Thai PBS Director Warns That Plant Patenting Could End Public Right to Harvest Common Vegetables

Key summary

On October 25, 2026, Wanachai Tantivitawipatthak, director of Thai PBS, posted on his personal Facebook page warning that the practice of patenting genetically modified plants could eventually strip ordinary people of their right to harvest common roadside vegetation for cooking. He noted that many staple ingredients like basil, chili, and garlic originated outside Thailand but have long been cultivated freely by households. He explained that while some humans have begun slightly modifying these natural plants without significantly changing their size, smell, or taste, they are now being registered under the label of 'copyright.' The director stated that this shift could soon prevent people from picking basil leaves, tamarind leaves, or holy basil growing on their own fences for food, a situation he described as not yet happening but currently knocking at society's door.