Deals and disputes with Thai partners.
Distributor, agency and supply agreements, ending a Thai distributor relationship, trademark squatting, counterfeits and counterparty checks, handled for you from abroad in fixed-scope packages.
Start your matterYour business depends on a Thai partner.
- You are appointing a Thai distributor, agent or supplier and need a contract that works under Thai law.
- You want to end a Thai distributor relationship, and the distributor holds your trademark or FDA registrations.
- A former partner has registered your brand as a trademark in Thailand.
- Counterfeits of your products are on sale in Thailand.
- You want to check a Thai company before you sign, ship or pay.
- Your Thai contract’s dispute clause points to courts, and you are not sure that protects you.
Fixed-scope packages for each part of the relationship.
Before you sign, while it runs, and when it ends. Each package has a written scope and a fee agreed before work starts.
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Counterparty check
Who you are dealing with.
- Includes
- A written report on the Thai company from company records and public data, before you sign, ship or pay.
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Contract review or drafting
Distributor, agency and supply agreements.
- Includes
- A Thai-law review with a clause-by-clause issues table, or drafting from your terms, including the dispute clause and who holds trademarks and registrations.
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Distributor exit
Ending the relationship without losing the market.
- Includes
- An exit plan covering notice, the trademark and any FDA registrations the distributor holds, and handover. Independent licence holding is available through our Local Representative service.
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Brand protection
Squatting, counterfeits and renewals.
- Includes
- Action against trademark squatting by former partners, counterfeit follow-up, and filing, watch and renewals of your Thai trademarks.
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Disputes
When the partner does not perform.
- Includes
- Demands and negotiation by our legal team, then arbitration or court. Unpaid sums move into Recover & Enforce.
Choose arbitration in your Thai contracts.
A foreign court judgment is not directly enforceable in Thailand; the case has to be brought again. A foreign arbitral award is enforceable, because Thailand has been a New York Convention state since 1959. Check the dispute clause before you sign.
How packages are quoted is explained on Fees & process.
One contact for contracts, brands and disputes.
- Your case managerYour single point of contact, coordinating each package and reporting in writing.
- Our legal teamLicensed Thai lawyers: contract review and drafting, trademark work, demands, arbitration and court proceedings.
- Our licensed partnersIndependent FDA licence holding when a registration has to move away from a distributor.
For each matter we assign the lawyer or specialist best suited to your needs. The responsible lawyer and their credentials are named in your engagement letter. Who you work with
Thai partners, brands and disputes: the points that matter.
- Courts or arbitration?
- Foreign court judgments are not directly enforceable in Thailand. Foreign arbitral awards are, under the New York Convention (Thailand since 1959) and the Arbitration Act B.E. 2545 (2002).
- Who owns a trademark in Thailand?
- Thailand is first-to-file. It has been part of the Madrid Protocol since November 2017, and registrations last 10 years and are renewable.
- Who can hold Thai FDA registrations?
- Only a Thai entity with the relevant licence and premises. A foreign brand without a Thai company usually depends on its importer, so changing distributor can mean registering again.
- How long can an unpaid supply claim wait?
- A merchant’s claim for goods delivered or services provided is generally time-barred after 2 years (Civil and Commercial Code s.193/34).
Frequently asked questions
Our former distributor registered our brand in Thailand. What can we do?
Act quickly, because Thailand is a first-to-file country. Our legal team reviews the registration, your evidence and the history of the relationship, and advises on the routes available, subject to applicable rules and regulations.
Should our Thai contract choose Thai courts or arbitration?
For a company abroad, arbitration is usually the stronger choice. A foreign court judgment cannot be enforced directly in Thailand, while a foreign arbitral award can be enforced under the New York Convention.
Can we change distributor without losing our FDA registrations?
Thai FDA registrations are held by a Thai entity with the relevant licence and premises, often the distributor, so changing distributor can mean registering again. An independent licence holder, provided through our licensed partners, keeps control with the brand.
Related services
Tell us about the relationship.
Start with the names of the Thai companies involved, for our conflict check. Please don’t send contracts until we confirm we can act. If a notice period or renewal date is running, include it in your message.