Two male Thai flag thrush plakat birds fighting. This photo was taken in 2022, when they were still quite expensive. Since then, the color pattern of the Thai flag has become more consistent, and it is now relatively affordable.
The betta, known as the Thai Flag, was first bred from Plakat in 2016. At the time, the fish was put up for auction and was eventually sold for 53,500 baht (approximately 260,000 yen at current rates), making the news not only in Thailand but also in Japan.
This betta, called the Thai Flag, is characterized by its red, white, and blue color scheme, just like the Thai flag, as its name suggests. The current Thai flag was adopted in 1917, with red representing the nation, white representing religion, and blue representing the royal family.
The initial price was so incredibly high that it became a hot topic outside of the betta community, but the price of this betta did not drop for some time. As of 2022, one shop in Chatuchak was still selling one for about 15,000 yen.
This relatively young Thai Flag is one to look forward to as it grows. Like other bettas, its color changes as it grows, so only God knows whether it will turn out for the better or worse, but with a fish this size, it's pretty predictable.
The blue body, red edging on each fin, and white at the base of the fins make this individual a model of the Thai flag. Even among siblings born from the same parents, there are significant individual differences in this color pattern, so the price varies depending on the selection.
The reason for this was easy to imagine when seeing many of these fish in stores. It is difficult to obtain an individual with a beautifully balanced color scheme of red, white, and blue. The shop had a large number of fish with poor color balance, or a broken Thai flag, on display at low prices. At that time, the rate at which the Thai flag was fixed was still low, so it must have been quite difficult to obtain an individual with a beautiful color scheme similar to the Thai flag.
The body shape of this fish is impeccable, but if the white bands at the base of each fin had been a little more distinct, it would have been of a higher grade. These small details are valued at Thai Flag and affect the price.
This individual would also be highly rated if the white bands at the base of each fin were to become thicker and the red of the tail fin were to become more distinct. Systematically, it is beautiful and of a high level, but the most important thing about the Thai Flag is the color pattern.
As of 2025, the price of the Thai flag has become affordable for the average enthusiast, perhaps due to the fact that the fixed price rate has increased significantly. That said, even today, models with the beautiful Thai flag color scheme still fetch a fair price.
In Japan, many people are unfamiliar with the Thai flag, so when you say "Thai flag beta," many people don't know what it means, and I've heard that it's not very popular. Well, that's a reasonable point, but it's a shame because even if you're not familiar with the Thai flag, the red, white, and blue color scheme is very beautiful and I think anyone would find it pretty. The Thai flag initially started out as a plakat, but the color has now been transferred to a variety of varieties.
In the beginning, the Thai Flag bettas were only available in Plakat, but recently there have been many Half Moon specimens. This specimen is beautiful in terms of its body shape as a Half Moon, but it is a little disappointing that the white band is not clearly defined as a Thai Flag.
This Half Moon Thai Flag has a perfect body shape, but if the borders between the blue, white, and red were a little clearer, it would have been rated even higher. Since it is necessary to select the color pattern in addition to the body shape, the price has remained stable without any sudden drops.
Half moon and full moon Thai flags are popular for their beauty, but their quality varies greatly from individual to individual, and just like other varieties of betta, their prices vary greatly depending on the individual. Recently, we have seen specimens in which the blue part of the Thai flag has turned grayish-blue, but if it is not in a category called the Thai flag, how can it continue to evolve?
This is a gorgeous Thai flag full moon with a large dorsal fin and a split tail fin. The white band is a little on the thicker side and less sharp, but it is a very eye-catching and beautiful specimen. In addition to the Placut, there has been an increase in the number of Thai flags with half moon and full moon designs.
Although the fixation rate has increased, when breeding Thai Flags, many individuals with poor balance of blue, red, and white, like this one, appear. For this reason, beautiful individuals that are selected are traded at high prices.
Just as the red and white betta fish is popular in Japan as the Japan flag, this Thai flag betta fish will likely remain popular in Thailand for a long time.
Recently, we have begun to see some Thai Flag birds where the blue has been replaced with grey. They can no longer be called Thai Flag birds, but they are beautiful in their own way. Perhaps they will evolve into a new breed?
