According to the most recent census

According to the most recent census conducted by the Department of Fisheries in 2000, there were 57,801 fishing households distributed around the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. About 87% of them were considered small-scale. This included a small minority (12%) of fishers who fished without boats or with non-powered boats; a majority with outboard powered boat (82%); and the other 6% were fishers using inboard powered boats with hold capacity of less than 5 GRT (Table 14.1). In addition to GRT, the amount of hired labor is another criteria differentiating small-scale from large-scale fisheries. For example, only a small percentage of fishers using non-powered boats, and those using outboard powered boats (7% and 17%, respectively) hired labor. Together with those not using boats, they are the typical small-scale fishers. Of the fishing households using inboard powered boats with the hold capacity less than 5 GRT, about 31% hired crew members and were thus considered to resemble the large-scale fishing sector, while the rest may still be considered small-scale.