Thai lotto is a nationwide lottery in Thailand which holds two draws each month and is one of only two forms of legal gambling allowed within Thailand (horse racing is another form). Over 19 million Thais play the lottery – this figure represents 28.6% of its population! Making this lotterie immensely popular.
There’s no surefire way to win Thai lotto, and the top prize of two or three million baht requires plenty of luck. But people often employ various strategies in order to increase their odds. Some popular techniques include praying to banana trees, interpreting dreams, watching animal behavior patterns and even using bamboo sticks for fortune telling. Some Thais even believe that fortune cookies contain clues to their lucky number!
Dreams play an integral part in Thai culture, with many believing that having a dream about a lottery number is a sign of good luck. Others swear by seeing certain animals before a draw occurs – for instance seeing a tortoise crossing the road may indicate someone will win top prize!
Locals rely heavily on an ancient technique called “esiim si”, or echiiymchii, that involves shaking a cup filled with bamboo sticks marked with numbers until one falls out, which then serves as their lucky number in any lottery draw or draw held that day. Sawang Arom temple is often visited for this ritual.
Praying to the shrine of Mae Nak, an afterbirth ghost who passed away during childbirth. Visitors pray for guidance with everything from difficult decisions to assistance with exams; her shrine also houses a clay pot full of numbered ping pong balls which are believed to provide cosmic guidance.
An additional strategy involves asking children to choose random numbers. Many locals believe that children possess the power of foreseeing the future and thus selecting an auspicious number that reflects this power. Others hold that happiness shows in children’s numbers and thus makes them lucky.
Thai lotto tickets are only sold within the country and must be presented with ID or passport to claim prizes from outside Thailand, although some have claimed winning numbers have been verified via TV and radio broadcast results. Although tickets only available within Thailand for sale, some Thais have claimed winning tickets while visiting other countries; these claims must also be presented as evidence in order to claim them. To claim your winning ticket: either present ID card/passport as proof; winning numbers also announced via television/radio broadcast results can only be verified with verified winning tickets presented as proof; otherwise winning tickets cannot be claimed. To claim it: in order to claim prizes in any of your winning tickets; or the official results broadcast broadcast TV/radio broadcast results as proof.