Fish fighting is another unique sport of Thailand and some of the neighboring countries (though the designation sport may be as wrong as in the case of dog races as in both no direct human achievement is involved). Fish fighting can be seen only in the provinces as it has been banned in Bangkok.

Fighting fish breeders bring their champions, about the size of a middle finger, in little bottles of water, each in one bottle. Before a contest, the prospective adversaries are placed alongside each other in their bottles so that they may take the measure of each other and work up animosity in the process. Bets are based on the form and reaction shown by the fish.

When fighting is agreed upon, the fish are scooped out of their bottles and carefully put into a large tall jar. Coming face to face, the opponents transform themselves into beautiful creatures, their colors deepening, their gills quivering and widening, their fins and tails spreading out and assuming a warm glow. Every part of the body becomes vibrant.

They lose no time in getting at each other, biting fiercely and cruelly. With mouths locked for minutes or sometimes even hours, they flit up and down the water in the bottle, maneuvering for positions. A publication of the Tourist Authority of Thailand explains that "parts of gills, fins, tails and scales are continually chewed off. This is a fight to the finish and a drawn fight as in boxing is rare. During the mortal combat, the enthusiasts would bet basing their calculations on the amount and severity of the injury inflicted and received by both sides." (To be excited over such a gruesome performance is probably not very characteristic for Buddhists in general. Most probably the fight is anyway provoked only by the fact that the weaker of the two fish has no possibility to flee the scene as he would in a natural environment.)

A kind of fighting fish called lukpah is indigenous to the ponds, canals and marshes of Thailand. When caught, it is put into a bottle of pond water. Only the male fights. It is distinguished from the female by its more brilliant colors, longer tails and larger fins. Strange to say, the female after laying eggs, will try to eat them and is only prevented by the male from doing so. The female must therefore be isolated while the male is left to take care of the spawn. The fry feed on tiny red plankton and later on mosquito larvae. They are ready to fight after six or seven months.

However, the ordinary lukpah is now only seldom used in fish fights as it has been replaced by thoroughbreds called lukmoh. According to the above quoted publication of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, "the lukmoh is a tough customer that does not know the meaning of defeat."

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