Thailand is a country shaped by water. The peninsula's western edge faces the Andaman Sea, the eastern edge faces the Gulf of Thailand, and the central plain drains into the Chao Phraya — once one of the great river fisheries of South-East Asia, now mostly a working waterway with a few wild giants still hiding in the deeper holes. Northward, the land rises into reservoir country and the headwaters of jungle rivers. Each region fishes differently, in different months, for different species.
This is the region-by-region map.
How to read this section
The locations pages are written for the angler who already knows roughly where they're staying — or who knows roughly what they want to catch and is trying to figure out where to base. Each page covers the realistic species mix for that region, the major venues and operators worth knowing about, the season for each fishery, transport from the nearest international airport, where to stay, and a sample three-day itinerary that would make sense for a visiting angler-tourist with limited time.
The species and parks sections of the site go deeper on what the fish are like and what each individual venue is like; the locations pages are about putting the trip together.
The country, in three broad zones
Bangkok and the central plain. Thailand's capital is the country's pay-lake epicentre — there are more serious freshwater venues within a 90-minute taxi ride of central Bangkok than there are in the rest of the country combined. If you want to catch a 100-kilo Mekong catfish or a Siamese carp the size of a small motorbike, you fly into Bangkok and you do not need to leave the city. The Bangkok page covers the pay-lake circuit in detail. The flatlands south and east of the city — Chachoengsao for the lure venues, Cha-Am and Hua Hin for the upmarket resorts — are an easy day-trip extension. The Hua Hin page is a useful counterpoint: same kinds of fish, calmer setting, different kind of trip.
The Andaman coast. Phuket is the gateway, but the fishing extends well beyond the island. The big-game scene runs out of Phuket marinas, the offshore charter scene out of Khao Lak (closer to the Similan Islands), and the limestone-bay fishery — popping for GTs, jigging for grouper — is centred on Phang Nga and the islands around it. The Phuket page, Khao Lak page and Phang Nga page cover the saltwater operators in detail. Krabi is also on this coast, but Krabi is dominated by Gillham's — one of the most famous freshwater specimen lakes in the world.
The Gulf and the islands. The eastern coast — Pattaya, Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan — runs a quieter saltwater fishery that's more about reef trolling and bottom-fishing than billfish. Less spectacular than the Andaman, often more accessible, and well suited to anglers who are already on the islands for other reasons.
And the north
The north of Thailand — Chiang Mai above all — is something different. The country's reservoir fishery sits up here, in the impounded valleys behind the dams of the Ping and Wang rivers, and the jungle-river mahseer fishery runs out of resort lodges in the deep south of the country (technically not "the north", but covered in the Chiang Mai page for the kind of angler likely to combine the two). This is the most adventurous freshwater fishing you can do in Thailand, with the smallest infrastructure and the lowest catch rates. It rewards anglers who already know what they want.
Climate and timing
The single most important variable for most Thailand trips is the monsoon. The southwest monsoon runs roughly May to October — it brings the rainy season to the western (Andaman) coast and slows down or shuts down most of the offshore charter business there. The northeast monsoon runs roughly November to February — it brings drier weather to the Andaman side and unsettled weather to the Gulf side. The shoulder months — March, April, October — are often the best compromise dates if you're trying to fish both coasts on a single trip.
For the Bangkok pay-lake scene, season matters less. The water is warm enough year-round, the lakes are in production year-round, and the only real consideration is the heat: April and May are uncomfortably hot in central Thailand, and December–February is the most pleasant time to spend a long day on a covered platform with a rod across your knees.
The seasonal calendar covers month-by-month conditions in much more detail.
Putting it together
Most overseas anglers come for one of three trips: a pure Bangkok pay-lake hit (3–5 days, freshwater only), a pure Andaman saltwater run (5–7 days out of Phuket or Khao Lak), or a hybrid (Bangkok pay-lakes followed by a flight south for saltwater or for Gillham's). The locations pages are written with all three trip patterns in mind.
Pick a region. Plan a trip.