Thailand is Optimistic about being Upgraded on the US “Watch List”

March 7, 2009

On February 4, a senior Thailand official said that Thailand is optimistic about being upgraded to the US trading partner Watch List, instead of the current Priority Watch List in the April report to be considered by relevant US government agencies.

Intellectual Property Department Director-General, Puangrat Asawaphisit, said their Deputy Commerce Minister, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, will visit Washington in March to brief American officials on Thailand’s progress in prosecuting violations of US intellectual property rights, and report that these problems have been sharply reduced. Mr. Alongkorn’s upcoming visit to the US comes as Washington is compiling updated reports for use by relevant agencies in April and considering whether to upgrade Thailand in accordance with Section 301 of the US Trade Act.

Mrs. Puangrat made these comments after she presided over a “Single Window” seminar organized to help Thai inventors searching for data on copyrighted intellectual property and patent rights. The Intellectual Property Department is also cooperating with a number of countries including the United States, South Korea, and Japan in reading their information.