The Thai lottery, known locally as slaakkinaebng or salak kin baeng, is one of the country’s two legal forms of gambling and is a hugely popular pastime. It draws millions of participants every month, and a winning sequence of numbers is selected through an electronic random number generator. But beyond the simple premise of buying a ticket, the lottery is steeped in superstition and belief systems that run deep throughout the culture. From the mystical to the downright ludicrous, fate, faith and imagination all play a part in how Thais choose their numbers.

Lottery tickets are only sold in pairs and numbered on the front and back. They also feature anti-counterfeiting features and a number of safety measures. Despite this, tickets are not sold outside Thailand and the only way to buy a ticket is to attend the official draw in person. This is largely because the prize money for the main category of prizes (soi sana) is determined by the total number of tickets sold. The other main prize category, which is awarded to individual winners, is determined by the total number of balls drawn.

Although there are a few wealthy people who play the lottery, most Thais see it as a chance to improve their lives and help their family members. According to the Institute for Development of Education, a government-funded research body, two-thirds of people who play the lottery are poor or lower middle class. Many of them are married women, with children and a mortgage to pay for.

The popularity of the lottery has been a subject of controversy, with critics calling it a source of corruption and an incentive for the poor to become addicted to gambling. But supporters point out that the lottery is a revenue generator and social service, providing four billion baht per year for charities and employing disabled people as ticket sellers who would otherwise struggle to find work.

The ubiquity of the street vendor with a brown wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to his bicycle is an icon synonymous with Thai street trade, but the reality is that these vendors face a battle against declining sales and rising costs. In addition to competing with larger retailers, many of these traders are struggling with the recent currency depreciation that has hammered local consumer confidence and caused a sharp slowdown in the economy. This has prompted the government to introduce reforms in an effort to make the lottery more sustainable for both vendors and consumers. It remains to be seen whether these reforms will be successful.