The sport ruffles the feathers of animal rights activists, but with champion cocks worth hundreds of thousands of baht, it's big business for the enthusiasts who see it as a vital part of Thai culture.
With 3.3 million baht on the line, the stakes were high as the two prize fighters entered the ring. Boisterous cheers rang out from the sell-out crowd, who jumped to their feet as the referees signalled for the bout to begin.
In one corner was Sibmuen, the bruising champion from Samtoomthong Farm in Ayutthaya. In the other was plucky challenger Sudsan, from Rachasi Bangkruay Farm in Rayong.
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“It’s a heavyweight contest, ” said Bancherd Chanying, the 51-year-old promoter of Bangkok Cockpit, a 2, 000-seat cockfighting stadium in Samut Prakan province, the largest of its kind in Thailand.
While outlawed in many countries, cockfighting in Thailand has managed to partly shake off its image as a blood sport, with strict regulations outlawing the use of metal spurs and governing the length and frequency of matches.
Mr Bancherd said modern fighting cocks are treated like professional boxers, with owners and trainers taking tremendous care to avoid serious injury.
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“These cocks are worth hundreds of thousands of baht, ” he said, pointing to roosters waiting to enter the stadium. Each bird was surrounded by its own team, comprising an owner, manager and coach. Their wings were covered with plastic sheets and the owners constantly rubbed them with a wet towel.
Bangkok Cockpit hosts fights every second Sunday, and with so much money on the line — licensed cockfighting rings are one of the country’s few legal gambling outlets — the events are taken seriously by owners, trainers and spectators alike.
Coaches and owners gather at the stadium the Monday before each fight to pair up the birds. This is done by lifting the roosters by hand to compare weights; no scales are used.
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“These people know how much the roosters weigh by their intuition and experience. They have been in the industry for years, ” Mr Bancherd said.
After both sides agree to a matchup, a purse is declared by mutual agreement, with each owner stumping up an equal stake in a winner-takes-all arrangement. The owners can then invite fans and supporters to contribute to the purse — effectively selling portions of their stake — offering them the chance to double their money.
The prize money for the Sibmuen-Sudsan fight might have paled in comparison to the record-breaking 22 million baht purse which was put on the line at the same stadium just a month earlier. But with plenty of money being wagered on the sidelines, the stage was set for an adrenaline-pumping bout.
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Yet the contest itself almost didn’t happen. On the Monday, after the Bangkok Cockpit promoters paired up enough opponents for the event, they began to close the stadium.
Considered too big and strong, Sibmuen had been unable to find a suitable challenger. But as people started to leave, team Sudsan arrived and accepted the bout. The pairing was done in front of the stadium after the doors had already been closed.
The roosters were hand-weighed and declared to be 2.8kg each. Mr Bancherd asked both sides: “How much will you agree on for the prize money?”
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“The cockfighting game is controlled by rules and regulations. There are many details that both sides have to agree on, such as the number of rounds, ” Mr Bancherd said.
According to the current guidelines, the maximum number of rounds allowed is eight. But with each round taking 22 minutes, it is rare for fights to go the full distance.
Cockfighting is a popular pastime across the country, but it is in rural areas after harvest season that villagers are most eager to test their roosters in the ring.
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The “sport” has entertained humans for centuries. Raising roosters for fighting once existed in many Western countries, though is now banned in most on grounds of animal cruelty.
In Thailand, cockfighting is famously mentioned in the history of King Naresuan (1555-1605) and is symbolically associated with events from the warrior king’s early life.
As Thailand became more urbanised, cockfighting grew more lucrative and adapted to meet the demands of fans who wanted to watch matches in a proper stadium. Bangkok Cockpit was established six years ago.
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“It has become very successful. We host around seven matches every second Sunday, ” Mr Visith said. “The cockfighting game is clean. The matches cannot be fixed.”
Other large arenas have sprung up in recent years. Hua Hin Big Boom Mountain, which opened a year ago, boasts nearly 2, 000 seats, making it a close rival to Bangkok Cockpit for the nation’s largest.
