Thailand allows certain forms of gambling, with lottery being one of the few. As Thailand’s primary industry and player participation estimated at 28% of population, over 19 Million Thais play each month – over one quarter of all state revenues! Held twice every month (on the 1st and 16th), broadcast by TV and radio for public consumption, with two draws held twice monthly as part of a nationwide telecast event.

Government-run lotteries are legal, while an underground network of dealers operates parallel lotteries which are 4-5 times bigger. These black market lotteries use similar numbers but incorporate superstitions to lower your chances of success further.

While it might be considered silly to purchase lottery tickets with numbers 13 (considered unlucky in many cultures) or 44, these superstitions are part of Thai culture and must be observed. There’s an abundance of folklore associated with Thai lottery that many villagers consult when picking lucky numbers; others might turn to wise elder family members or nature itself to assist with selecting lucky numbers (for instance a certain shape of banana flower petals or behavior from certain birds).

These superstitions often stem from ancient beliefs about the universe and cosmos. For instance, people would gather around an especially type of banana tree if its flower resembled that of mythical serpent Naga; these flowers were seen as signs from God that their land was abundant; similarly elephant roars and beehumming were taken as indicators of wealth.

Modern superstitions remain a significant factor in the national lottery’s popularity. A Thai woman made millions after listening to her 1-year-old nephew suggest selecting numbers 3 and 1. Another instance occurs when locals visit Sawang Arom Temple and shake bamboo sticks marked with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8 9; when one drops out it should be considered lucky and used as the last three digits on their lottery ticket.

While some might see the lottery as gambling, others view it as beneficial because of how much it gives back annually to charities and employs handicapped people who otherwise couldn’t work. Furthermore, it remains popular among millions of Thais regardless of whether they consider it gambling or not; recently it has even been the subject of protest as locals demand that lottery proceeds be used instead to pay farmers directly.