Betta fish colours

Flying colours: A striking Siamese fighting fish has been bred with the same colours as the Thai national flag

Making a splash: The fish, with its blue, red and white horizontal stripes mimicking the Thai flag, went viral on social media

'I never expected my fish to go for this price, ' said Kachen, a 40-year-old convenience store owner who breeds Betta fish as a hobby.

He posted the pictures on Nov. 6 with a starting bid of 99 baht ($3.70) and closed the auction on Nov. 8.

Betta fish, which are grow to 6.5 centimetres, have been bred previously to reproduce the colors of the Thai flag but Kachen said none have come close.

He said the highest previous price for a Betta was for a half-moon Betta fish that sold for 23, 500 baht ($896).

'The chance of getting a fish with the flag's exact color is like one in 100, 000, ' said Kachen.

'So many people have tried to breed the Thai flag colors. Luck was really on my side.'

O-fish-al national colours: The fish have been bred previously to reproduce the tripes of the Thai flag

Breeder Kachen Worachai posted images of the fish on a private fish auction page

Kachen expected someone to buy the fish for a few thousand baht but was stunned when the bid hit 10, 000 baht ($380) on the second day