The lottery is one of only two forms of legal gambling in Thailand and is drawn twice a month, on the first and sixteenth of each month. The draw is random and conducted through a computer program, ensuring its integrity. The lottery experience fosters a sense of hope and optimism, connecting people with the tantalizing possibility of an unexpected windfall.
Each ticket is pre-printed, includes a number of anti-counterfeiting features, and can only be purchased in “ticket pairs”. The verso side of the tickets shows a schedule of prizes, ancillary information, and conditions. During the drawing, the Draw Chairman randomly selects balls (numbers) to initialize each draw machine. A colored ball indicates a prize category: yellow for the 2nd prize, pink for the 3rd prize, green for the 4th prize, and blue for the 5th prize. A two-digit number is also drawn for the bonus prize, but this was eliminated by the military government after 1 Aug 2015.
There used to be two types of Thai lottery tickets: TGL and TCL. The two differed in their first prize payouts and level of taxation. TGL tickets had a first prize of six million baht and a bonus prize of 30 million baht, and TCL tickets had a first prize of three million baht and a bonus prize that was 22 million baht.
The winner must present a winning ticket pair and either a Thai ID card or passport to claim their prize. Depending on the type of ticket, winners may be required to pay 0.5% or 1% stamp duty on their winnings. The stamp duty is collected by vendors who are obligated to pay it on the winners’ behalf. In addition, the winning ticket must be verified with a machine before the winner can collect their prize. This ensures that the winning ticket is genuine.
