The prospect of winning a grand prize fuels the dreams of millions of Thais, and that dream is what draws them to bi-monthly lottery drawings on television. Even if the prizes are small, the lottery represents the best hope of a significant boost in income, allowing people to buy food and other necessities for their families. The lottery is one of the two forms of legal gambling in Thailand, and it is regulated by the Government Lottery Office (GLO). The GLO requires all ticket sellers to register with them, and only vendors registered with the GLO can sell tickets for the official lottery. There are currently 35,000 registered vendors, representing a little over a quarter of the country’s population.
The operation of the lottery is relatively straightforward, and a large part of its success stems from the grand aspirations attached to it. The lottery is played by more than 19 million Thais, and over a third of the population regularly purchases tickets. Aside from the obvious economic benefits of the lottery, it also unites people in a common experience, and fosters an optimism that can be hard to find in a society plagued by poverty.
Despite the fact that the chances of winning are slim, the lottery provides an opportunity for millions to see themselves as wealthy people, and it can create a sense of community among those who play it. The popularity of the lottery is evident from the number of Thais who flock to shopping malls on the day of a drawing, eager to purchase their tickets and watch the show.
While many players rely on astrological signs and other scientific methods to select their numbers, others seek luck in more unusual ways. Frequently, Thais will see lucky numbers in their dreams or consult online lottery gurus whose websites are filled with cryptic formulas and tips for picking winning numbers. It is not uncommon to hear of a person choosing their lottery numbers based on the dates of car accidents or celebrity deaths.
For some, the numbers have a deeper meaning, and their choices reflect religious beliefs and personal histories. Bom, a 40-year-old Thai man who works as a security guard, is an example of this. He has a Line group chat with his friends where they discuss their different lottery tactics, and he carefully explains to me how he picks his numbers based on a combination of mathematical and numerological calculations. Nevertheless, his method isn’t for everyone. Nonetheless, his approach gives an outsider a glimpse into some of the complex belief systems that cloak the lottery culture in Thailand.