Most Expensive Betta

• A Thai fish breeder hit the jackpot when the Betta fish he bred was sold on an auction for record breaking price of 53, 500 baht
• The color of the Betta fish resembles the colors of the flag of Thailand
• The highest previous price for a Betta fish was 23, 500 baht

A Siamese fighting fish, colloquially known as Betta, with the colors of the flag of Thailand was sold for a record sum at an online auction. It has been bought for 53, 500 baht ($1530), making it the most expensive Betta fish ever sold.

Aquarium fish enthusiasts were set in a frenzy when its breeder Kachen Worachai posted his fighting fish that closely resembles the colors of Thailand flag on a private Betta fish auction group on Facebook.

As noted by NY Times, Worachai expected that his Siamese fighting fish, “pla-kad” in Thai language, would only be sold for a few hundred baht, but was shocked when the bid reached 10, 000 baht ($285) on the second day of the auction.

“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 ($2.82) and closed the auction on Nov. 8.

In the past, other fish breeders tried to breed Betta fish with colors that would resemble the colors of Thai flag, but none succeeded.

“The chance of getting a fish with the flag’s exact color is like one in 100, 000. So many people have tried to breed the Thai flag colors. Luck was really on my side, ” Kachen said.

The highest previous price for a Betta fish was 23, 500 baht ($671).