The lottery is a popular pastime in Thailand. It isn’t the most impressive game in terms of top prizes, but it does draw a passionate following among Thailand’s nearly 19.2 million people who spend more than 76 billion baht on tickets per year. While there’s no guarantee of winning, the thrill of a flutter is enough to lure countless punters to this only legal form of gambling in the Land of Smiles.
Unlike other forms of gambling, the Thai lottery has an unfavorable payout ratio. However, it’s hugely popular, both in Thailand and abroad. The image of a street vendor carting a brown wooden box full of lottery tickets strapped to a bicycle is one that’s synonymous with Thai culture, despite the fact that most of these traders are barely making ends meet.
Thai lottery is regulated by the Government Lottery Office (GLO). GLO sets out a clear framework for how it operates, how winnings are paid out, and how much of ticket sales will go towards national causes. This is why GLO’s lottery is so safe to play.
Each lottery draw starts with a single, randomly selected number. This number is then used to select a series of numbers from 0 to 9. The winners are announced shortly after the final drawing. Depending on the numbers selected, the winners can win cash prizes or goods and services.
Aside from the first prize, there are other smaller prizes as well. A two-digit number will win the second prize of 100,000 baht, while the third and fourth prizes are 40,000 baht and 10,000 baht, respectively. The fifth and sixth prizes are 20,000 baht and 15,000 baht, respectively. There used to be a bonus prize for matching six digits, but this was eliminated by the military government.
Tickets are pre-printed and include a range of anti-counterfeiting features. They are available in “ticket-pairs” and can be purchased at GLO and its authorized retail venues. The minimum price for a pair of tickets is 80 baht. The tickets are then sold to wholesalers, who distribute them to a network of more than 14,700 authorized retail venues. The retail venues then put a small percentage of the total price of each ticket in their pockets for themselves. As a result, the cost of a ticket is higher than it would be at a direct sales channel. However, this has led to increased accessibility for those with lower income levels.
