Thai Lotto (Thai Lotterie), also known as Thai Lotterie (Thallatto), is a government-operated form of gambling that holds two monthly draws – on the first and sixteenth days. Tickets can be found everywhere from convenience stores and street vendors, at a standard ticket price of 80 baht per ticket; winners must present both winning ticket/s and passport or ID card to claim prize; furthermore they must pay 0.5% stamp duty on government lotto wins and 1% on charitable lotterie wins as part of claim process.
Gambling is a beloved pastime in Thailand, with lottery being its sole legal form of gambling. While Westerners may visit local churches to inquire for lottery numbers, Thais visit temples or shrines instead in hopes that some higher power can reveal which numbers will win big. Many also turn to fortune tellers or shamans for guidance when selecting lucky numbers; when an esteemed monk dies it is common practice for his body to be interred at a temple nearby in hopes that the deceased may offer tips.
As people in Thailand take great pride in their ability to accurately calculate odds, it should come as no surprise that they take part in the Thai Lotto Game as well. While many still use traditional paper tickets, others prefer buying online lottery tickets or in electronic format – especially since its official website features mobile versions which allow customers to purchase them with credit/debit card purchases and print them at home afterwards. It also features features such as interactive maps and results lists from previous draws.
Thailand makes buying tickets straightforward. There are two kinds of lottery tickets to choose from: government and charity lotteries. The main distinction between them is that government lottery offers a top prize of three million baht with a bonus prize of 30 million baht; on the other hand, charity lotteries provide top prizes of three million baht without bonus, as well as offering an additional prize if someone correctly picks five numbers but misses out on two final ones.
Each thai lotto ticket features six digits printed on yellow, thin and smooth paper with texture, coated with chemicals to deter counterfeiters and impossible to scratch off or erase. Furthermore, there is also an embedded watermark of an ancient mythical bird and security thread visible only under ultraviolet light; additionally the paper is treated to cause drops of bleach to show up as visible stains if they come in contact with it.