Fishing on a yacht charter in Thailand: licence, marine park ban and what you can catch
Thailand: no recreational fishing licence found, but fishing is banned in marine national parks (Similan, Phi Phi, Phang Nga). Where you can fish. Sourced.
Fishing licence needed?
No
No licence found; fishing banned in marine national parks
Source: FAOLEX (FAO legal database), checked
Checked
28 Oct 2026
2 official, 4 secondary sources
We found no recreational licence for rod fishing in Thailand, but fishing of any kind is banned inside marine national parks such as Similan, Surin, Phi Phi, Ao Phang Nga and Ang Thong, according to the National Park Act 2019 as summarised in search results (we could not open the official text). A secondary source says almost all the coastal waters popular with yachts are inside parks, so fish only outside park boundaries, for example around Racha Yai and Racha Noi south of Phuket (secondary source), and do not carry rigged fishing gear inside a park.
Checked 28 Oct 2026 against 2 official sources and 4 secondary sources (sources). Anything we could not confirm is labelled (how to read the labels). Rules change: check with the authority or your charter company before you fish.
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter in Thailand?
Licence needed: No licence found; fishing banned in marine national parks.
Authority: No recreational licence. Marine parks are run by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) (FAOLEX (FAO legal database)).
Cost: No licence found for rod fishing (Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 licenses gear and commercial fishing)
Fishing is banned in marine national parks.
National Park Act B.E. 2562 (2019): s.19(3) bans taking or harming wild animals (up to 5 years' prison and/or a THB 500,000 fine); s.19(7) bans bringing fishing or hunting gear into a park (up to THB 10,000).
[Not confirmed in the official text] Source: DNP unofficial English translation via a search summary; the PDF download timed out.
[Secondary source] A secondary source says a fine of up to 500 baht per person on board.
Similan needs an advance yacht permit from park HQ at Thap Lamu.
This is a fishing licence. To skipper the yacht yourself you need a sailing licence or résumé, which is a different document: sailing licence requirements in Thailand.
What can I catch in Thailand?
| Species | Scientific name | How it is caught | Best months | IUCN status | Endemic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant trevally | Caranx ignobilis | popping, jigging | year-round; peak Jun–Jul (guide) | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Sailfish | Istiophorus platypterus | trolling | Dec–Mar peak (guide) | Vulnerable (VU) | No |
| Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel | Scomberomorus commerson | trolling | Oct–Apr (peak Nov–Jan) (guide) | Near Threatened (NT) | No |
| Kawakawa | Euthynnus affinis | trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Great barracuda | Sphyraena barracuda | trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Mangrove red snapper | Lutjanus argentimaculatus | bottom fishing | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
| Rainbow runner | Elagatis bipinnulata | jigging/trolling | Not verified | Least Concern (LC) | No |
Threatened on the IUCN Red List (global): Sailfish (VU). Best months are from fishing guides (secondary sources); IUCN status from FishBase (how to read the labels).
Catch limits and fishing rules
- No fishing of any kind in marine national parks (Similan, Surin, Phi Phi / Hat Noppharat Thara, Ao Phang Nga, Ang Thong, etc.)
- [Not verified] Daily catch limits and sizes: not verified
Where to fish from a charter yacht
- Racha Yai / Racha Noi (south of Phuket): outside park boundaries; GT, mackerel, wahoo, dorado. Source: secondary: thai-fishing.com, erkak.com.
- Phang Nga Bay east of Phuket (outside NP): queenfish. Source: secondary: thaiangler.com.
Spots are suggestions from fishing guides and operators unless an official text is named. Check protected areas before you anchor to fish.
Protected areas and no-take zones
- Mu Ko Similan NP (islands 1–3: no anchoring, landing, snorkelling or diving)
- Mu Ko Surin NP
- Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi NP
- Ao Phang Nga NP
- Mu Ko Ang Thong NP
- Mu Ko Chumphon NP
- [Secondary source] Note (secondary source): almost all Thai coastal waters popular with yachts fall inside parks
Spearfishing rules
We could not confirm spearfishing rules for Thailand. The marine national park ban on all fishing (see protected areas) applies to spearfishing too.
On a charter yacht: what guests need to know
No licence, but do not fish or carry rigged gear inside marine national parks. Fines apply per person on board, according to a secondary source. Get the Similan yacht permit in advance.
Planning the trip around the fish? See the best time to charter in Thailand, month by month, and the Thailand charter overview.
See boats in Thailand
See catamarans for rent in Thailand on SamBoat
Fishing rules apply whoever you book with; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you (disclosure).
What we could not verify
- Daily catch limits and sizes: not verified
- Best months for Kawakawa, Great barracuda, Mangrove red snapper, Rainbow runner
How to read the labels
- [Secondary source]: From a non-government source (guide, club, operator or news); not official.
- [Not confirmed in the official text]: An official rule we could only read in a search summary, because we could not open the official text.
- [Not verified]: We could not confirm it.
- No label: Read in an official source (government, statutory body or the legal text).
Best months come from fishing guides and charter operators (secondary sources), not from regulators: treat them as a guide. IUCN status is the species' global Red List category as FishBase shows it (Red List 2025-2), not a local fishing rule. "Endemic" means FishBase gives a range limited to one sea; "No" means FishBase shows a wide distribution.
Sources
- Thai Department of National Parks (DNP): DNP – National Park Act 2019 unofficial translation (official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FAOLEX (FAO legal database): Fisheries Act B.E. 2558 (FAOLEX) (official text, hosted by a third party), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Thai Marine Guide: Thai Marine Guide – restricted areas (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- Nation Thailand (news): Nation Thailand – Similan fines (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- ThaiAngler (fishing guide): ThaiAngler – tourist licence (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- ERKAK (fishing guide): ERKAK Phuket fishing (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026.
- FishBase species summaries (reference database, IUCN status as shown, Red List 2025-2), checked 28 Oct 2026: Caranx ignobilis, Istiophorus platypterus, Scomberomorus commerson, Euthynnus affinis, Sphyraena barracuda, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Elagatis bipinnulata.
Method: methodology. Data: JSON.
More on fishing and Thailand
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fishing licence on a charter yacht in Thailand?
We found no recreational licence for rod fishing in Thailand, but fishing of any kind is banned inside marine national parks such as Similan, Surin, Phi Phi, Ao Phang Nga and Ang Thong, according to the National Park Act 2019 as summarised in search results (we could not open the official text). A secondary source says almost all the coastal waters popular with yachts are inside parks, so fish only outside park boundaries, for example around Racha Yai and Racha Noi south of Phuket (secondary source), and do not carry rigged fishing gear inside a park.
How much does a fishing licence cost in Thailand?
None found.
What fish can you catch in Thailand?
Common targets include giant trevally, sailfish, narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, kawakawa, great barracuda.
Can you spearfish in Thailand?
We could not confirm spearfishing rules for Thailand.