Data Sources

ThaiAngler combines original editorial content with structured data drawn from a range of external sources. This page lists each source, what we use it for, and where its authority ends. Knowing where data comes from is part of knowing how much to trust it.

Editorial Frontmatter

The primary source for venue ratings, species descriptions, technique articles, and seasonal guides is our own MDX content — written by named contributors and reviewed by the editorial team. This content follows the sourcing and labelling standards described in our editorial policy and methodology. Where external sources inform a specific claim, those sources are linked in the article body or listed in a sources section at the end.

Department of Fisheries (fisheries.go.th)

The Thai Department of Fisheries is the authoritative source for freshwater and marine fishing regulations, protected species designations under Thai law, size and bag limits, licensing requirements, and the legal framework for commercial aquaculture. We use DOF documentation for any regulatory claim about what anglers can legally catch, keep, or export. Where the English-language DOF materials are ambiguous, we cross-reference the Thai-language versions. Regulations change; always check the current DOF guidance for the specific province and species before fishing.

Department of National Parks (dnp.go.th)

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation governs access rules, permit requirements, and fees for national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and marine protected areas. We use DNP documentation for information about fishing within or near protected areas, marine national park boundaries, and no-take zones. The DNP designations also inform our guidance on which coastal and island fishing areas require advance permits.

IUCN Red List (iucnredlist.org)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is our reference for the global conservation status of fish species. When an article discusses whether a species is threatened, vulnerable, or near-threatened, that designation comes from the most recent IUCN assessment for that species. We note the IUCN category and the year of the assessment. Red List assessments are updated on a rolling basis; the status on the IUCN website supersedes any figure published here.

CITES (cites.org)

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species governs whether species can be legally traded or exported across international borders. We consult CITES Appendix listings for any species where international export might be relevant — for example, certain giant freshwater stingrays, arapaima, and freshwater sawfish. CITES status informs our guidance to visiting anglers about what they can legally take home, though we always recommend consulting Thai customs and the destination country's import rules directly.

IGFA (igfa.org)

The International Game Fish Association is the body that maintains world and line-class fishing records. Any record claim on ThaiAngler — species records from Thailand or region-specific records — is referenced against the IGFA database. We do not publish our own record designations. If a catch is described as a record or a notable weight, the IGFA is the authority we point to. Anglers wishing to submit a record catch for official recognition should follow the IGFA submission process directly.

Reader Reports

A portion of the venue and seasonal information on this site comes from the angling community: anglers who contact us directly, members of Thai fishing LINE groups, and contributors to Facebook fishing communities we monitor. Reader-reported information is labelled clearly wherever it appears. We include it because community intelligence is valuable and often more current than anything we can generate through contributor visits alone. We do not treat reader reports as equivalent to verified data; they are signals that inform further investigation or flag for update.

Operator Websites

Where a venue or operator maintains a public website or social media presence with current pricing and facility information, we may include that data in directory listings. We only list operator-provided pricing when we can include the source URL alongside it. Where we cannot confirm the source, the listing is tagged "pricing unconfirmed" rather than carrying a figure we cannot stand behind. Operators can request corrections or updates via hello@thaiangler.com.

Knowledge-Graph Linking

Approximately thirty cornerstone entities on ThaiAngler — major species, significant venues, key regulatory bodies — carry Wikidata QID references and Wikipedia URL links in their structured metadata. This is to support knowledge-graph indexing and to connect ThaiAngler content to the broader web of linked open data. These links are maintained editorially and reviewed when the underlying Wikidata or Wikipedia entries change substantively.