“The audience and contestants come from all over the place, especially from neighbouring provinces, ” said Sithipong Yangyuen, the manager of Big Boom Mountain.
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The Hua Hin stadium is located close to a local boxing ring, where aspiring young boxers compete during weekly matches — a journey that is in many ways comparable to that of a champion rooster.
Owners and coaches observe their fighting cocks from an early age. “Male roosters stick together when they are young. But they start to fight each other when they grow older. It’s their nature, ” said Mr Bancherd.
If the owner sees that a rooster has the potential to become a fighter, he takes it to first compete in local village contests. If they prove good enough, they will eventually compete on the national stage at arenas like Bangkok Cockpit and Hua Hin Big Boom Mountain.
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So far, cockfighting’s greatest and most lucrative champion was Maneedaeng, or Red Gem, which won the 22 million baht purse at Bangkok Cockpit on Oct 18. The rooster has also earned the nickname “explosive leg” for its striking speed and agility.
Maneedaeng, which hails from the Northeast, made history by defeating Chao Pinpetch, or Noble Head Jewel, a Burmese breed with the alias “The Killer”. Chao Pinpetch was the champion of the South and had previously won 6.6 million baht in a single bout at Hua Hin Big Boom Mountain.
“It was a massive match that took the sport of cockfighting to the next level, ” said Mr Bancherd, who has been involved in the sport for more than 30 years.
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Some activists view cockfighting as animal cruelty, especially when promoters attach metal spurs and force the roosters to fight to the death. Mr Visith, however, said such practices are outlawed here, though they remain common in other countries such as the Philippines.
Before the passage of the Animal Welfare Act late last year, debate raged over whether cockfighting should be allowed to continue in Thailand. “Some activists consulted with us about whether cockfighting amounted to animal cruelty. We were concerned that the roosters would be tortured during the fights, ” said Satid Prachyarriyakul, a lawyer for the Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Mr Satid said that after discussion with all parties involved, it was decided that the Animal Welfare Bill would permit cockfighting to continue. Article 21 provides an exception to traditional sports which use animals, such as fighting fish and roosters, on the condition the activity does not result in the torture of the animals.
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“The exception is quite broad and is left open to interpretation. The challenge is how to determine the extent to which we consider unacceptable or what amounts to animal cruelty, ” Mr Satid said.
The most high-profile supporter of cockfighting in Thailand is Yuenyong "Ad" Opakul, the frontman of the popular rock band Carabao, who chairs the Cockfight Promotion Club of Thailand. Yuenyong publicly defends the sport, arguing that the rules have been adjusted to make it more humane in Thailand.
The number of rounds has been reduced from a maximum of 12 to eight, and it is now illegal to attach metal spurs. Roosters must have their natural spurs wrapped in strips of plaster during a fight to limit the damage they can inflict, and each bird can fight a maximum of once a month.
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The rooster cannot be forced to fight until the death. If one cock yields to its opponent three times, the bout is declared over.
“People say the loser will go straight into the soup pot. But that’s not true. These birds are worth thousands of baht, ” Mr Visith said.
The sport of cockfighting is governed by an Interior Ministry announcement made in 2009 and the Gambling Act of 1935. Under those regulations, cockfighting stadiums are required to obtain a licence from the Interior Ministry, which allows gambling to occur there legally.
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Despite its association with gambling, supporters of the sport say cockfighting also brings social benefits. Chicken farmers are able to earn extra income from breeding fighting cocks, which command sale prices several times those of regular chickens.
Mr Visith said Thai rooster farms are recognised for their ability to interbreed birds and produce superior fighting cocks. Some farms export live roosters around the region as well as farther afield, while others sell eggs for reproduction.
The famous three breeds used in Thailand’s cockfighting rings are Thai, Burmese and Vietnamese. Vietnamese birds are known for their strong bones but thin skin, while Burmese roosters are generally heavier. Thai roosters
