On April 27^th, 2023 S&O IP Thailand organized an onsite training with the Phuket Area Excise Office, Phuket Provincial Police, Phuket Airport Customs House, and Phuket Customs House. It is a very important province for Thailand, where there is a high possibility of the spread of counterfeit goods being sold throughout the area of the tourist spots including the night market. In 2022, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) seized 100,000 pieces of counterfeit products worth more than 50 million baht (USD 1,470,000) in Phuket.

During the training session, we mentioned to the officers how to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products. We see a massive benefit for officers with the ability to verify and examine suspicious products from both imports and exports across Thailand. Our onsite training built a splendid relationship between Thai enforcement agencies and brand owners, increasing the standard of enforcement activity and assisting in the aim of combating counterfeit goods. The Phuket Enforcement Authorities are trying to develop their working standard on intellectual property infringement matters, as recently many infringing and counterfeit products are rapidly returning to Phuket and southern Thailand.