THAILAND: WATER BUFFALO FIGHTING BECOMES THE LATEST SPORTING CRAZE ON SAMUI ISLAND

Record ID: 278281

  • Title: THAILAND: WATER BUFFALO FIGHTING BECOMES THE LATEST SPORTING CRAZE ON SAMUI ISLAND
  • Date: 12th September 1993
  • Summary: SAMUI ISLAND, THAILAND (RECENT) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV : BUFFALO IN ITS PADDOCK 0.10 2. CU : BUFFALO HORNS 0.12 3. SV : OWNER PERFORMS GOOD LUCK RITUAL IN PREPARATION FOR THE FIGHT 0.16 4. CU/SV : OWNER WRITES CABALA (GOOD LUCK PRAYER) ON BUFFALO'S SKIN (2 SHOTS) 0.24 5. SLV : OWNER LEADS BUFFALO TO FIGHTING GROUND (2
  • Embargoed: 27th September 1993 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SAMUI ISLAND, THAILAND
  • City:
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVA6L2HL0XGV8MM29CHO6G5RORUV
  • Story Text: On southern Thailand's Samui Island, water buffalo fighting has become the latest sporting craze.

    Throughout the popular resort island in the Gulf of Thailand, these working animals have traded in the paddy fields and farm carts to become prize winning fighters.

    There's a lot of money to be won in buffalo fighting. Starting at the age of five, a buffalo brings in an average of 10,000 baht (400 U.S. dollars ) for its first fight. A good fighter can often earn up to 10 times that amount.

    This means fighter buffalos get special treatment from their owners. They get better food and lodging than other farm animals and are often treated to a special good luck ritual, believed to bring strength, endurance and luck to them.

    There is no record of how many buffalos are fighters, but the sport is so popular that there is at least one buffalo fight per day, rotating among five arenas.

    Buffalo fighting, seen only on Samui Island in Thailand, has quickly become a big tourist attraction. Locals pay 100 baht (four U.S. dollars) while tourists pay double that to watch the fight.

    It is also a big draw for local gamblers. In some fights, as much as one million baht (4,000 U.S. dollars ) circulate around the stable.

    Buffalo fighting is often more violent than a bull fight.

    Water buffalo take longer to stop fighting. There is no law yet to regulate this new sport, but there is growing criticism that it promotes illegal gambling and is a form of animal torture.

    The locals argue that it is a cultural activity that promotes tourism and allows them to gamble for fun.


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