Spearfishing Laws in Thailand 2024–2027: What Every Diver Must Know

Thailand's underwater hunting regulations have become significantly stricter. Fines reach 100,000 baht, and some violations carry prison sentences. Here's the complete legal picture — what's allowed, what's banned, and where you can actually fish.

Thailand sits among the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on earth, which is precisely why its government has spent the past decade building one of Southeast Asia's most comprehensive fisheries enforcement systems. Understanding the rules isn't optional — it's the difference between a successful trip and a confiscated speargun.

The Legal Foundation: Royal Decree B.E. 2558

The governing document for all fishing activity in Thai waters is the Royal Decree on Fisheries B.E. 2558 (2015) and its subsequent amendments. This replaced earlier legislation dating back to 1939 and fundamentally shifted Thailand's approach from resource extraction rights to ecosystem-based sustainability.

Three agencies share enforcement authority:

• Department of Fisheries (DOF) — zone management, gear regulations, seasonal bans
• Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) — Marine Protected Areas, species lists, digital monitoring
• Thai Marine Enforcement Command (Thai-MECC) — joint operations with the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police

All three agencies can stop, board, and inspect any vessel found in Thai waters. For spearfishers, this means any interaction with marine life falls under multiple overlapping jurisdictions.

The Core Rule: Freediving Only

Thailand permits spearfishing by breath-hold diving (apnea) only. Using SCUBA equipment or any surface-supplied air system while harvesting marine animals is strictly prohibited. Authorities and legal experts consistently classify SCUBA-assisted spearfishing as a serious violation of the Royal Decree's fair-chase principles, regardless of the specific article cited.

The practical consequence: if you're found underwater with a loaded speargun and a breathing regulator in your mouth, you face immediate arrest, vessel confiscation, and criminal charges.

Permitted Gear and Specifications

Thailand divides fishing tools into licensed and unlicensed categories. For small-scale personal-consumption fishing, the following are permitted outside protected areas:

Critical caveat: Provincial Fisheries Committees have the authority to impose additional restrictions on any of these methods within their jurisdictions. Always verify local regulations before diving — national rules set the floor, not the ceiling.

Protected Areas: Where You Cannot Spearfish

Thailand maintains 37 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The rules vary significantly by zone type.

Marine National Parks — Total Prohibition

In all marine national parks, all fishing is prohibited without exception. Being found on a vessel with an assembled speargun inside park boundaries constitutes an attempted offense. Key parks near Phuket include:

• Mu Ko Similan (Similan Islands) — private yachts require advance permits even to enter
• Mu Ko Surin — world-class reefs, strictly enforced
• Hat Nappharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi — Phi Phi Islands
• Mu Ko Tarutao — southern Andaman, remote but patrolled

These zones are classified as IUCN Category II, meaning ecosystem preservation takes unconditional priority over all human activity.

Environmental Protected Areas (EPA) — Differentiated Rules

EPAs are established under the Environmental Quality Promotion and Conservation Act B.E. 2535. Unlike national parks, EPAs can cover entire provinces and set differentiated protection levels. In most EPAs around Phuket and Krabi:

• Recreational rod-and-line fishing is permitted
• Spearfishing is prohibited
• Harvesting listed reef species is a criminal offense

Phuket Current Regulations (2026)

Phuket carries the most complex spearfishing regulations in Thailand. A ministerial decree from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment — in force through at least 2026 — significantly tightened controls across the island's waters and surrounding areas.

Racha Yai and Racha Noi Zoning (2024–2026)

The Racha archipelago — Phuket's premier freediving destination — is divided into three protection zones:

Zone 2 is effectively a no-take zone for spearfishers. Since most of Racha Yai's popular diving happens directly on or near the reef, this eliminates legal spearfishing at the island's main sites.

Penalties

Under Article 10(7) of the current ministerial decree, hunting or catching Scaridae (parrotfish) and other listed decorative species in these zones carries:

• Up to 1 year imprisonment
• Fine up to 100,000 baht
• Or both

Phuket authorities actively patrol these zones using municipal inspection teams and marine police. The DMCR maintains a public reporting hotline at 1362.

Seasonal Bans: The "Red Water Season" Program

The DOF runs a national five-year freshwater conservation program (2024–2028) protecting fish during spawning season — known as the Red Water Season (ฤดูน้ำแดง). During these periods, all "efficient" fishing methods including spearguns are banned in freshwater bodies of designated provinces.

Phase 1: May 16 – August 15

33 northern, central, and western provinces including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nan, Phrae, Mae Hong Son, Tak, and Kanchanaburi.

Phase 2: June 1 – August 31

39 northeastern and central provinces including Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, and Nakhon Sawan.

Phase 3: September 1 – November 30

5 southern provinces: Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala.

