A lottery is a game in which participants pin their hopes on a sequence of numbers, in the hope that their number will be drawn. The odds of winning are vanishingly small, but many people nevertheless play the lottery for fun, or to increase their chances of winning a large prize. Others have taken the lottery to a whole new level and make money by buying lots of tickets, using strategies based on stock market analysis and behavioural patterns. One of the most famous examples is ranogajec, a former Microsoft employee who has spent millions trying to crack the code of the lottery.
The Thailand national lottery, or slaak kin baeng, is one of only two forms of legal gambling in the country and is played by over 19 million Thais, or 28.6% of the country’s population. It is drawn twice a month, on the first and 16th of every month, and is overseen by the government’s lottery office (GLO). The lottery also serves as an economic catalyst, providing revenue for organizers, entertainment for the public, and potential stimulus for local economies. The promise of sudden wealth fosters a sense of optimism and unites people in a common dream.
There are two types of lottery tickets sold in Thailand: TGL and TCL, which are differentiated by their jackpot sums and the amount of tax on winnings. Each ticket is pre-printed with a number of anti-counterfeiting features and must be purchased in a ticket pair. The tickets also include a schedule of prizes, ancillary information and terms and conditions.
Lottery winners are eligible to claim their prize money at the shop where they bought their tickets, or from GLO offices and provincial CGD departments. In addition, a 1% tax is deducted from winnings. In the event of a win, it is recommended that lottery winners contact the nearest provincial office of the CGD immediately to ensure they receive their full prize money. If they do not, the prize money may be seized by the GLO to cover unpaid taxes. This article was updated on 11 September 2019. The original version can be found here.