Thailand
Asia · South-Eastern Asia
Recreational spearfishing is legal in Thailand in open coastal and inland waters and does not require a recreational fishing licence. However it is heavily restricted: it must be done on breath-hold (apnea/freediving) only — using scuba or other underwater breathing apparatus while spearfishing is prohibited by community practice and is not permitted in protected areas. Spearfishing (and all fishing) is banned inside Thailand's marine national parks and aquatic-species sanctuaries. Use of explosives, poison/intoxicating substances and electric current is criminally prohibited under the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015). Protected/rare aquatic animals (e.g. whale shark, sea turtles, manta rays, sawfish, giant clams) and aquatic mammals (e.g. dugong, dolphins) must not be taken. Enforcement is uneven, and the area falls in a legal grey zone for casual recreational use; commercial taking and sale require appropriate fisheries licensing.
Last updated June 15, 2026
Governing framework
- §Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015) (พระราชกำหนดการประมง พ.ศ. 2558), as amended by the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries (No. 2) B.E. 2560 (2017)
- §National Park Act B.E. 2562 (2019) (and predecessor National Park Act B.E. 2504 (1961))
- §Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) (WARPA)
- License required
- Not required
- Speargun
- Allowed
- Scuba
- Prohibited
- Foreigners
- Welcome
The law, verbatim
Legal texts
The exact statutory and regulatory provisions that govern spearfishing here, quoted as published, with a link to each official source.
Prohibition on use of electric current and explosives in a fishing ground
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
Section 60. No person shall use electrical currents for fishing purposes or explosives in a fishing ground. Exemptions to the prohibition on the use of explosives in fishing grounds may be granted for the benefit of public service for which permission in writing must have been obtained from the Director-General, in which case preventive undertakings must have been implemented to preempt undue damage to the aquatic animals concerned. The provision under paragraph one shall not apply to the use of explosives for the benefit of military public service.
Prohibition on intoxicating / poisoning and polluting a fishing ground
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
Section 58. No person shall engage in the following acts: (1) releasing, pouring, disposing of, discharging or causing the passage of hazardous matters as prescribed by the Minister into a fishing ground; (2) acting in whichever way to cause the intoxication of aquatic animals in a fishing ground; (3) releasing, pouring, disposing of, discharging or causing the passage of any particular thing into a fishing ground in a manner harmful to aquatic animals; (4) causing a fishing ground to be polluted such that it becomes harmful to aquatic animals. The provisions under paragraph one shall not apply to unavoidable acts for the benefit of military public service.
Prohibition on catching aquatic animals in an aquatic species sanctuary
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
Section 56. No person shall catch aquatic animals in an aquatic species sanctuary as prescribed by the Minister or by the provincial fisheries committee subject to the approval of the Minister, except for the purposes of academic advancement or for the purposes of the nurturing of aquatic animal breeds for which permission in writing has been granted by the Director-General or a person assigned by the Director-General. There shall be attached to a notification determining any aquatic species sanctuary pursuant to paragraph one a map delineating the areas prescribed thereby.
Prohibition on catching aquatic mammals, rare and near-extinct aquatic animals
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
Section 66. No person shall catch aquatic mammals, rare aquatic animals or aquatic animals near extinction as prescribed by the Minister or take any such aquatic animal on board a fishing vessel, except where it is necessary to do so in order to save the life thereof.
Prohibition on fishing during spawning / protected periods
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
Section 70. No person shall engage in a fishing operation during a season of aquatic animals' ovulation and egg-spawning, larvae rearing or during any other period of time designated for the protection of aquatic animals as prescribed by the Minister.
Definition of "Fishing"
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015)
"Fishing" means to search, attract, catch, take or harvest fish or any activity which can reasonably be expected to result in the attracting, catching, taking or harvesting of fish at a fishing ground.
Prohibited acts within a national park — taking animals and natural resources
National Park Act B.E. 2504 (1961) (substantially carried over into National Park Act B.E. 2562 (2019))
Section 16. Within a national park, no person shall: ... (2) collect, take out, or do by any means whatsoever things endangering or deteriorating woody plant, gum, yang wood oil, turpentine, mineral or other natural resources; (3) take out animals or do by any means whatsoever things endangering the animals; ... (15) take in any gear for hunting or catching animal or any weapon, unless permission is obtained from the competent official and the conditions prescribed by the latter have been complied with.
Penalty for prohibited acts within a national park
National Park Act B.E. 2504 (1961)
Any person who violates section 16 (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5) shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand Baht or to both.
When you can dive
Seasons & time restrictions
Closed, open and restricted periods across the year. Always confirm species-specific closures locally.
