Owner rejects B20m offer for prized, rare fighting cock

Owner rejects B20m offer for prized, rare fighting cock

Chao Hong Thong, a prized example of the rare Luang Hang Khao (white-tailed yellow) breed of fighting cocks, struts his stuff in tambon Bang Phli in Samut Prakan. The  owner has rejected offers as high as 20 million baht from eager would-be-buyers.  (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)
Chao Hong Thong, a prized example of the rare Luang Hang Khao (white-tailed yellow) breed of fighting cocks, struts his stuff in tambon Bang Phli in Samut Prakan. The owner has rejected offers as high as 20 million baht from eager would-be-buyers. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)

SAMUT PRAKAN: The owner of a prized fighting cock has turned down a record 20 million baht offer for the champion bird, saying she loves the rooster too much to ever part with him.

The bird is named "Chao Hong Thong", has a one metre-long tail, and is of the rare Luang Hang Khao (white-tailed yellow) breed.

He is owned by Bussarin Choeybanditthakul, who raises fighting cocks in tambon Bang Phli.

On Sunday she took Chao Hong Thong to the home of the mayor of Bang Phli municipality, Pattanapong Jongrakdee, where a representative of Sunthorn Jarumon, the chairman of the Snooker Association of Thailand, was waiting to see the bird. 

He said Mr Sunthorn had learned that a family in the tambon had the rare Luang Hang Khao breed, also known as the King Naresuan the Great breed. Legend has it that anyone who possesses this breed of fighting cock will receive windfall gains.

Mr Sunthorn adored this variety of fighting cock and wanted to acquire Chao Hong Thong to help conserve the breed and to boost the charisma of his clan, he said.  

However, Ms Bussarin insisted she would not sell the bird, even though she had previously been offered as much as 20 million baht, a record price which Mr Sunthorn's representative offered to match.

Ms Bussarin explained that since she acquired the rooster she had accrued good fortune and she loved Chao Hong Thong as if he were her own child. Over the years, Chao Hong Thong had bred many other fighting cocks and generated several million baht for her and her family.

She said she was willing to sell “Chao Hong Fah", another fighting cock of the same breed but with a shorter tail than Chao Hong Thong. Ms Bussarin set the price of Chao Hong Fah at 5 million baht.

The association representative said he would inform Mr Sunthorn, and give her his reply.

Mayor Pattanapong said his community bred many native fighting cocks. Some were very beautiful.

To help conserve the native birds, the municipality was organising a cock fighting contest on Oct 20 at  Bang Phli Ratbamrung School. Chao Hong Thong would be on show there, as a magnet to draw visitors to the event.

Cock owner Bussarin Choeybanditthakul, centre,  and the representative of the chairman of the Snooker Association of Thailand, right, admire Chao Hong Thong and his metre-long tail, at the Bang Phli mayor's home on Sunday. (Photo by Sutthiwit Chayutworakan)

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