Where is the best big game fishing in Thailand?
The marina is still dark when the engines start. By sunrise the island is a line behind you, and the crew is setting the first lures. The best big game fishing in Thailand is on the Andaman Sea off Phuket, with deep water within a day's run. The Gulf of Thailand offers calmer, shorter trips from Pattaya and Koh Samui. The month decides the coast, because the two have opposite dry seasons.
Phuket is the main base for serious offshore fishing, with the widest choice of sportfishing boats and crews. Pattaya suits a day of fishing from Bangkok. It is about 1 hour 55 minutes by car from Suvarnabhumi Airport (checked November 2026). Koh Samui works when the Andaman side is in its rainy season. Read our Phuket guide to plan the rest of the stay.
Fishing pairs well with other days on the water. Our tip: fish one morning, then spend the next day snorkelling or island hopping. Our experiences guide lists everything you can add around a fishing trip.
Big game fishing in Phuket
Big game fishing in Phuket usually means a full day at sea on a sportfishing boat or motor yacht. A captain and crew who know the grounds run the day. Half days suit beginners and families. Crews use trolling for fast pelagic fish and jigging over deeper water.
A full day leaves early to reach the grounds while the sea is flat, and day trips return by about 7 pm. The crew rigs the lines, and you take the rod when the reel screams. We describe each boat by builder and length. Book a fast sportfisher for serious fishing, or a larger motor yacht with a shaded deck for a mixed group.
For a private day, add lunch cooked on board, cold drinks and towels. Our yacht charter in Phuket page lists the boats we book.
What can you catch?
Off Phuket, crews fish mainly for sailfish and black marlin. Yellowfin and dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, wahoo and mahi mahi also bite. What you catch depends on the season, the grounds and the method, so the crew sets the plan on the day. Tell Tanner what you hope to catch, and you get the crew's advice on season and method before you book.
Catch-and-release is good practice for big game fish. Thai law also protects some species completely. The Department of Fisheries says no one may catch rare or near-extinct aquatic animals named by the Minister. Nor may anyone take them on board, except to save their lives. Your crew releases any protected fish at once.
Best time to go
The best time for big game fishing off Phuket is December to March, when the Andaman Sea is driest and calmest. Thai Meteorological Department normals for Phuket show about 24 mm of rain in February. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rough seas, and many offshore trips stop.
The Gulf coast is different. On Koh Samui, February to April is the driest stretch, and November is the wettest month, with about 445 mm. For month-by-month sea and rain figures, read our Thailand weather guide.
Even in the dry season, the sea can change fast. The captain decides on the morning whether it is safe to go out. If the boat cancels for weather, we look for a new date while you are still in Thailand. We confirm the refund terms in writing before you book. Seasickness tablets taken the night before help first-timers.
Rules: marine parks, protected species and boat limits
Three rules shape every fishing trip in Thailand. Fishing is banned inside national parks, including marine national parks, according to the Government Public Relations Department. Rare and protected species may not be caught. And a boat carrying more than 12 passengers must be licensed as a passenger vessel.
The 12-passenger rule comes from the Navigation in Thai Waters Act. Larger groups therefore need a bigger licensed boat or a second boat. When a boat passes through a national park, park rules apply too. Moor only at buoys, never on coral. Keep to 3 knots within 100 metres of shore, reefs and dive sites (Department of National Parks).
Deep-sea fishing from Pattaya
Deep-sea fishing from Pattaya is a Gulf day trip, easy to reach from Bangkok. Boats head out past Koh Larn and the nearby islands. It suits a group of friends or a company outing. You can mix fishing with swimming and lunch on board.
Our Pattaya private boat day costs from ฿49,000 for 8 hours, for up to 16 guests, VAT included. Soft drinks, water, ice and fruit in season come on board as standard. Fishing tackle depends on the boat, and we can add it to your booking. See yacht charter in Pattaya for the boat types.
The private way
The private way is a boat for your group only, with a crew who rig the lines and handle the fish. One planner matches the boat to the group and adds a chef or a cooler of drinks. A car takes you from your hotel to the pier. We know the fishing crews in Chalong, and we call off the run offshore when the sea is wrong. Tanner quotes the boat to your plan.
For anglers who want more time at sea, we can join fishing to an overnight trip or a two-day island route. We plan for any group, from one angler to 30 guests or more, using more than one boat where the law requires it.
Example plan. A February day off Phuket, as we would run it. The car collects you at 05:30, and the boat clears the marina at six. Trolling runs until lunch, which the crew cooks on board. After a swim stop on the way in, you are back at the pier by about 7 pm.
Plan it with Tanner
Send Tanner your dates, the number of anglers and your experience, and we book the boat and the crew. We send a written plan with the boat, the route and the car to the pier.
