Thai lotto is one of the few legal forms of gambling in Thailand and is enjoyed by over 19 million Thais. Held twice every month – on the 1st and 16th – tickets cost 80 baht each and come pre-printed with anti-counterfeiting features as well as prize schedules and ancillary information; their backside also displays the winning numbers published therein.
The lottery is an immensely profitable enterprise whose profits go towards social welfare programs and state revenues. According to the Government Lottery Office (GLO), 60% of profits go toward prize money with 28% going toward state revenue. Unfortunately, its popularity and profitability has also given rise to illegal gambling activities like betting syndicates and back-alley brokers selling tickets at steep markups.
Thailand’s military rulers may be vowing to reform its lottery system, yet lottery-buying remains an integral part of everyday life here. Street vendors with brown wooden boxes full of lottery tickets strapped onto bicycles remain iconic of Thai life; however, many vendors are losing business as an increasingly digital age opts for online purchasing or mobile apps with better prices than street vendors.
Superstitious beliefs surrounding lottery-playing methods in Thailand will remain. The cultural roots for connecting numbers and luck run deep, and many claim to have the ability to predict winning lottery numbers with ease. Some seek answers in tragic events like car accidents or celebrity deaths while others consult monks who interpret spiritual messages concealed within lottery numbers.
Visit Mae Nak’s shrine on Sukhumvit Soi 77 to witness a small crowd seeking divine assistance, from divine intervention in difficult circumstances to assistance with medical exams or improving fertility. There’s even a jar containing lucky numbers believed left behind by Mae Nak, a woman who died giving birth, who’s said to leave behind lucky numbers that they claim as proof of her presence.
But for serious lottery players, nothing beats attending GLO headquarters in Bangkok to watch a live draw of the lottery draw. Winners receive their checks directly from GLO, while smaller prizes may be distributed through local agents. It’s essential to understand this back-alley system of lottery sales, and purchase your tickets only from trusted sources in order to protect yourself against scams or lose any hard-earned funds.