Fighting to rule the roost
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.
“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.
“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.
“Some are even priced at several million baht. Who would let these roosters be injured easily?” Mr Bancherd said.
ENTERING THE RING
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.
“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-takesall 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.
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?”
An auction-style bidding war followed, before
both sides finally settled on 3.3 million baht. The promoters painted red marks on the spurs of the roosters to ensure they would not be sharpened before the match.
“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.
The coaches of Sibmuen and Sudsan agreed the fight would be staged over six rounds.
‘A SPORT FOR EVERYONE’
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.
Visith Pinyoborisuth, 60, the general manager of Bangkok Cockpit, said cockfighting “is part of Thailand’s culture and tradition”.
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 (15551605) and is symbolically associated with events from the warrior king’s early life.
“It shows that cockfighting has been a sport for everyone; from farmers to people in the royal court,” Mr Visith said.
“I am fascinated by the spirit of fighting roosters. The animals do not give up easily.”
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.
“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.
PECKING ORDER
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.