- ClosedMu Ko Similan and Mu Ko Surin marine national parks (Andaman Sea)May 16 – Oct 14
Similan and Surin marine national parks close annually to all visitors (and all fishing) from 16 May to 14 October for monsoon season and ecosystem recovery. Spearfishing is prohibited inside these parks year-round regardless.
- RestrictedAquatic animals during spawning / protected periods designated by the Ministerunknown – unknown
Under Section 70 of the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries, fishing is prohibited during designated spawning/larvae-rearing seasons or other protection periods prescribed by Ministerial notification. Specific dates vary by area and species and are set by notification (e.g. Gulf of Thailand seasonal closures for spawning).
Permission to fish
License
What you need to be allowed in the water, what it costs, and how to get it.
- Type
- No recreational fishing/spearfishing licence
- Cost
- None for recreational use
- Validity
- n/a
- How to obtain
- No recreational spearfishing or rod-fishing licence is required in Thailand's public waters for tourists or Thai nationals. Commercial fishing/taking for sale requires appropriate fisheries licensing from the Department of Fisheries. Private fishing parks charge their own fees, and access to some areas (e.g. navy zones) may require permission.
- Authority
- Department of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives)
Gear & technique
Equipment rules
What gear is permitted, how it may be used, and the conditions attached.
Restrictions
- Spearfishing must be done on breath-hold (apnea/freediving); using scuba or underwater breathing apparatus while spearfishing is not permitted (community/operator practice; banned outright in protected areas).
- Use of explosives in a fishing ground is criminally prohibited (Royal Ordinance on Fisheries, Section 60).
- Use of electric current for fishing is prohibited (Section 60).
- Causing intoxication/poisoning of aquatic animals or polluting a fishing ground is prohibited (Section 58).
- Secondary sources report that chemicals, explosives and live-fish catch pouches/bags are prohibited by law.
- Bringing hunting/catching gear or weapons into a national park is prohibited without permission (National Park Act, Section 16(15)).
Spearguns are generally sold and used legally in most Thai provinces for recreational apnea spearfishing. The scuba prohibition is widely reported by dive/spearfishing operators and is reinforced by strong opposition from the dive-tourism community; it is also effectively absolute inside marine national parks where all fishing is banned.
What you may take
Catch limits & protected species
Daily quotas, minimum sizes, and species that must never be taken.
Daily limit
No published recreational daily bag limit for general species; commercial catch is regulated separately by the Department of Fisheries.
Protected species — do not take
- ProtectedWhale shark (Rhincodon typus) — nationally protected
- ProtectedManta rays — nationally protected
- ProtectedSawfish — nationally protected
- ProtectedSea turtles (all species)
- ProtectedDugong and dolphins (aquatic mammals — Section 66, Royal Ordinance on Fisheries)
- ProtectedGiant clams (Tridacna spp.)
- ProtectedRare / near-extinct aquatic animals as prescribed by the Minister (Section 66)
Aquatic mammals and rare/near-extinct aquatic animals may not be caught (Royal Ordinance on Fisheries, Section 66). Whale sharks, manta rays and sawfish are listed as protected under Thailand's wildlife protection legislation (WARPA / Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562). Secondary spearfishing sources strongly advise against targeting sharks, parrotfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, sweetlips and other reef fish, and to focus on pelagics such as mackerel, trevally, queenfish, tuna, wahoo, snapper and barracuda. Specific minimum-size limits are set by Ministerial/Departmental notification and were not retrieved verbatim.
Who may fish
Visitors & residents
How the rules differ for foreign visitors and local residents.
Foreign visitors
AllowedRestrictions
- Same rules as residents: apnea only, no scuba spearfishing.
- No spearfishing in marine national parks or aquatic species sanctuaries.
- No taking of protected/rare species.
- Enforcement is uneven and spearfishing is a legal grey area for casual recreational use; foreigners are advised to check locally with dive shops, tour operators and harbourmasters.
Foreign tourists may recreationally spearfish on breath-hold in open public waters without a licence, subject to the same restrictions as Thai nationals. Commercial activity by foreigners is restricted under Thai fisheries and foreign-business law.
Residents
No recreational licence required
Thai nationals do not require a licence for recreational fishing/spearfishing in public waters. Special protections and exemptions exist for artisanal and local fishing communities under the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries, but these are commercial/community-fishery provisions rather than recreational spearfishing rights.
Where on the coast
Allowed & prohibited zones
Named areas that are open to or closed for spearfishing. See the full picture on the interactive map.
Allowed areas
Island south of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, outside national-park boundaries; commonly cited by local freedivers as one of the better recreational spearfishing areas in Thailand. Breath-hold only; protected species must be avoided.
