In South Asia, this species prefers dry forests but is also seen in mangrove forests. It roosts either solitary or in groups of few individuals among bamboo, cracks of tree trunks, and in old and ruined buildings. It is a low flyer, hunting over water surfaces even the sea. It feeds on small insects like the mosquitoes, gnats, flies and moths (Bates and Harrison 1997). In Southeast Asia, this species is known to feed over open seas, and probably roosts in mangrove forests; it has also been found more inland, where its roosting and feeding habits are poorly known. In view of the species possible association with coastal habitats, it may be the species might be more widespread on Borneo around the islands coasts. Payne et al. (1985) suggested that bats feeding over open water near Sandakan were probably this species. Borissenko and Kruskop (2003) recorded the species from the Bassac River in Cambodia and from Phnom-Penh, always near large water surfaces. The species has also been recorded from large cities, such as Rangoon and Bangkok, and there is also a locality from near Hanoi (Bates et al. 1999). In Rangoon and Bangkok, it is seen hawking for insects and fish over small ponds and lakes within the city. The species was found to roost in caves at Bukit Barisan Selatan (Opo pers. comm. 2006), and has been found roosting in limestone caves in Langkawi Island (Lim Boo Liat pers. comm. 2006).

This species has a patchily recorded distribution in South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. In South Asia, this species is presently known from India (West Bengal) and Sri Lanka (Eastern, Northern, North Central and Southern provinces) and has been recorded up to an elevation of 1,000 m asl (Molur et al. 2002, Yapa 2017)). In Southeast Asia, the species is known from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam (with a record from Co-Loa [Bates et al. 1999]), Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (the Mentawai Islands [Pagai Islands], Riau Archipelago, Sumatra [Bukit Barisan Selatan protected area (Huang et al. 2014)] Java and Sumbawa [Maryanto, pers comm. 2006]) and the island of Borneo (records from Kalimantan [Indonesia] and Sarawak [Malaysia]). In China, this species was collected in Bailong Dong, Mile County, Yunnan Province (Zhang et al. 2004)

This species has been recorded from protected areas in Southeast Asia (eg. Co-Loa, Viet Nam). In South Asia, there are no conservation measures in place and it has not been recorded from any protected areas. Ecological studies and population monitoring recommended (Molur et al. 2002).