The natural habitat of the bumblebee bat is extremely limited. These tiny bats live in limestone caves along rivers in western Thailand and nearby areas of southeast Myanmar.
Most known colonies occur in caves near the Khwae Noi River in Thailand. A smaller Myanmar population exists across the border, though the groups are separated enough that there is no gene flow between them.
Within these caves, the bats roost high on the walls or on the ceilings of dome-shaped chambers, often far from cave entrances. Colonies are relatively small, usually averaging around 100 individuals.
Because their habitat is restricted to a few cave systems in a small geographic region, scientists consider the species particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.