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The lottery is a national pastime in Thailand and a source of hope for those with few other avenues for financial security. Despite strict prohibitions against other forms of gambling, more than a third of the country’s population regularly plays the lottery. This is largely due to the grand aspirations attached to winning and the belief that a lucky strike will bring wealth and prosperity to those in dire circumstances.
Despite this widespread participation, the lottery remains an opaque process and one that is difficult for outsiders to grasp. As with many complex systems, lottery culture consists of a web of interlocking cultural, religious, and economic factors that make it hard to disentangle and explain. The lottery offers a glimpse into a different kind of Thainess, where spirituality, frugality, and the pursuit of money coexist in an intricate balance.
To understand why so many people in Thailand buy lottery tickets, it helps to start at the beginning. The lottery is organized and managed by the Government Lottery Office (GLO), which prints the tickets and sells them to vendors who then distribute them. The GLO also draws the winning numbers every month’s first and 16th day. In addition to generating prize money, the GLO uses 28% of its proceeds for state affairs and services.
As for the actual drawing, it is held in the same room where ticket sales are conducted and broadcast on television. A draw chairman randomly selects a colored ball to determine the order of lesser prizes. Then a six-digit number is drawn for the main prize, followed by two-digit numbers for the second and third prizes.
After the drawing, a numbered list is printed in the official newspaper to confirm the winning numbers and to provide a record of the results. People who purchased winning tickets can then claim their prizes at any of the GLO’s 300 offices nationwide. Those who didn’t win can submit their tickets for an automatic refund.
Purchasing lottery tickets is easy in Thailand, thanks to the wide availability of online lottery websites. These sites offer a variety of betting options, including mobile applications that allow players to purchase lottery tickets with the touch of a button. In addition, most online lottery sites offer free subscriptions to their services, so that users can check the latest lottery results and purchase their tickets without paying a fee.
Aside from online lottery websites, some Thais buy their tickets from vendors who sell them directly to customers in a small shopfront or market stall. Buying tickets from these retailers can be risky, as some vendors may sell fake or expired tickets. But a careful inspection of the ticket’s watermark and the numbering scheme should help players avoid being scammed.
Another popular way to buy lottery tickets in Thailand is to visit a temple and ask a monk for advice on which numbers to choose. The lottery and Buddhism have an entwined history, and the lottery is often seen as the manifestation of good deeds rewarded. For millions of Buddhists, purchasing lottery tickets is a form of merit-making that aligns with the religion’s beliefs in karma and rebirth.
