CHIANG MAI - A 16-month-old fighting cock with a record of three straight victories has been sold for one million baht.
Cockfighting enthusiasts on Wednesday flocked to Sum-an fighting cock farm in Saraphi district of this northern province to witness the sale of the rooster, said to be of the Phama Mahwing variety, a cross breed of Thai and Myanmar cocks.
Farm owner Charnnarong Chuenjit, 36, said the 16-month-old bird weighed 2.6kg and was one of 50 cocks at his property. He had bought the rooster for 80,000 baht when it was less than a year old.
Its value went up after it won three straight matches, said Mr Charnnarong. He was initially offered 500,000 baht for the rooster, but turned it down. Later he was offered 1 million baht, and he agreed to sell.
The proud new owner is Seksan Nanta, 30, proprietor of Sirikanya farm, also in Saraphi district.
He said he watched the rooster's second and third matches and was impressed with its fighting style. In the second match, it took the cock only 16 minutes to defeat its rival. He knew he wanted to buy it.
Mr Seksan said he would match the bird against other cocks, but the main purpose was to use him for breeding, using hens sired by a four-million-baht Myanmar-bred cock he already owns.
Seksan Nanta, 30, owner of a fighting cock farm in Chiang Mai's Saraphi district, (left), hands a million baht cash to Charnnarong Chuenjit, 36, owner of another farm in the same district, and seals the purchase of the 16-month-old cock with a 3-0 winning streak. (Photo by Cheewin Sattha)