Thai lottery is one of the most beloved forms of gambling in Thailand, attracting 19.2 million participants every two months. Held as part of a national lottery system and held on both the 1st and 16th days each month, its odds for success can reach one in a million!
Thais believe their lives are full of clues to lead them towards the perfect lottery numbers, not limited to just humans but animals as well. Animals such as tortoises may offer clues that point towards which ones bring luck; those lucky enough to stumble across one will often take it home with them as it is widely believed to bring good fortune and protection from harm.
Thais also rely heavily on animal behavior when it comes to divining lucky numbers; temples or shrines can often offer insights. Monks with expertise in numerology often help Thais pinpoint which digits will bring good fortune, with devotees even gathering at gravesites of revered monks hoping their spirit might provide guidance from beyond.
But even those without superstitions often choose their numbers by calculating short odds. This writer recalls his grandfather taking an extremely pragmatic approach when selecting UK lottery numbers – arguing that 1 and 2 had similar chances as 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, though unfortunately he never won anything from these draws.
Lotteries tickets are sold in various ways, from street vendors selling tickets out of wooden boxes attached to bicycles, to shops offering lottery products at shopping centres or supermarkets. Although it would be ideal if all lottery ticket vendors sold their products at true costs, vendors typically make a profit on each ticket they sell as is customary practice.
Thai lotto tickets are printed on thin and smooth yellow paper designed to ward off counterfeiters. Each ticket also features a watermark with the image of Wayupak birds which can only be seen under ultra violet lighting; its numbers are arranged circularly with six digits arranged left to right across its face.
Winners who successfully select all correct numbers in a winning draw can expect to be awarded with prizes that range from 3 million baht to 22 million baht, with additional bonuses awarded if all five digits appear correctly and match up with the final number drawn.
To claim their prizes, winners will need their winning ticket(s), Thai ID card (for Thai nationals) or passport (for foreigners). All winnings subject to 0.5% stamp duty for government lottery and 1% stamp duty for charitable lottery wins – these taxes are collected from vendors on behalf of winners and paid directly into government coffers by them.