Cockfighting event on second day of Lunar New Year in Thailand

Record ID: 166252

  • Title: Cockfighting event on second day of Lunar New Year in Thailand
  • Date: 29th January 2017
  • Summary: SAMUT PRAKAN PROVINCE, THAILAND (JANUARY 29, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF THEDTHAI COCKFIGHTING STADIUM VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT POSTERS SHOWING UPCOMING COCKFIGHTS MAN LOOKING AT POSTER SHOWING COCKFIGHT WORTH 2.2 MILLION BAHT ($62,300) ROOSTER STANDING ON OBSERVATION TABLE BEFORE FIGHT (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) COCKFIGHTING EVENT MANA
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2017 12:08
  • Keywords: Thailand cockfighting rooster Lunar New Year new year gambling bloodsport
  • Location: SAMUT PRAKAN PROVINCE, THAILAND
  • City: SAMUT PRAKAN PROVINCE, THAILAND
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001614V1AF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
    Thousands of people gathered at an official cockfighting stadium near Thailand's capital on Sunday (January 29), the second day of the Year of the Rooster, to watch the prized birds spar in high stakes battles.
    Cockfighting is a lucrative business in Thailand, where it is considered a tradition, and organisers say this year looks particularly promising.
    "This year is a very good year for us, it's the year of the golden rooster. The value of the roosters has gone up," said Banchej Changyai, 55, who runs the event at Thedthai cockfighting in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok.
    Each fight involves two roosters facing it off in a cockfighting pit, lurching at one another and using their wings and sharp beak to inflict damage. Each round is a gruelling 22 minutes long, and there can be as many as six rounds, depending on the roosters' endurance.
    Unlike in other countries where cockfights are held, the birds do not fight until their death - instead, the first bird to cower away loses.
    "This rooster is so good that it gives me, the owner, a great reputation and make me very happy," said Virat Patcharaphangkorn, after buying the event's prize rooster for 2.5 million baht ($70,840).
    The Lunar New Year was celebrated on Saturday (January 28), but festivities will continue until Thursday (February 2).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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