You've named your brand. Can you register the trademark yourself before someone else uses the name?

You’ve named your brand, finished your logo, sales are growing, and then one day you find another shop using the same name. Or worse, someone has registered your name as a trademark first and sends you a letter telling you to stop using it. It sounds like a soap opera, but it happens to small brands far more often than you’d think.

Honestly, we think it’s not as hard as it sounds. In Thailand you can register a trademark yourself online, and the cost isn’t as high as many people fear. Let’s walk through it, from whether you need one at all to filing it yourself step by step.

Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. If your name risks being similar to another brand, or you are already in a dispute, talk to a trademark agent or lawyer, or call the Department of Intellectual Property hotline on 1368.

Does a small shop really need to register a trademark?

Quick Answer: It’s not required, but you should register if you plan to use this brand name long term, because the exclusive right to use a name on your goods comes from trademark registration, not from a commercial registration or your shop name on a platform.

Common misunderstandings:

• “I have a commercial registration, so the shop name is mine.” No. Commercial registration just declares that you are running a business (read more in Do online sellers need a commercial registration?)
• “I registered my company name, so nobody else can use it.” Company names can’t be duplicated in the DBD (Department of Business Development) system, but that doesn’t stop others from using the same word as a product brand.
• “I sold first, so I own it first.” Prior use can help in some cases, but it’s hard to prove and takes time. Registering is far clearer.

If any of the following apply to you, we recommend registering soon:

• You’re about to make packaging, print a big batch of labels, or put up a shop sign
• You want to join a Mall store on a platform, or sell wholesale to shops, which often ask for proof that you own the brand
• Your name is getting known and customers search for your brand name directly

What should you search before filing?

Quick Answer: Search whether anyone has already registered a name or logo that is the same as or similar to yours, for the same or related goods. You can search for free on the Department of Intellectual Property’s system.

Since 1 February 2026 (2569 in the Thai calendar), the Department of Intellectual Property has offered two new tools, free and available 24 hours a day:

• Trademark Checker (tm-checker.ipthailand.go.th): search words, get help choosing goods and services items, and get a rough assessment of your chances of registration
• AI Image Search (tm-imagesearch.ipthailand.go.th): upload your logo and the system finds marks that look similar

How to search so you actually find things:

1. Search both the Thai and English name, including words that sound similar, such as spellings that differ by only a little
2. Check which goods any marks you find are registered for. The same name on very different types of goods may still be registrable
3. Search your logo by image, especially if it uses animals, flowers or popular shapes
4. Take screenshots of your search results and keep them

The results from these tools are only a preliminary assessment, not a guarantee that you’ll pass. If you find a very similar name for the same goods, changing your name now hurts much less than changing it after your brand is well known. If your logo isn’t finished yet, see Design your own logo for free alongside this.

How do you choose classes and items of goods?

Quick Answer: Goods are grouped into classes under the international system. Choose only the items you actually sell or will sell soon. Using the department’s recommended items in the system means faster examination and fewer orders to amend.

These are the classes sellers commonly use:

Goods	Class (approximate)
Cosmetics, soap, skin care products	3
Clothing, shoes, hats	25
Snacks, bakery	30
Toys	28
Bags	18

Fees are charged by the number of items of goods in each class, not per application. Put simply:

• If you only sell kids’ shirts and kids’ hats, choose 2 items and pay a 2,000 baht application fee
• If you choose more than 5 items in one class, you pay a flat 9,000 baht no matter how many items

The table above is only an example to give you the idea. When you actually file, double-check the class numbers and item names in the system.

How much are the fees in total?

Quick Answer: At the Department of Intellectual Property’s rates, you pay twice: an application fee of 1,000 baht per item of goods when you file, and a registration fee of 600 baht per item once approved.

Fee	1 to 5 items (per class)	More than 5 items (per class)
Application (paid when filing)	1,000 baht per item	Flat 9,000 baht
Registration (paid when approved)	600 baht per item	Flat 5,400 baht
Renewal every 10 years	2,000 baht per item	Flat 18,000 baht

Example: registering a brand name for 3 items of kids’ clothing costs 3,000 baht when filing and 1,800 baht when approved, 4,800 baht in total, for 10 years of protection.

But know this first: fees paid are not refunded, even if your application is rejected, except where the law says so or you overpaid. That’s exactly why you need to search carefully before filing.

Filing online step by step, and how long it takes

Quick Answer: Sign up for the Department of Intellectual Property’s e-Filing system, fill in the application, attach an image of your mark, choose your items of goods, then pay the fee. According to the department’s manual, the whole process takes about 16 months.

Filing steps

1. Go to the Department of Intellectual Property website (ipthailand.go.th), choose the electronic filing service (e-Filing), then sign up and verify your identity as the system requires
2. Choose to file a trademark registration application (form Kor.01, ก.01)
3. Fill in the trademark owner’s details. If you’re registering in your own name, use your name and Thai ID card number
4. Attach a clear image of the mark, no larger than 5 x 5 centimeters (larger than this costs an extra fee)
5. Choose your class and items of goods. Using the items the system recommends is easiest
6. Check all the details, then pay the application fee. Keep your application number

Timeline from the department’s public manual (approximate)

Step	Time
Document check	1 day
Officer examines the mark	6 months
Registrar’s consideration	5 months
Preparing the publication	2 months
Publication for opposition	60 days
Notice to pay registration fee and certificate issued	About 1 month

Deadlines you must not miss

• If your documents are incomplete, you must fix them within 90 days from the filing date
• If the registrar orders you to amend or explain something, you must respond within 60 days
• Once you’re notified to pay the registration fee, you must pay within 60 days

Miss these deadlines and your application may be treated as abandoned, so you’d have to start over and pay all the fees again. While you wait, set a monthly phone reminder to check your email and the e-Filing system.

If you want it faster, there’s a Fast Track route for applications with no more than 50 items that use only the department’s recommended list of goods. You get the first examination result within 6 months, but you can’t request amendments to the application after filing.

Why do applications get rejected, and how do you avoid it?

Quick Answer: Under the Trademark Act, the main reasons fall into 3 groups: the mark isn’t distinctive, it’s a prohibited mark, or it’s the same as or similar to someone else’s mark that is already registered.

Common reason	Example	How to avoid it
It directly describes the goods	“Organic Baby” for baby cream, “Tasty” for snacks	Use a word you made up, or a word not directly related to the product
It’s a common word or a geographical name	Just the name of a province or a famous city	Combine it with a word or logo of your own
It’s similar to someone else’s mark for related goods	One letter different, sounds the same	Search thoroughly before filing
It contains a prohibited mark	National flag, state emblem, government emblems, agency insignia	Don’t use these elements in your logo
It could mislead people	Claims an origin or quality that isn’t true	Use a name that doesn’t point people the wrong way

If you’re ordered to amend or you’re rejected, don’t panic. You still have the right to explain or appeal through the department’s process, and this is exactly the point where hiring a trademark agent is most worth it.

Approved. What next?

Quick Answer: Use the mark exactly as registered, keep your certificate safe, and set a reminder to renew before the 10 years are up.

• Use the name and logo exactly as registered. If you change your logo significantly, you may need to file again
• If you find copycats on a platform, you can use your registration number to report them to the platform
• You can renew within 3 months before expiry, or within 6 months after expiry (with an extra fee)

We’ll say it plainly: the trademark fee is one of the best-value costs when you’re starting out. If you want to plan your whole shop startup budget, continue to How much does it cost to start an online shop?

Your brand name is something you’ve built with love. Protect it starting today, so you won’t have regrets later.