New standards and judging rules aim to elevate Thai betta fish worldwide
Fisheries Department has released revised 2025 standards and judging criteria for ornamental betta fish to align breeding and contests with global demand
The Department of Fisheries, together with the private sector, has produced a new standards book and judging criteria to promote the breeding of ornamental aquatic animals and aquatic plants, elevating Thai betta fish onto the global stage.
Thitiporn Laoprasert, Director-General of the Department of Fisheries, said the Department of Fisheries, together with the Plakad Association, betta breeders and ornamental betta judging committees, has produced the “Standards and Judging Criteria for Ornamental Betta Fish in Thailand” (Revised Edition, B.E. 2568 [2025]) as a guideline for development and to support and promote the breeding of ornamental aquatic animals and aquatic plants.
This is to elevate the development of betta strains to be beautiful according to standards and to develop new strains in line with the needs of overseas traders and buyers, and to promote Thailand’s ornamental fish business to be on par with international standards, under the Ornamental Aquatic Animals Development Action Plan (B.E. 2566–2570 [2023–2027]). Anyone interested can download it from the Department of Fisheries, scan the QR code in public-relations documents, or request it from the Ornamental Fish and Aquatic Plant Research and Development Group, Cherdchai Amatayakul Building, 4th floor, Department of Fisheries, Kaset Klang, Lat Yao Subdistrict, Chatuchak District, Bangkok. More details are available on the Facebook fanpage of the Ornamental Fish and Aquatic Plant Research and Development Group.
“Betta fish” (Betta splendens; common name Siamese Fighting Fish or Siamese Betta), Thailand’s national aquatic animal, has held the No.1 spot for export value for many consecutive years, because Thai bettas have been developed through breeding and selective improvement to produce diverse shapes and striking colours, making them popular to keep worldwide. Betta fish therefore play an important role in driving the economy, and can be developed under the bio-circular-green economy (BCG Economy Model) in line with government policy. Thai bettas are therefore a valuable resource in economic, social and cultural terms.
Ornamental fish competitions are one channel that helps stimulate expansion of the ornamental fish trading market, prompting breeders to develop products with quality and standards, producing good strains and developing new strains for the market—adding product diversity and increasing product value.
Ornamental fish competitions must have rules that are accepted by participants and audiences. The Department of Fisheries, through the Freshwater Aquarium Research and Development Group, therefore worked with the Plakad Association, betta breeders and judging committees to jointly revise the strain standards and judging criteria for bettas that the department has prepared and used up to the present.
The aim is to elevate the development of betta strains to be beautiful according to standards and to develop new strains aligned with the needs of overseas traders and buyers, and to promote Thailand’s ornamental fish business to be on par with international standards under the Ornamental Aquatic Animals Development Action Plan (B.E. 2566–2570 [2023–2027]), which sets out approaches to develop, support and promote the breeding of ornamental aquatic animals and aquatic plants so they are of quality and meet standards aligned with market demand, as well as building market linkages and expanding marketing channels for farmers.
The Department of Fisheries, through the Freshwater Aquarium Research and Development Group and the Ornamental Fish and Aquatic Plant Research and Development Group, therefore worked with the Plakad Association, betta breeders and judging committees to jointly revise the strain standards. Anyone interested can download it from the Department of Fisheries, scan the QR code in public-relations documents, or request it from the Ornamental Fish and Aquatic Plant Research and Development Group, Cherdchai Amatayakul Building, 4th floor, Department of Fisheries, Kaset Klang, Lat Yao Subdistrict, Chatuchak District, Bangkok, via the Facebook fanpage of the Ornamental Fish and Aquatic Plant Research and Development Group.
