Bullfighting in southern Thailand

bull fighting
Photo By Lance Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac, United States Marine Corps [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Two magnificent beasts facing each other head-on, grinding their horns and goring one another in a bloody battle; this is a tradition and one of the famous festivals celebrated in southern Thailand.

The bulls

These aren’t any ordinary bulls, being chosen at the age of two, they are vigorously trained and fed special diets for over two years and are well groomed to become mean and unmerciful fighting machines.

The game

Apart from tradition, this is one of the top gambling sports in southern Thailand and one of the famous sporting events, with the audience ranging from police chiefs and top politicians to peasants. Betters call bulls with a special name and the fight tickets sell out weeks in advance.

Legal issues

This sport is practiced in only the southern part of Thailand and is subjected to strict regulations. The contests happen weekly and will only take place in legally registered sites. ‘Events and Festivals Blog‘ suggests that you verify with a local before visiting the event whether the event is licensed or not for your safety.

The good things

Being criticized by many as animal slaughter, this is a tradition that is a lively hood for many. It is said bullfighting plays a key role in the conservation of local breeds and some say without bullfighting some species may have become extinct. For the record, no bulls are killed in this game because it is very rare that a bull will fight to the death.


Caleb Falcon is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+