Thai Lotto is one of the most beloved forms of gambling in Thailand, drawing over 19 million Thai residents – 28.6% of its population! Although illegal, this underground lottery remains highly profitable and virtually untraceable – even street vendors often carry an armful of tickets on their bicycles for sale!
There are two forms of Thai Lotto: TGL (Thai Government Lottery) and TCL (Thai Charity Lottery). The differences between them lie in first prize payout and tax due on winnings; both tickets feature anti-counterfeiting features for added security when buying pairs, with full prize schedules and additional information included on them.
Even though many Thai people consider themselves lucky, they rely heavily on superstition when selecting lottery tickets. One common superstition involves numbers considered lucky by locals – 13 being considered especially unlucky and opting instead to stick with popular numbers such as 5 or 9. Other people might use patterns in their digits in hopes that certain combinations might produce winning results more frequently.
Unwilling to take risks may seek guidance at the shrine of Mae Nak, an esteemed ghost believed to have divine powers and be able to predict future events such as lottery wins. Located on Sukhumvit Soi 77, locals often head there in hopes of receiving guidance in making difficult decisions or getting good grades during exams or for lucky lottery numbers.
Another popular method for trying to predict lottery results is observing animal behavior. For instance, when tortoises appear out of place or appear acting oddly it could be taken as an omen that future lottery results are going to be favorable.
Thai people believe that banana trees can also offer clues as to upcoming lottery results, according to stories shared on Thairath this year about one family in Sakon Nakhon who won with help of their special-shaped banana flower as they took it as a sign from above that one of their son’s numbers would appear in an upcoming drawing.
Thais might believe in these superstitions, yet the odds of winning a lotto remain relatively slim. A study conducted at Thammasat University’s statistics expert indicated that it would take four years and two months worth of lottery purchases in order to hit the top prize, totalling only 114 Million Baht.