THAILOTTERY ONLINE
In Thailand, where the lottery is a national obsession, the belief systems that cloak this popular pastime are complex. Among other things, they involve a mix of religion, economics and social connections that make it difficult for an outsider to understand. In this series, we’ll explore how and why over a third of the population plays the lottery by focusing on how people choose their numbers.
Bom grins with a conspiratorial wink as he shows off his latest strategy for picking lottery numbers. He points to a chart on his phone and then starts pencilling in a set of digits. After that, he crosses them out one by one in a precise pattern until only two numbers remain.
While Bom’s method is a little more sophisticated than just using candle drippings to determine your lucky number, it’s still a lot of work for something that could be easily achieved with the help of an app. Many Thais take a more pragmatic approach to selecting their numbers by consulting online gurus who post cryptic formulas and tips. Others look to the past for inspiration, choosing numbers that relate to car accidents or celebrity deaths. Still others use esiimsi (echiiymchi), a traditional fortune telling ritual that involves shaking a cup of sticks marked with numbers until one falls out.
A few weeks ago, the Government Lottery Office (GLO) launched digital sales of lottery tickets through its Paotang mobile application. These are aimed at keeping street prices for lottery tickets down by eliminating the middleman and giving vendors a direct line between buyers and the GLO. The initial roll-out was an instant success, with the official ticket price of 80 baht being met within minutes of tickets going on sale.
In addition to keeping ticket prices low, the GLO’s new digital platform has also helped cut down on shady operators who have been selling tickets at inflated prices. This is an important move for the country, where 67 million people from all age groups play the Government lottery every week. This amounts to over 76 billion baht spent on the lottery in 2014 alone. Of that amount, 28% is used for state affairs and other purposes. Those who wish to purchase tickets can do so online, at their preferred retailer or through the GLO’s Paotang app. This option is open to all, including international players. However, it’s important to note that any winnings will be paid in baht and not USD. This is to ensure the safety of winnings in the event that a player wins. Also, winnings must be claimed within a specific time frame, usually a month after the draw. The exception to this rule is for special jackpots, which must be won within 60 days of the winning date. If not, the prize money will be rolled over to the next draw. It is therefore important to check the prize terms and conditions to find out more about this.