Why a master of secret fish fights cannot have a second wife (8 photos)

Nowhere do they love gambling and betting as much as in Asia, I am convinced of this once again. They are ready to catch and force almost any animal to fight for bets, for example, in China there are semi-legal pig fights. But in Thailand, people pit fish against each other for the thrill of it!





The police caught and brought in a group of players from an underground fish ring. For violating pandemic rules

At the same time, almost all gambling is illegal in Thailand. The maximum penalty is up to 2 years in prison or a fine of no more than 2,000 baht ($50). There are only two exceptions to the Gambling Act - a government-sponsored public lottery and two racetracks in Bangkok.



Fish for fighting in balm jars at a street market

But can this satisfy the yearning Thai soul? Never!

That is why sports betting, which is organized at the local level, flourishes in the Kingdom, because the authorities turn a blind eye to village amusements. Cock or bull fights are often arranged, but this is a hassle, you can't hide them or pour them into a ditch if inspectors come. Fish are a different matter!

How to make fish fight?

You need to catch aggressive species. The most common type of fighting fish is the Siamese fighting fish, known in the world as Betta. You've probably seen it, it is one of the gourami subspecies that often swim in an aquarium.





Pet shop owners are ALWAYS in the know, if you're interested

But in Thailand, it has a very formidable name - pla-kad (fish that tears or bites), because it's impossible to figure out when it first started being used for fighting. Several hundred years ago, no less.

That's because the males of these fish are very territorial and aggressive, and the females can be just as hot-tempered. In Asia, they are often called the "Pearl of the East" (what pearls).



Male fish are shown to each other to PISS OFF

Breeders have bred hundreds of shades of gourami, making them bright and attractive, but in the natural environment they are most often faded - brown, gray or pale green, with short fins.

Secret fish agency

It's all serious, just as the Masons have their own lodge, so fish fights have their own secret management and mafia. It doesn't do anything particularly terrible (unless you owe it money from fights). It just exists as a warning, so that people cheat less and don't deceive the participants.



Fish fights centuries ago

You will be accepted into the family if you say that you want to study the art of preparing and training fighting fish. Knowledge of training fish for aggression is passed down orally from one fish master to another.

There is a very interesting rule that many breeders talk about.



By the way, this is a piss stick to annoy the fish every day from four to seven in the evening

"In the Thai fighting fish society, we firmly believe that a breeder who has a second wife (Mi Noi is such a woman) will never breed a better fighter."

The explanation for this scene is that when a man admires a woman, he will spend all his time with her. He will not spend time on a fighter. If he comes home late, his wife will yell at him and they may quarrel. He may not feed and train his fighter properly at the proper time.

Because he has to feed and train his fighter at the usual time. The training time for the fight should always be the same from 4 pm to 7 pm.



This is a triangle of mirrors to make the fish GO MAD at the sight of another fish, but it is only put there for a while so that it has time to rest

Two hundred years ago, fish fights were booming. In the 1800s, the King of Siam even introduced a separate tax on it.

The Cruel Side of the Sport

In the wild, fighting fish fight for only a few minutes before one of the fish retreats. Fish bred specifically for fighting last much longer, they are much meaner.



Thai underground fights, photo from the 1950s

As in the very popular cockfights and bullfights, winners are determined by their willingness to continue fighting. Once a fighter retreats, the fight is over.

So in the end it turns out to be pretty bloodless, the fish are not necessarily forced to fight to the death.