The decision by to lead a working group to the southern region for discussions with the Bullfighting แทงวัวชน Association and stadium operators is a significant signal of concrete efforts to bring bullfighting into the legal process. This meeting focused on listening to proposals from those directly involved in the industry, including stadium organizers, bull breeders, and related business operators, in order to gather firsthand information for drafting the Livestock Act in a way that truly reflects public needs rather than imposing policy solely from the central authority.
One of the key issues addressed was the establishment of a clear timeframe, with a target to complete the drafting of the Livestock Act within six months. This approach is intended to ensure clear direction and avoid delays. Bullfighting, as a traditional sport closely connected to the community economy, competitions, and breeding practices, requires modern legislation that is practical and applicable in real conditions.
This article aims to present an overview of the drafting of the Livestock Act from a field perspective while reflecting on the potential impacts on the bullfighting industry in the future. From my experience in consistently following policy developments and bullfighting-related news, it is evident that inclusive and comprehensive public consultation is the key factor in making this legislation genuinely belong to the people.
Progress in pushing bullfighting into a formal legal framework has become increasingly clear as Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin moves forward with discussions alongside the Bullfighting Association and field representatives to accelerate the drafting of the Livestock Act in a concrete manner. A clear timeline has been set, requiring the entire process to be completed within six months. These discussions reflect a legislative approach that prioritizes input from those directly involved in the industry, including breeders, stadium operators, and related business stakeholders.
Bullfighting is not merely a traditional sport but also plays an important role in local economies and income circulation across many areas. Accelerating the drafting of the law therefore represents a crucial step in establishing a clear and systematic structure before moving into more detailed development strategies and the next phase of direction for livestock legislation.
The public consultation meeting in Songkhla Province
The public consultation meeting on the drafting of the Livestock Act in Songkhla Province served as an important platform for those involved in bullfighting to openly reflect field-based perspectives. The meeting was organized with the participation of the Thai Bullfighting Sports Association and business operators, who came together to exchange information, experiences, and practical proposals derived from real operations in the area.
Participants included association presidents, committee members, and operators from more than 40 bullfighting arenas across the southern region, all of whom play direct roles in organizing competitions and managing bullfighting venues. The diversity of participants allowed for a wide-ranging exchange of views, covering multiple dimensions such as competition rules, arena standards, bull care, and the economic impacts on local communities.
The atmosphere of the meeting was open and constructive, with participants freely sharing insights and highlighting real challenges encountered in the field. This field-based information is crucial for refining the draft Livestock Act to ensure it aligns with practical application. From the practitioners’ perspective, bullfighting was effectively conveyed into the policy-making process in a concrete manner, contributing to more comprehensive and well-rounded legislation.
Reasons for conducting field visits before drafting the legislation
A key principle of Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin in advancing the draft Livestock Act is that legislation must be grounded in real, on-the-ground data rather than being shaped solely by a centralized perspective. Bullfighting is an activity with its own specific characteristics, spanning competition formats, breeding practices, and social context. Without a clear understanding of actual conditions in the arena, any resulting law may prove ineffective in practical application.
Field visits create opportunities for direct dialogue with bull breeders, stadium operators, and spectators, who are the groups most directly affected by the legislation. Feedback from these stakeholders helps reveal deeper issues such as appropriate competition formats, arena management costs, and audience behavior in different areas. Such insights cannot be fully captured through documents alone.
Listening to field-based opinions also helps reduce the risk of legislation being misaligned with real-world practices. When a draft law more accurately reflects actual conditions, it is more likely to gain acceptance within the bullfighting community. This approach therefore lays a strong foundation for a Livestock Act that can be effectively enforced, foster cooperation, and support sustainable development in the long term.
The concept of consolidating laws from eight ministries into a single act
One of the key ideas behind drafting the Livestock Act is to consolidate laws related to animal breeding and animal competitions from multiple agencies into a single piece of legislation. As many as eight ministries are involved in matters related to bullfighting and livestock across various dimensions, including regulation, competition management, animal care, and the supervision of activities at the local level. Bringing these laws together into one act would help reduce overlap and confusion in enforcement.
This approach is similar to the previous development of the Narcotics Code, which consolidated more than 24 separate laws into a unified legal framework. As a result, enforcement became clearer and easier to understand, while outdated provisions could be revised to better align with current conditions. This model is widely regarded as an important precedent for advancing livestock legislation.