Apnea (breath-hold) only — no scuba. No taking of protected/rare species. Verify you are outside any marine national park or sanctuary boundary.
Gulf of Thailand reef/island area near Pattaya cited as a recreational spearfishing destination (shallower, lower visibility than the Andaman side). Note some Samae San zones are under Royal Thai Navy control and may be restricted.
Apnea (breath-hold) only — no scuba. Avoid protected species. Some surrounding waters are navy-controlled / restricted.
Prohibited areas
- Mu Ko Similan National Parkmarine national park
Marine national park in the Andaman Sea. All fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited; park also closes annually 16 May – 14 October.
- Mu Ko Surin National Parkmarine national park
Marine national park in the Andaman Sea near the Myanmar border. All fishing, including spearfishing, is prohibited; park also closes annually 16 May – 14 October.
- Thailand's marine national parks (all ~22–26 parks under the Marine National Park Division)marine national park
Spearfishing and all fishing are prohibited inside every marine national park in Thailand (e.g. Mu Ko Ang Thong, Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi, Mu Ko Lanta, Tarutao, Mu Ko Chang). Boundaries can be difficult to identify on the water; divers must research locally.
- Aquatic species sanctuaries (เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์น้ำ)aquatic species sanctuary / fishery refuge
Catching aquatic animals is prohibited in any aquatic species sanctuary designated by the Minister or provincial fisheries committee under Section 56 of the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries. Each designation carries an official map of the protected area.
Conditions on the water
Live conditions
Live marine and weather snapshot near a coastal reference point in Thailand, from Open-Meteo. Conditions vary along the coast — treat as indicative.
Live marine & weather near Koh Racha Noi (Racha Noi Island), Phuket.
Who to ask
Authorities
The official bodies responsible for fisheries and licensing.
Department of Fisheries (Thailand)
fisheries authority
www4.fisheries.go.thMinistry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, BangkokMarine National Park Division (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation — DNP)
environment ministry / protected areas authority
portal.dnp.go.thMinistry of Natural Resources and Environment
Where this comes from
Sources
Every claim on this page traces back to one of these references.
- [01]
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015) — official English translation (FAOLEX, FAO)
Officialfaolex.fao.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [02]
Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015) — record (Ecolex / FAO FAOLEX)
Officialecolex.orgAccessed Jun 15 - [03]
National Park Act B.E. 2504 (1961) — English translation (Samui For Sale law texts)
Secondarysamuiforsale.comAccessed Jun 15 - [04]
National Park Act B.E. 2562 (2019) — record (Open Development Mekong)
Secondarydata.opendevelopmentmekong.netAccessed Jun 15 - [05]
Department of Fisheries (Thailand) — official site
Officialwww4.fisheries.go.thAccessed Jun 15 - [06]
Spearfishing in Thailand: Laws, Local Info, Top Spots & More
communityspearfishingspot.comAccessed Jun 15 - [07]
Spearfishing Pattaya | Is it Legal to Spear Fish in Thailand (Private Scuba)
communityprivate-scuba.comAccessed Jun 15 - [08]
Yachting in Thailand: 2025 Marine National Parks Regulations — The Complete Guide (Asia Global Yachting)
Secondaryasiaglobalyachting.comAccessed Jun 15 - [09]
Researchers Find Endangered Shark Species in Thailand's Shark Fin Trade / WARPA protected species (WildAid)
Secondarywildaid.orgAccessed Jun 15
Researcher notes
Spearfishing in Thailand sits in a partly grey legal area. There is no national statute that explicitly names 'spearfishing'; legality is inferred from the general fisheries framework (Royal Ordinance on Fisheries B.E. 2558/2015), the national-parks regime, and wildlife-protection law. Primary, verbatim legal text was retrieved from the official FAOLEX English translation of the Royal Ordinance (Sections 56, 58, 60, 66, 70 and definitions) and from an English translation of the National Park Act (Sections 16, 24). Key recreational-practice details — the breath-hold-only (no-scuba) norm, no recreational licence requirement, prohibition of catch pouches/chemicals, and the list of species to avoid — come from reputable dive/spearfishing operator sources rather than statute and are marked accordingly; treat them as community guidance, not codified law. Marine national park boundaries, exact spawning/closed-season dates, and statutory minimum sizes are set by Ministerial/Departmental notifications that were not all retrieved verbatim. Confidence is medium: the high-level legal position (allowed on apnea, banned in parks, protected-species rules, no explosives/poison/electricity) is well supported, but the absence of an explicit spearfishing statute and reliance on secondary sources for practical rules introduces residual uncertainty.
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