Thai Lotto (, Thai lot) is a national lottery game in Thailand which offers numerous prizes for matching winning numbers. Governed by the government and players must be 18 or over to participate, prize money ranges from several million baht per ticket up to thousands, winnings taxed at 0.5% rate; Thai lotto has long been considered an entertaining pastime throughout Thailand and remains one of its traditional forms of entertainment.
Thais believe there are certain methods that will increase their odds of winning the lottery, such as superstition. Thais interpret dreams and other signs to select numbers to pick in order to increase their chances. Common methods used for doing so include praying to banana trees, reading candle drippings in holy water, fortune telling with bamboo sticks, praying to banana trees for protection, praying to banana trees for blessing, or fortune telling with bamboo sticks – yet no matter how superstitious their practices may be they’re still not guaranteed success when playing the lotto!
To play Thai lotto, tickets must be purchased from either a registered vendor or the Government Lottery Office (GLO). Pre-printed and including anti-counterfeit features, tickets cost 80 baht each when bought as pairs and matching all six numbers drawn can win you up to several million baht in prize money – however smaller prizes may also be won matching some or fewer of them.
At each draw, the lottery chairman selects an initial ball to start each machine. Next comes a series of colored balls which indicate the lesser prize draws: yellow for 2nd prize, pink for 3rd, green for 4th and blue for 5th respectively. At last comes an two-digit number which serves as bonus prize!
People who win the Thai Lotto often believe their behavior has an effect on its outcome. For instance, seeing an animal in an unlikely place could be taken as an omen of coming luckier with lottery numbers; similarly dreaming about specific numbers may serve as an omen that it will feature prominently in an upcoming draw.
Animals can also help guide you in selecting lucky numbers. For instance, when your pet seems especially playful it could be an indicator that big wins may be on their way; similarly seeing a tortoise in nature is considered an omen of good fortune.
Some villagers go so far as to build shrines in their homes where they pray for luck and ask the gods to bestow them with the ability to play Thai lotto. Others gather around banana trees that have grown abnormally and give gifts in hopes that this too will grant blessings – however, these rituals require time and money.