The Thai lottery is a massively popular activity — played by 19 million people in the country, a full two-thirds of the population. Yet the lottery remains a mysterious process, cloaked in mystical beliefs and rituals that are difficult for outsiders to grasp. To understand why, you must look beneath the surface.
A lottery guru named Bom provides an example: With a conspiratorial wink, he begins scribbling down a set of numbers on a piece of paper, then consults his chart to cross them out in a specific pattern. As he does so, his face lights up. He then pencils down a second set of numbers, and crosses those out in a similar fashion. He continues this process until he is left with just two numbers: 0 and 1.
This elaborate number selection process is just the tip of the iceberg for Thailand’s lottery culture. The belief systems underlying these practices are a complex web of religion, economics, and social connections. For the millions of Buddhists who play the lottery, it is not simply a form of entertainment: It is an act of merit that brings good fortune. They often visit temples and make donations to receive blessings, and they even seek lottery advice from monks.
While some wealthy citizens do participate, the vast majority of lottery players are poor or lower middle class. According to a study by the International Gambling Studies Journal, more than two-thirds of lottery players are living below the poverty line. A common complaint among critics is that the lottery sucks up the money that could be spent on education, healthcare and infrastructure.
The lottery is an inextricable part of the fabric of Thai society, and it is regulated by the Government Lottery Office (GLO). In order to keep prices down on street vendors’ ticket pairs, GLO recently began selling digital tickets through its Paotang app at the official price of 80 baht. The tickets are pre-printed, include anti-counterfeiting features, and can only be sold in a pair.
Lottery players are also highly superstitious and believe that certain numbers are more lucky than others. Often, they see lucky numbers in their dreams or in the names of family members and friends. They may also consult online gurus like Thai Lottery King or My4Website, whose websites are devoted to cryptic lottery number formulas and tips that they claim will help them win the big jackpot.
However, these mystical methods are not without their pitfalls. A recent case in which a man committed suicide after failing to win the jackpot is a stark reminder of the dangers of lottery gambling. In addition, many people are putting their financial futures at risk by pinning their hopes of a better life on an unwinnable lottery game. This risk-taking can have devastating consequences, as a man in Chiang Mai found out last year when he lost the lottery jackpot and sold his motorcycle to pay his debts. Despite the risks, lottery is still one of the most popular forms of legal gambling in Thailand.