The Thai Lotto is an intricate cultural phenomenon with strong religious, historical and legal roots that draws its power from superstition, luck, faith and imagination. Over one third of Thai population participate in its bi-monthly draws!
GLO oversees Thailand’s official lottery, with draws taking place monthly on the 1st and 16th. Tickets cost 80 baht per pair with each pair winning an eye-popping 6 Million prize pool! Tickets can be bought from GLO offices as well as various vendors throughout the country. Some specialty shops and online lottery platforms provide additional purchasing options. Officially sanctioned lottery tickets come with unique identification numbers that verify authenticity and prevent fraud. Winnings up to 20,000 baht may be claimed at local lottery centers while larger prizes must be claimed from GLO offices in Bangkok. A 0.5% withholding tax is added onto winnings which helps contribute towards national revenues.
Like many gambling activities worldwide, Thai lotto is deeply embedded within Thai culture with an intricate legal framework that facilitates its existence. It covers multiple levels of Thai society ranging from official government lotteries to illicit back-alley systems that distribute prize money; people often rely on this activity as their only source of livelihood; some even depend on it solely as their only form of support! With such intense competition for such grand prizes that it seems hard to ever win!
Lotto players in Thailand frequently search for any possible way to increase their odds at winning one of the nearly unwinnable grand prizes. A common strategy is looking for numbers in dreams; others might consult online gurus specializing in providing secret formulas or tips for selecting lucky numbers; still others look at negative events for signs; finding patterns among numbers related to car accidents, celebrity deaths or plane crashes as an indicator.
Bom, a 30-year-old entrepreneur in Thailand’s northern region of Phitsanulok, employs an elaborate plan to select his lottery numbers. Every week he buys two six-digit tickets and stores them securely at his house. He participates in a Lottery Line Group Message where his friends exchange strategies and share their favorite numbers. Bom may not believe in luck when it comes to his lottery numbers, but says they provide him with social engagement and can allow him to discuss various lottery tactics with peers. Many Thais visit temples or shrines praying for an indicator as to which numbers might win; after the death of a monk for instance, his temple becomes a hub of activity as people come not only to pay respects but also look out for any clues such as numbers in his name or date of birth that might hold clues that help predict which numbers might prevail.