Lottery in thailand is an extremely popular pastime. While gambling is technically illegal and frowned upon by Buddhist culture, the country is rife with casino-like venues and lottery tickets are sold everywhere from grocery stores to gas stations. Even bus tickets feature a lottery number, and one of the chief duties of monks is to provide lottery numbers for their followers. It’s estimated that Thais spend more time gambling than they do on religion.
The Thai government-sanctioned national lottery has two drawings per month, held on the first and 16th. Tickets can be purchased by anyone, including foreigners. Winnings are based on the digits drawn by a computer, with the largest prize paid to those who match all six digits in the correct order. Winners must submit the winning ticket together with a photo ID or passport to claim their prizes. There is a 0.5% stamp duty on winnings from the government lottery and 1% for winnings from charitable lotteries.
As with other national lotteries, the odds of winning the top prize in thai lotto are about one in a million. While the odds are low, many people still take part in the bi-monthly draw. Those who do not have the time to purchase tickets can still enjoy the thrill of the game by viewing the results online or in Thai newspapers. The results of the thai lotto are published shortly after each drawing and can be viewed on GLO’s official website.
The thai lotto is played by more than 19 million Thais, or about 29% of the population. This has given rise to a huge underground lottery industry, which operates parallel to the national lottery and can be as large as 5 times larger than the official lottery. This lottery is a lucrative business for the operators and dealers because it allows them to sell their tickets at premium prices.
Lottery in thailand has a long history, dating back to 1874 when King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) allowed citizens to participate in the British-style lottery. In addition to the national lottery, there are other provincial and city-based lotteries that also operate.
While the thai lotto is not a scam, it is advisable to buy your tickets from a trusted seller. The best way to do this is to look for licensed vendors who are registered with the GLO. Moreover, you should always keep the receipt and check that the vendor’s name is mentioned on it.
In thailand, lottery winners must submit their winning ticket along with a photo ID or passport in order to claim their prizes. They are also required to write their name and address on the back of the ticket. In addition, they should fill out a prize claim form and present it to the GLO office within a year from the date of the draw.
Winnings from the thai lotto are paid out through the GLO’s department of prize payments. The department is responsible for verifying the validity of prize claims and distributing the money accordingly. Winners may also contact the GLO prize payment hotline for further inquiries.