Visitors are invited to the Beautiful Aquatic Animals Expo of 3 Provinces from 21-24 May, where the Betta fish farm owner displays Thai flag-patterned Betta fish developed over 4-5 years to stabilize their color, while export breeds are produced at tens of thousands monthly.
On 5 May 2026, uniquely patterned Betta fish resembling the Thai flag are showcased, a result of color-mixing breeding by 47-year-old Piyasorn Silpasorn, owner of Pothabetta Farm located at the Ornamental Fish Breeding Network Learning Center in Sroi Fa Subdistrict, Photharam District, Ratchaburi Province. He has been involved in beautiful Betta fish breeding since 2011.
Each breed takes at least 4-5 years of breeding trials to achieve distinctive colors. These varieties are popular domestically and internationally, such as the Halfmoon breed known for its long tail fanning out like a half moon, available in solid and fancy colors. The Elephant Ear Betta features large, long ear-like fins, often white or matching the body color, notable for their elegant fin movement. Recently, breeding experiments produced Thai flag-patterned Betta by crossbreeding parents, successfully achieving red outer body and tail colors, white middle, and blue body, attracting enthusiasts who value vivid, clear colors that fetch higher prices.
Piyasorn Silpasorn said the farm breeds about 2-3 varieties: long-tailed Halfmoon, short-tailed Halfmoon, and Elephant Ear. The farm maintains around 60,000 bottles for raising fry and about 800 nursery ponds. They recently developed a Candy Elephant Ear breed by breeding from earless parents to produce long, beautiful fins, meeting customer demand.
The Thai flag-patterned Betta is bred for domestic sale. Several farms are working to stabilize its color, achieving about 80% consistency after 4-5 years of development. The pattern resembles the Thai flag with a blue body, red edges, and white inside. Domestic prices range from 200 to 500 baht depending on the clarity and prominence of the colors. Exported Betta in high demand include the yellowish Vanada variety with red spots, raised for several months to develop attractive patterns. These are exported to Europe, America, Asia, China, Malaysia, and other countries, with about 10,000 fish shipped monthly. Breeding takes 3-4 months before sale.
Breeding involves placing parent fish together in a non-chlorinated water basin—using water from canals or rivers—for about one day. After around five days, fry are transferred to cement ponds for nursery feeding once daily with freshwater red worms mixed with steamed egg. Dry Indian almond leaves are added to the ponds due to their tannins, which inhibit bacteria, promote growth, and help heal fish wounds. Fry are raised for 3-4 months before being sold to customers.
Amanat Jinchao-kham, Ratchaburi Fisheries Officer, said they support all ornamental fish farmers and encourage interested farmers to register their farms with TB.1 certification as breeders. They promote farms to meet GAP standards for ornamental aquatic animals. Those ready to export can advance to export standards, SO.3 and SO.4, for farms consolidating aquatic animal exports. There are 21 registered farms, with the largest being Pothabetta Farm, the biggest ornamental Betta breeder in Ratchaburi, continuously developing new breeds including the Thai flag-patterned Betta.
This year, the Lower Central Regional Cluster 1 Governor, as the cluster chairman, allocated budgets to three provinces. The Ratchaburi Fisheries Office hosts the event, collaborating with Kanchanaburi and Suphanburi provinces to hold the Beautiful Aquatic Animals Expo of 3 Provinces at the Fish Village ornamental fish market in Ban Pong District, Ratchaburi, from 21-24 May.
Tourists are invited to admire a wide variety of beautiful fish presented, including seven species: ornamental Betta, goldfish, guppies, cichlid crossbreeds, balloon fish, carp, and wild native Betta. Competitions will be held with Royal trophies granted by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has graciously provided trophies for the winning fish. The contest fish are valued at tens of millions of baht to be showcased at this event.