The primary objective of consolidating these laws is to create legislation that is easier to enforce, more modern, and aligned with real-world practices in the field. With clearer legal provisions, government agencies, business operators, and stakeholders within the bullfighting sector can operate with a shared understanding, reduce differences in interpretation, and support systematic and sustainable livestock development over the long term.
The six-month timeframe and implementation plan
Setting a six-month timeframe for drafting the Livestock Act marks a significant turning point in advancing policies related to bullfighting and livestock activities as a whole. Establishing a clear timeline helps all relevant agencies work toward a shared objective, reduces delays, and ensures a structured process from data collection and public consultation to refining the draft legislation for completeness.
The legislative drafting committee plays a crucial role in driving the process within this limited timeframe. The team must coordinate among government agencies, bullfighting associations, business operators, and legal experts to gather information from multiple perspectives and distill it into a framework that can be effectively enforced in practice. Although the process is being accelerated, the primary goal remains maintaining the quality of the draft law rather than rushing at the expense of careful consideration. Incorporating field-based feedback and thoroughly reviewing details will help ensure that the Livestock Act is clear, modern, and well aligned with the practical needs of the bullfighting sector and the broader livestock industry in the long term.
The role of the Bullfighting Association in the legislative drafting process
The Bullfighting Association plays a highly significant role in the process of drafting the Livestock Act, as it is a strong organization with an extensive network covering those involved in the bullfighting sector nationwide. The association serves as a central body for collecting opinions, concerns, and needs from breeders, stadium operators, and business stakeholders, all of whom are directly affected by the legislation. Its involvement helps ensure that the drafting process does not lack practical, field-based perspectives.
By conveying issues from within the bullfighting community through the association, government authorities gain more concrete and reliable information on matters such as competition regulations, arena standards, bull care, and operational costs in different areas. These inputs are not merely individual opinions but represent a collective perspective refined from a large number of industry participants, giving them greater weight in policy decision-making.
Another key role of the association is to integrate these proposals into the draft Livestock Act so that the law aligns with real-world practice. When legislation reflects actual conditions and gains acceptance from those within the bullfighting community, it can be enforced more effectively, reduce conflict, and support systematic and sustainable development in the long term.
Bullfighting, Soft Power, and the Thai Economy
Bullfighting is being elevated from a traditional sport to a form of soft power that plays a clear role in the Thai economy. Within a legal framework that allows animal combat competitions to be organized lawfully, such authorization provides clarity in operations, reduces ambiguity, and enables the state to regulate activities in a more systematic manner. Once competitions are placed within a legal structure, bullfighting can be developed with standardized practices and expanded into tangible economic opportunities.
Beyond bullfighting, other traditional sports such as cockfighting, fighting fish, and horse-related activities also hold potential as cultural capital that reflects Thai identity. These activities are closely tied to community livelihoods, employment, and local income circulation. When developed in a structured manner, they can generate added value over the long term.
A key opportunity lies in linking bullfighting with the tourism sector, whether through hosting competitions that attract spectators from different regions, developing arenas into cultural tourism destinations, or promoting the sport internationally. When soft power is leveraged alongside clear legal frameworks, bullfighting not only preserves its local roots but can also move onto the global stage and generate substantial revenue for the country.
Conclusion
The entire process clearly reflects that the approach to drafting the Livestock Act is genuinely grounded in the principle of legislation for the people. Strong emphasis has been placed on listening to opinions from those directly involved in bullfighting, including breeders, stadium operators, associations, and local communities. As a result, the law is not merely a top-down regulation imposed by central authorities, but a framework shaped by an understanding of real livelihoods and actual operating conditions.
Field-based information plays a crucial role in the legislative drafting process, as it helps present a comprehensive picture of challenges, obstacles, and potential within bullfighting across different areas. Conducting site visits, engaging in direct dialogue, and gathering detailed input from practitioners contribute to a more complete draft law, reducing the risk of misalignment with practical application and increasing the likelihood of effective long-term enforcement.
Expectations for the new Livestock Act extend beyond simply regulating bullfighting. They also include raising standards, creating economic opportunities, and supporting systematic development. If this legislation can fully convey the voices of the people, Thai bullfighting will have the opportunity to move toward a stable and fair future, growing sustainably alongside the nation’s economy and cultural heritage.
