SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
Thailand is bounded by the Gulf of Thailand in the east and the Andaman Sea in the west. The total land area of the country is about 514,000 km² with a total coastline of about 7,066 km and about 299,397 km2 of exclusive economic zone. There are 25 river basins and the two principal river systems are the Chao Phraya River and Mekong River.
The fisheries sector is categorized into capture fisheries (inland and marine) and aquaculture (coastal and freshwater). In 2019, the gross domestic product from fisheries was 0.72 % and the fish available for consumption was 29.50 kg/capita. The Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is responsible for the promotion of the Thai fishing industry while ensuring the sustainability of aquaculture and capture fisheries.
Moreover, Thailand is one of the top fish-producing nations in the world which ranked 15th in world capture fisheries and 10th in world aquaculture production in 2019. The national fishery production is generally composed of around 60 % from capture fisheries and around 40 % from aquaculture.
Total fishery production of Thailand by quantity (MT)
| 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| Total | 2,488,833 | 2,456,294 | 2,386,916 | 2,425,901 | 2,429,856 |
| Capture Fisheries | 1,527,130 | 1,536,756 | 1,493,044 | 1,463,295 | 1,501,318 |
| Marine Capture | 1,410,665 | 1,392,931 | 1,300,421 | 1,275,995 | 1,317,217 |
| Inland Capture | 116,465 | 143,825 | 192,623 | 187,300 | 196,500 |
| Aquaculture | 961,703 | 919,538 | 893,872 | 962,606 | 928,538 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2019
Total fishery production of Thailand by value (US$ 1,000)
| 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| Total | 5,529,289 | 5,209,759 | 4,723,207 | 4,368,492 | 4,119,031 |
| Capture Fisheries | 2,355,522 | 2,191,793 | 2,018,219 | 1,880,345 | 4,119,031 |
| Marine Capture | 2,129,604 | 1,918,910 | 1,715,517 | 1,581,541 | 1,486,032 |
| Inland Capture | 225,918 | 272,883 | 302,702 | 298,804 | 301,441 |
| Aquaculture | 3,173,767 | 3,017,966 | 2,704,988 | 2,488,147 | 2,331,558 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2019
Production of major species/groups of species from marine capture fisheries of Thailand by quantity (MT)
| Major species/group | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Anchovies | 143,218 | 130,891 | 120,809 | 129,608 | 102,108 |
| Scads | 103,423 | 104,443 | 109,512 | 121,137 | 89,365 |
| Squids | 98,375 | 111,241 | 98,093 | 108,988 | 90,987 |
| Sardinellas | 91,989 | 71,463 | 72,096 | 72,729 | 81,051 |
| Mackerels | 86,879 | 72,441 | 74,276 | 81,017 | 116,913 |
| Shrimps/prawns | 60,954 | 48,790 | 33,051 | 42,453 | 33,447 |
| Carangids | 57,053 | 73,617 | 96,928 | 67,988 | 50,790 |
| Crabs | 50,950 | 32,662 | 35,884 | 36,064 | 23,874 |
| Tunas | 46,397 | 43,718 | 45,459 | 39,849 | 42,539 |
| Threadfin breams | 40,185 | 35,996 | 31,584 | 31,318 | 36,868 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2019
Production of major species/groups of species from inland capture fisheries of Thailand by quantity (MT)
| Major species/group | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Silver barb | 21,907 | 24,858 | 30,870 | 21,300 | 21,049 |
| Tilapias | 17,359 | 19,920 | 19,869 | 20,700 | 20,469 |
| Catfishes | 9,389 | 11,294 | 14,647 | 13,600 | 13,346 |
| Snakeheads | 7,937 | 12,003 | 14,471 | 16,100 | 15,013 |
| Climbing perch | 4,029 | 4,875 | 7,920 | 7,900 | 7,848 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2019
Production of major species/groups of species from aquaculture of Thailand by quantity (MT)
| Major species/group | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| Shrimps/prawns | 428,757 | 406,083 | 381,102 | 342,511 | 310,975 |
| Tilapias | 228,680 | 216,696 | 218,011 | 208,144 | 205,976 |
| Catfishes | 110,467 | 120,458 | 117,895 | 131,634 | 133,241 |
| Molluscs | 88,973 | 78,203 | 98,256 | 197,201 | 194,405 |
| Barramundi | 47,203 | 39,278 | 20,454 | 17,610 | 17,250 |
| Silver barb | 21,767 | 23,124 | 23,647 | 30,703 | 30,498 |
Source: Fishery Statistical Bulletin of Southeast Asia 2019
Export and import of fishery products of Thailand by quantity (MT) and value (US$ 1,000)
| Year | Export | Import | ||
| Quantity (MT) | Value (US$ 1,000) | Quantity (MT) | Value (US$ 1,000) | |
| 2019 | 1,391,701 | 5,864,824 | 1,988,143 | 3,774,411 |
| 2018 | 1,394,091 | 6,077,436 | 2,129,606 | 4,068,941 |
| 2017 | 1,354,237 | 6,041,469 | 1,924,537 | 3,669,269 |
| 2016 | 1,515,437 | 5,914,988 | 1,868,170 | 3,179,244 |
| 2015 | 1,545,968 | 5,701,788 | 1,620,659 | 2,616,038 |
Source: FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Service