The lottery is more than a game for many Thais, it is a culturally unifying phenomenon that brings together people in the shared dream of winning a life-altering fortune. Fate, faith and imagination all play a role in lottery culture. While the results of a lottery draw can be completely random, it is not impossible to influence them by following certain rituals. For example, some people visit temples to make merit and to glean lottery numbers from monks. These practices have deep roots in Buddhism, which believes that good deeds are rewarded with good luck. However, the lottery’s mystical roots extend much further than that, and reveal a deeply woven network of spirits and patrons.
Whether they are a superstitious, rational or somewhere in between, the majority of people purchase lottery tickets. Some people even go as far as to consult online gurus, who have cryptic formulas and tips for selecting lottery numbers. Others follow their dreams, or look for signs that are supposed to indicate lucky numbers. For instance, some people look for numbers that are related to car accidents, celebrity deaths, or plane crashes. Others even visit temples like Sawang Arom, where a holy water basin is claimed to contain lucky numbers.
Bom, a middle-aged construction worker, has a slightly more scientific approach to choosing lottery numbers. With a conspiratorial wink, he pulls out his phone and displays a picture of a chart that contains a set of numbers. He then begins scribbling a row of numbers on a sheet of paper, and then crosses them out one at a time in a particular pattern. He claims that this is his “secret method” for picking his lottery numbers.
Another way that some people claim to find their lucky numbers is by observing animal behavior. Often, Thais will see animals in strange places or acting in unusual ways and believe that it is a sign of their lottery luck. One woman was recently able to buy a house in a remote area after her 1-year-old nephew told her to get the numbers 3 and 1.
Some lottery players even believe that they can predict their lucky number by examining a discarded object or item. For example, some people will sift through the garbage for a discarded piece of paper that has the word “lucky” written on it. While this is an extreme example, it goes to show just how deeply rooted the lottery has become in Thai culture. Ultimately, whether a person is superstitious or not, the fact that millions of people purchase lottery tickets in Thailand reveals the tremendous impact that this phenomenon has on the country’s social and economic fabric. The lottery is not only a game, but a culturally unifying force that transcends the boundaries of religion, class, and ethnicity. It is a reminder of how interconnected the world we live in really is.
