The lottery is one of the most popular forms of gambling in Thailand, a country that prides itself on its tolerance for gamblers. With its promise of sudden wealth, the lottery fosters a sense of hope and optimism. While the lottery has its downsides, it is also a significant source of income for the government and a powerful social unifier.
Lottery culture in Thailand is a complex web of faith, superstition and imagination. The process is relatively simple: lottery ticket buyers choose numbers in a numbered sequence and the winning numbers are drawn on live TV twice per month, on the 1st and 16th of every month. The grand aspirations and cultural significance of the lottery, however, are what captivate many Thais.
Buying tickets is straightforward: lottery officials register and license vendors, who purchase the tickets from the government Lottery Office (GLO). The GLO’s rules require that lottery tickets be sold in pairs for 80 baht each. A pair of tickets allows the purchaser to claim the grand prize, which is typically millions of baht. The tickets are pre-printed with a six-digit number and include several anti-counterfeiting features.
Once purchased, lottery tickets are placed in a special envelope that resembles an egg carton. The envelope is then slipped into an unmarked plastic bag and taken home to be hidden until the drawing. The envelopes are often scribbled with cryptic messages that promise future success or, as in the case of Bom, a secret code to unlock the jackpot.
In addition to personal messages, Thais frequently turn to the supernatural for hints about winning numbers. Creepy dreams and aphorisms are believed to be signs of upcoming fortune, as are odd animal behavior and the presence of certain plants. Some people even consult online gurus whose websites are dedicated to a series of mystical formulas and tips for scoring the right numbers in the lottery.
For the millions of Buddhists who play the lottery, making merit and gleaning advice from monks has long been a common practice. This ritual is not viewed as contradicting central Buddhist doctrines; rather, it reaffirms the belief that good deeds will be rewarded with good fortune.
For those who are unable to purchase lottery tickets legally, the underground lottery has become a thriving business. These back-alley operators sell single tickets for a fraction of the price of official tickets and offer a range of bonuses, including larger prizes, better odds of winning, credit purchases, and a more convenient way to pick your numbers from home. Regardless of whether they’re legal or not, this unofficial lottery system is a microcosm for the broader politics and law enforcement issues that plague Thailand. It also illustrates how the lottery can fuel a whole underworld of corruption and illegal activities.
