Filing Patent and Petty Patent application:
In Thailand, an enterprise can file a patent or petty patent (or utility model in some jurisdictions) application to protect an invention via National (Paris convention) or International (Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)) routes. The basic documents required for filing petty patent application are the same as those for patent application except that the petty patent application can have not more than 10 claims.
- National (Paris convention) route:
The applicant can claim right of priority if the patent application for the invention is filed in Thailand within 12 months from the earliest date on which the foreign application was filed. The declaration of priority can be made on filing or before publication date of the application but not more than 16 months from the earliest priority date claimed. The specification in the original language can be submitted on filing but the Thai translation can be submitted later within 90 days from the filing date.
- International (PCT) route:
Time limits applicable for entry into the Thai national phase are 30 months from the priority date. The application must include the specification, claim (s), abstract and drawing (if any) pending at PCT stage. The applicant can filed voluntary amendment later after the application has already been filed. The Deed of assignment is not required unless there is any change of the applicant from that of the International application.
Filing design application
Design patent allows an applicant to protect any form or composition of lines or colors which gives a special appearance to a product and can serve as a pattern for a product of industry or handicraft. Thailand is not a member state to the Hague Agreement. Only a single design in a separate design application is allowable or in other word one application should consist of only one design. The applicant can claim right of priority if the design application is filed in Thailand within 6 months from the earliest date on which the foreign application was filed. The declaration of priority can be made on filing or before publication date of the application.