Lotteries are an enjoyable form of gambling that involve drawing numbers to win a prize. Lotteries have become an immensely popular pastime across many countries and the prize can range from cash payments to houses or cars; with some people even becoming rich overnight through winning the lottery!
Thai lotto draws take place twice every month on the 1st and 16th. Tickets can be found for sale in convenience stores and other retail outlets across Thailand for 80 baht each. Each ticket displays six lottery numbers while its lower section can be used to claim prizes; those matching all six may claim up to several million baht in prizes while two-digit numbers may also offer bonus prizes of up to 30 million baht!
Winning prizes may come down to luck, but there are ways you can increase your odds of victory. Past winners have reported interpreting dreams or seeing animals before entering draws as signs that they would be lucky; praying to banana trees or reading candle drippings from holy water helped them select winning numbers; others relied on fortune telling with bamboo sticks as another strategy to pick them out.
Thais employ another strategy when seeking luck is to keep an eye out for license plate numbers involved in accidents or highway signs that mark accident sites, believing tragedy inevitably brings good fortune – perhaps through death in their family or friend circle, someone might bring luck at lottery.
Not content to rely solely on superstitions to make their decisions, many Thais purchase lottery tickets in advance – be it to beat the odds or simply enjoy a thrill ride – online and buy lottery tickets using credit cards. An estimated 19 million Thais take part each year with many making frequent purchases of lottery tickets.
Though lottery is widely enjoyed, some issues must be resolved. For example, retailers are taking advantage of its popularity to overprice tickets, prompting the Thai government to consider setting an upper limit on ticket costs.
Even though anyone can purchase a Thai Lotto ticket, prizes must be claimed personally in person. Prizes of 20,000 baht or less may be claimed from the vendor where it was purchased; while prizes of more than this must be claimed from Government Lottery Office headquarters. Winners claiming prizes over this amount must present both their passport and original winning ticket in order to collect their award money; claims may also be submitted at provincial CGD offices.