Thailand has fifteen designated reserved wild animal species, which are defined by the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act of BE 2535 (1992). It prohibits hunting, breeding, possessing, or trading any of such species, except when done for scientific research with permission from the Permanent Secretary of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, or breeding and possession by authorised public zoos.
The fifteen reserved species are:
- White-eyed river martin (Pseudochelidon sirintarae)
- Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
- Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
- Kouprey (Bos sauveli)
- Wild Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis (B. arnee))
- Eld's deer (Cervus eldii)
- Schomburgk's deer (Cervus schomburgki)
- Mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis)
- Chinese goral (Naemorhedus griseus)
- Gurney's pitta (Pitta gurneyi)
- Sarus crane (Grus antigone)
- Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata)
- Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus)
- Fea's muntjac (Muntiacus feae)
- Dugong (Dugong dugon)
Of these fifteen species, the Schomburgk's deer is already extinct, and the Javan and Sumatran rhinoceros are locally extinct in Thailand.
In June 2016, the cabinet approved a preliminary proposal to add four marine species to the reserved animals list. They are: the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni), Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).