Thai lottery is one of the most popular gambling activities in Thailand and it’s also a great way for expats to try their luck while visiting this exotic country. The prize money isn’t the biggest in the world, but the odds are pretty good. Plus, it’s fun and easy to play. In fact, there are even online agencies that offer thai lotto to people who can’t make it to the bi-monthly drawing.
Lottery in thailand is regulated by the GLO (Government Lottery Office) and only licensed vendors are allowed to sell tickets. These vendors must register with the government and provide proof of age. Currently, the GLO has over 35,000 registered lottery ticket vendors in the country. A majority of these vendors are based in Bangkok while the rest are distributed throughout the country. In 2014, about 67 million people played the thai lotto. Almost 28% of this total went to state coffers. The remainder was divided among street vendors (12%), ticket wholesalers (2%), social activity fund (3%) and foundation, association, or organization discount (3%).
There are many ways to win thai lotto, including the first prize, which is often millions of baht. To win the jackpot, you must match all six digits in the correct order. The other prizes are 40,000 baht (10 prizes available) for matching six digits in the third prize draw, 100,000 baht (2 prizes available) for matching the first three digits and 10,000 baht for matching the last two digits in the fifth prize draw. There used to be a bonus prize of 22 or 30 million baht, but this was eliminated by the military government after 2014.
Most Thais are big gamblers and although there is a ban on public gambling, many locals still partake in underground lotteries that can be 5 times bigger than the official Thai lottery. In addition to buying official lottery tickets, locals often seek advice from a number of different sources for lottery numbers. For example, some will head to a temple or shrine in the hopes that their prayers for the right number are heard and others visit fortune tellers for a hint about which digits might prove lucky.
If you are a winner, you must bring your winning ticket and a valid identification document to the GLO headquarters in Bangkok in order to claim your prize. The minimum prize amount is 20,000 baht, but larger amounts are usually paid out in the form of a cheque. There are several websites that provide updates on the results of thai lotto, so be sure to check them regularly. Many of these websites will even send notifications and emails to players so that they never miss a result. In addition, you can also follow thai lotto results on Facebook and Twitter. Aside from these online platforms, you can also watch live TV to see the results of each monthly drawing. The draws are held on the first and sixteenth days of every month.