Penalties for violating seasonal bans:

• Fine of 5,000–50,000 baht, or
• Five times the market value of the catch

Simple hook-and-line fishing for personal consumption (not commercial sale) is the only permitted exception.

Protected Species: The No-Shoot List

Absolutely Protected Nationwide

The following animals may not be taken by any method anywhere in Thailand:

• Marine mammals: Dugongs, Bryde's whales, Omura's whales, Blue whales
• Marine reptiles: All sea turtle species (leatherback, green, hawksbill, and others)
• Sharks: Whale sharks

Species Banned in Phuket EPA Waters (Currently in Force)

The following families and genera are prohibited from harvest within EPA zones. Most of these species are critical to coral reef ecosystem health:

Scaridae (Parrotfish) — All species These fish scrape algae from corals and produce the white sand found on Phuket's beaches. Their removal causes rapid coral die-off. Photographing one and posting it on social media with a Phuket geotag has led to arrests.

Acanthuridae (Surgeonfish) Genera: Acanthurus, Ctenochaetus, Naso, Paracanthurus, Zebrasoma

Balistidae (Triggerfish) Genera: Balistapus, Balistoides, Melichthys, Odonus, Pseudobalistes, Rhinecanthus, Sufflamen

Labridae (Wrasses) — Most reef species

Holocentridae (Soldierfish) — All species

Apogonidae (Cardinalfish) — All species

Other protected groups: Spotted dragonets, frogfish (Antennariidae), flutemouth fish, and seahorses (Hippocampus spp.)

What You Can Legally Target

Focus exclusively on pelagic species in open water, away from reefs:

• Barracuda (Sphyraena spp.)
• Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Snappers — outside protected zones only

Shooting at "colorful reef fish" almost always leads to legal consequences in Thai waters.

Traveling With Your Speargun: Airline Rules

Thai Airways (2024–2026)

Thai Airways classifies spearguns as sports diving equipment.

• Checked baggage only — fully unloaded, with the shaft packed separately
• Asia/Australia routes: ~$100 USD flat fee per item
• Europe–Asia routes: ~$150 USD per item
• Advance notice required: Minimum 3 business days before departure with dimensions and weight

AirAsia (2024–2026)

AirAsia uses a weight-based system requiring pre-paid Sports Equipment Allowance.

• Maximum weight per piece: 32 kg
• Cannot be combined with regular baggage — requires special handling
• Maximum dimensions: 119 × 119 × 81 cm (guns exceeding this may be refused)
• Lithium batteries (for dive lights) must travel in cabin per CAAT regulations, not in checked bags

The Social Reality: Enforcement in Practice

Thai law enforcement around spearfishing is shaped significantly by community pressure and social media. Even in areas where spearfishing is technically legal, the presence of dive boats, snorkelers, or tourism operators creates a de facto prohibition enforced through complaint-driven policing.

DMCR Digital Monitoring

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources has implemented systematic social media surveillance. In 2023 and 2024, several foreign tourists were detained in Phuket and Phang-Nga after posting photos with harvested parrotfish. Authorities use geotags and vessel tracking data to identify violators even after they leave the dive site.

Using Local Guides

Working with licensed local guides who know EPA boundaries and national park edges dramatically reduces risk. However, verify the operator's current legal status — some spearfishing companies have faced legal difficulties and suspended operations. Operating with an unlicensed guide does not reduce your personal legal liability if you enter a protected zone.

Summary Checklist for Legal Spearfishing in Thailand

Before every trip:

• Confirm current zone status via DMCR or a nautical chart
• Check if the date falls within a seasonal ban for the province
• Verify your guide's license and legal operating status

Absolute rules:

• Freediving (breath-hold) only — no SCUBA
• No entry into marine national parks (assembled gun = attempted offense)
• No hunting inside Zone 2 at Racha Yai/Noi
• No shooting parrotfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, or any shark species
• No seahorses, turtles, or dugongs under any circumstances

Documentation to carry:

• Proof of sport baggage fees (airlines)
• Boat permits (if on a chartered vessel)
• Screenshot of zone boundaries for the day's location

Emergency contact: DMCR hotline 1362

The Bottom Line

Thailand's marine regulations during 2024–2027 are moving firmly toward comprehensive reef protection. Legal spearfishing in the Phuket region is essentially restricted to pelagic species in open water well outside reef boundaries. The risk of encountering a protected area or a protected species on a typical reef dive is very high.

For visiting spearfishers, this means treating every dive site as protected until confirmed otherwise, targeting only open-water species, and keeping detailed documentation. The framework isn't designed to eliminate spearfishing entirely — it's designed to eliminate reef destruction. Work within it, and the Andaman Sea remains an extraordinary place to hunt.

Interested in freediving training in Phuket? Our Wave 1 and Wave 2 courses develop the breath-hold skills and ocean awareness that underpin safe, responsible spearfishing. Get in touch to learn more.