Wildlife of
Thailand

Primary Threats

• Conversion and fragmentation of lowland forests and wetlands in the Central Plain and peninsular Thailand reduce habitat for elephants, primates (e.g., gibbons), hornbills, and wetland birds; remaining habitat is increasingly isolated outside protected areas, weakening landscape connectivity between complexes like WEFCOM and the Eastern Forest Complex.
• Expansion and intensification of plantations (rubber, oil palm) in the south and cash crops in other regions, along with shrimp aquaculture on coasts, replace or degrade natural forests, mangroves, and wetlands and increase agrochemical runoff into rivers and nearshore reefs.
• Rapid growth around Bangkok and regional cities drives loss of peri-urban wetlands and increases demand for water and infrastructure; coastal urban growth in tourism hubs (e.g., Phuket/Andaman coast, Pattaya/Gulf) pressures beaches, dunes, and nearshore ecosystems.
• Road expansion and linear infrastructure fragment forest blocks (raising wildlife mortality and access for poaching); dams and water diversions on tributaries and transboundary basins (e.g., Mekong-related systems) alter flow regimes, fisheries productivity, and sediment delivery important for floodplains and coasts.
• River channelization, flood control works, and irrigation in the Chao Phraya basin simplify habitats and disrupt seasonal flooding that supports floodplain biodiversity; coastal hardening and altered sediment dynamics affect mangrove recruitment and shoreline ecosystems.
• Although large-scale logging is regulated, illegal timber extraction and small-scale encroachment persist in some forest edges, degrading habitat structure and opening access routes that also facilitate hunting and land grabbing.
• Localized quarrying and mineral extraction (including in karst/limestone areas) can destroy cave/karst habitats and increase sedimentation and pollution in adjacent watersheds, affecting endemic and highly range-restricted species.
• Thailand's transport links and markets make it a key transit and demand center for illegal trade (e.g., ivory, pangolins, reptiles, songbirds), undermining wild populations in Thailand and across the region; online trade and laundering through captive-breeding claims remain persistent enforcement challenges.
• Poaching for bushmeat and high-value parts continues in some remote forests, reducing prey bases for large carnivores and threatening species such as deer, wild cattle, and ground-dwelling birds; snaring is a particular issue in forest frontiers.
• Elephants frequently raid crops along forest-agriculture boundaries (notably near Khao Yai and other protected-area edges), causing injuries, fatalities, and economic losses; retaliation risks and pressure for lethal control can rise when mitigation and compensation are insufficient.
• High fishing effort in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea has historically depleted stocks and altered food webs; bycatch affects turtles, dolphins, and sharks/rays, while trawl impacts and illegal/unreported fishing degrade benthic habitats.
• Plastic leakage and marine debris are widespread on coasts and islands; nutrient and chemical runoff from agriculture and aquaculture contribute to eutrophication and reef stress; urban wastewater and industrial discharges affect rivers and nearshore waters, including seagrass areas important for dugongs.
• Rising sea temperatures drive coral bleaching events on both coasts; sea-level rise threatens low-lying mangroves and coastal wetlands; intensified droughts and extreme rainfall increase fire risk in seasonal forests and destabilize watersheds, compounding habitat degradation.
• Mass tourism in marine parks and popular islands can damage reefs (anchor damage, trampling, wastewater) and disturb wildlife; high visitation in some national parks increases noise, roadkill risk, and pressure on sensitive habitats if not carefully managed.
• Invasive plants and animals (including species that spread via aquaculture/ornamental trade and disturbed habitats) can outcompete native flora and fauna; invasive predators and competitors are a growing concern for freshwater systems and some island/coastal habitats.
• Disease risks increase where wildlife, livestock, and people mix at forest edges (e.g., primate pathogens, livestock-borne diseases) and through wildlife trafficking networks that concentrate stressed animals and facilitate pathogen spread.
• Small, isolated subpopulations of large mammals (e.g., some fragmented elephant and carnivore groups outside core complexes) face reduced gene flow; maintaining corridors between forest complexes is critical to avoid long-term inbreeding and demographic collapse.
• High water demand for agriculture, cities, and industry reduces environmental flows in some basins, stressing wetlands and freshwater biodiversity; groundwater and surface-water overuse can exacerbate dry-season habitat contraction for aquatic species.