It is typically seen in stagnant waters in swamps, pools, and ponds.

The species can be found in brackish waters, with salinity levels between 1.1 and 10.6 parts per thousand.

[3][4][5] Betta mahachaiensis was discovered in 2012 by a team of biologists led by Dr. Bhinyo Panijpan's Mahidol University research group (with PhD candidate Mr. Chanon Kowasupat.[6][2]).

It was found in the province of Samut Sakhon in Thailand, and its specific name is a derivation of the Thai name for the sub-district.

[2] As labyrinth fish, Betta mahachaiensis have a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air-breathing organ known as the labyrinth organ, a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium.