Ten Thousand Won't Do: Young Man Refuses to Sell Golden Betta Fish After Dramatic Color Change
A Chachoengsao man's dark brown betta fish unexpectedly transformed golden after he brought it home, prompting lottery-hopeful Suwat to reject a 10,000-baht offer, believing the rare fish will bring him luck.
A young man who caught a betta fish from a pond brought it home and placed it in a container, only to be shocked when the dark brown fish transformed into a brilliant golden color. After posting about it on Facebook, he received offers of 10,000 baht but refused to sell, believing the fish would bring him luck with the lottery.
On May 14, 2026, a Facebook user posted a photo of a golden betta fish in a well-lit glass aquarium with a striking golden hue, captioning it "Golden betta fish calling for wealth as the lottery draws near."
Reporters visited a residence in Mab Po sub-district, Phan Thong district, Chachoengsao province, and met with Suwat, 39, the homeowner and original poster. He showed them the golden betta fish floating gracefully in the glass tank, which weighed 500 grams. Suwat explained that he had caught the fish from a pond and purchased it. When he brought it home and placed it in a water container, the fish surprisingly changed to a brilliant golden color, unlike its companion which remained dark brown. He separated the golden fish into a glass aquarium and posted it on Facebook. After the post went viral, someone offered him 10,000 baht for it.
"I haven't sold it because I believe it will bring me luck, and with the lottery drawing near, I want to try my luck using the fish's weight and my house number, 40/33. I plan to keep raising this golden betta until it naturally passes away," Suwat said.
