Giant White Buffalo Has a Lot On His Plate

Mar 25

Mar 25 Giant White Buffalo Has a Lot On His Plate

What next for Ko Muang Phet, a ginormous albino water buffalo that has soared to celebrity status in Thailand? His burgeoning bulk and fame earned him a recent meet-and-greet with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who must be hoping some of that bovine popularity rubs off.

Ko Muang Phet is a big deal in Thailand because he is, in fact, a big deal. The four-year-old from western Phetchaburi province is a solid six feet tall and weighs in at 1.4 tons – almost three times more than your average buffalo. The fact he is an albino water buffalo – which has a sacred significance in Thailand – is just icing on the cake.

The big guy – who was recently sold for $500,000 – is already a minor television star, having appeared on the popular Thai soap opera, “Sound From the Field Of Love.” Following his visit to Bangkok, Ko Muang Phet is now a known commodity in political circles.

“I had no idea we had such beautiful buffalo,” PM Thavisin told reporters at the Government House photo op, as he delicately patted one of the bull’s huge curved horns. “Are there more like this?”

As for what’s next for the celeb buffalo, we can expect he’ll make a public appearance or two in April during Songkran, the water festival marking the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year.

His role in politics probably has a future too. In a post on X, Thavisin said the Thai Buffalo Breeding Association had asked the government to promote the buffalo as a tool of “soft power,” and Ko Muang Phet would be the ideal ambassador.