Aquaculture in Thailand is relatively recent. Formerly, there were ample freshwater fish in natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers and canals, but with decreasing catches due to overfishing, pesticide use, and a reduction in the flood plain fishery associated with the construction of irrigation systems, there has been a surge of interest in aquaculture. In contrast to the relatively well defined and stable Chinese system of integrated fish farming, Thai systems are characterized by instability since aquaculture in the country is experiencing a period of rapid evolution. Nevertheless, Thailand has perhaps the greatest range of integrated aquacultural farming systems in the tropics.