Thread: Fish In Thailand and their names

While I was searching for various fish names and photos today on goggle I found much information that seems to lead one in a circle. I was thinking it better if we had a thread here that gave the name of every fish in Thailand that we could think of. Official name, common name, Thai name, etc. Photos included. I for one don't know the names of the Thai fish and was looking to find information on "pla suay" and a photo of the fish. Anyone want to start with names and photos? Anyone have information of the fish called pla suay? I think maybe it is part of the fish family refered to as "shark catfishes" "pagasiidae", however, I am not sure.

Pla Duk
Catfish

^ Walking Catfish (Clarias Batrachus)

Is Pla Suay the Pangasius?

Originally Posted by bkkmadness

Is Pla Suay the Pangasius?

I just googled Pangasius and it sure sounds like what was being described to me as a pla suay. I was told that it is excellent for farm ponds for fishing and eating. It is suppose to be great in tom yam pla.

All fresh water fish here taste to me like mud or Algae and I don't eat em, I think that they would be best and more nourishment just after a flood when all the cess pits and dry well have flooded and the water recedes back into the ponds,, sounds quite yummy to me..
Only fresh water fish I eat here is rainbow trout from Norway and comes to me frozen from my meat wholesaler, and I do eat salmon sometimes along with halibut, Tuna loin and mahi mahi from Bali that comes to me 1 day out of the water and iced well, but all from the same source.

Couldn't find pla suay, but if you scroll down (to Pla) on this site, you will find a lot of other fish. Plus a lot of other stuff.

Clay's Kitchen : Thai Food Glossary

Pla chorn

This site pretty good for indigenous freshwater species.

Freshwater Fish Species of Thailand & Fishing in Thailand

What an ugly sumbitch Norty, and I do like my fish scaled and gutted well before they are cooked and served.

Originally Posted by blackgang

What an ugly sumbitch Norty, and I do like my fish scaled and gutted well before they are cooked and served.

Good though. You might try it. Not such a muddy taste.

Hey, come on "scaled" rainbow trout. I know damn well you just popped those little ones in the fry pan with butter, head, scales and all. Gutted, I agree.

Real men use FishBase. Here is a list of all fish for Thailand included in that database, about 2,200 of them - FishBase Thailand

Unfortunately not too many Thai names though

This page gives Thai names for loads of fish - Thai Fish Names

Originally Posted by Norton

come on "scaled" rainbow trout. I know damn well you just popped those little ones in the fry pan with butter, head, scales and all. Gutted, I agree.

Yea, no scales on trout that don't disolve when cooking, but the ones I buy are almost a foot long and are cleaned,. but I have caught them that weigh in at around 5 pounds or some bigger, but don't fool with fishing for them much as I prefer native trout and browns or dolly Vardens to hatchery stock rainbows.
But the scales on that pic are as big as a 10 baht coin.

Originally Posted by ceburat

Originally Posted by bkkmadness

Is Pla Suay the Pangasius?

I just googled Pangasius and it sure sounds like what was being described to me as a pla suay. I was told that it is excellent for farm ponds for fishing and eating. It is suppose to be great in tom yam pla.

I did some research on Pangasius fish a few months back after noting from packaging that it was the fish sold as 'Dory' fish in that Chippy on Soi 23 (as the name obviously could lead to confusion with John Dory). From what I recall Pangasius is extensively farmed in Vietnam for export. There has been no concensous for an agreed global name hence different names given in different parts of the world, the common name being Dory for Asia.

Blackgang, I would be interested in the details of your fish supplier (such as website) if possible? Cheers

Oi Madness, I think I got your red from DD by mistake!

Originally Posted by bkkmadness

^ Walking Catfish (Clarias Batrachus)

Fish In Thailand and... 08-01-2009 08:15 PM dirtydog its a goldfish you idiot fucking idiot madness, cvnt!

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

Real men use FishBase.

Remember when you took that girlfriend of mine out fishing Wayne? You told her she would get a whopper. She sure did, she came home with a Flathead and a Red Snapper.

^^ Maybe explains my green from him.

Fish In Thailand and... 08-01-2009 08:15 PM dirtydog oh dear, this is going to end in tears again

This one's called "Wayne"



I like cottonfish, but don't ask me the Thai name...

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

I like cottonfish, but don't ask me the Thai name...

Great stuff. One of my favorites when on the beach in Cha Am. Steamed in foil with Thai herbs.

Pla Sarmlee

^

Thanks

I cheated and photographed the Thai name from a menu onto my phone camera.

Triggerfish. Something you want to stay away from when diving, I've heard.

Originally Posted by phuketbound

Triggerfish. Something you want to stay away from when diving, I've heard.

Yes, they have this spike that comes up from their head and it can impale you if you are under 30cm tall.

Their mouth can punch a pretty mean hole in you too. I've seen them do it to other fish.

^Yikes! Do they attack humans? Did you see many of them?



--
Pufferfish

Another one: bplaa pakgapao



Plaa Dtiin - fish with feet. Mudskippers.






Plaa Dao. Starfish. It seems that both thai and english speakers agree on it is a fish, so here you go




Leopard shark. Rayong. Dunno name in thai. Plaa Shalarm dao?