Historically the Thai fleet contributed to 40 % of overall marine capture fisheries production. This has considerably declined in recent years due to overfishing of demersal and pelagic stocks in Thai waters (5). In 2007, the Thai fleet was reported to be fishing in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Somalia, Madagascar and Myanmar with more than 460 known vessels. Today the distant water fleet is reduced to 10 longliners authorised to fish in the IOTC area and 52 trawlers licenced to fish in Papua New Guinea. The decline of fish stocks in Thai territorial waters combined with reduced fishing area through the loss of rights of access to third country waters suggests that high number of fishing vessels continue to operate illegally without regulation or reporting of catches both on the high seas and in coastal States waters.