents 2025
4,891 applications — 92% filed by Thai applicants
Thai vs. foreign applicants
Foreign3928%
Thai4,49992%
Top 5 foreign filers
China153
Taiwan43
Japan21
USA10
Hong Kong10
Reading the numbers
92%
of petty patent applications are Thai
- Petty patents are primarily a Thai SME tool
- Foreign use is small — under 400 applications a year in total
- China leads foreign filers; Japan files only ~21 per year
Source: DIP, petty patent applications 2025.
Ten-year trend
Total applications and main foreign filers, 2015–2025
Total applications
Top 3 foreign filers
JapanChinaTaiwan
📈
Total filings more than doubled in a decade (2,201 → 4,891), driven almost entirely by Thai applicants. Foreign use remains tiny (<200/year): China has surged since 2022 (17 → 153) to become the top foreign filer, while Japan declined from 60 to ~21.
Source: DIP, petty patent applications 2015–2025.
Design Patents 2025
6,508 applications — one third filed by foreign applicants
Thai vs. foreign applicants
Foreign2,16333%
Thai4,34567%
Top 5 foreign filers
China599
USA384
Japan329
Switzerland141
Italy87
Reading the numbers
329
Japanese design applications — rank #3 among foreign filers
- One third of design filings come from abroad — the highest share of the three rights
- Japan files 329 applications, ~15% of all foreign filings
- Behind China (599) and the USA (384)
Source: DIP, design patent applications 2025.
Ten-year trend
Total applications and main foreign filers, 2015–2025
Total applications
Top 3 foreign filers
JapanChinaUSA
📈
Total design filings grew ~46% over the decade (4,461 → 6,508). Among foreign filers, Japan led until 2022 but has eased from its 2016 peak (594 → 329), while China surged (50 → 599) to become #1 and the USA doubled in 2025 (384).
Source: DIP, design patent applications 2015–2025.
Thank you
Patent Protection in Thailand · Source: Thai Department of Intellectual Property
TMP Intellectual Property