Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property has signalled this week, in its response to the 2026 U.S. Special 301 Report, that the draft amendment to the Patent Act has moved into the final accelerated stage of legislation. Thailand remains on the U.S. intellectual property Watch List, but the reform message is now more practical than political: companies filing patents, designs or technology-related matters in Thailand should revisit authorisation records, filing calendars and likely prosecution costs before the law changes rather than after.
In Malaysia, MyIPO’s revised Guidelines of Trademark 2019 (VA1-2026) are now becoming a live item in corporate compliance reviews. The sharper points are the formal review of powers of attorney and the examination of marks containing foreign words or scripts. If a compliant POA is not filed within the required period, the agent’s authority may not be recognised; if a mark includes non-Roman or foreign-language elements, translation and transliteration materials should be prepared early. For brand owners, the lesson is plain: in key Southeast Asian markets, formalities are no longer a harmless clean-up exercise.
