The official Thai lottery (Thai:
Despite the grand aspirations of the lottery, winning is a difficult proposition. It requires an enormous amount of luck and a willingness to stray from the official rules. As such, it is not uncommon to find lottery participants seeking any conceivable means of improving their odds at the nearly-unwinnable grand prizes. Many consult online gurus like Thai Lottery King or My4Website, who are known for their cryptic formulas and tips that promise to improve your chances of winning. Other strategies include praying to banana trees, interpreting dream images and seeing animals in the build-up to a drawing.
In a nation of believers, it is not surprising to find that many of these strategies are grounded in faith and superstition. Buddhists will visit temples to make merit and glean lottery numbers from monks, a practice that aligns with the religion’s beliefs in good fortune based on positive deeds. Others may seek guidance from their dead relatives through spirit guides or ask children to pick numbers. These strategies can be lucrative, but they are not foolproof and require a large amount of money to invest in a nearly-unwinnable process.
Regardless of whether or not a person believes in the supernatural, the fact is that the lottery is a cultural phenomenon that has been instilled within the fabric of Thai society for centuries. It engenders a sense of community and brings people together through the common pursuit of a prize that is almost impossible to win. It is this combination of fate, faith and imagination that makes lottery participation in Thailand such a compelling spectacle.
Aside from being a source of entertainment, the lottery is a crucial revenue generator for Thailand’s poor and lower middle classes. According to a report published in the International Gambling Studies Journal in 2006, it is estimated that up to 40% of the population play the lottery. Although some wealthy individuals also participate, the vast majority of players are from the lower-middle class.
The lottery is a popular form of income for disabled individuals, as well. Don Willcox, who works extensively with the disabled in Chiang Mai, says that many handicapped individuals sell lottery tickets as a way to supplement their incomes. He explains that many disabled people have difficulty finding jobs that pay them enough to live, and selling lottery tickets allows them to earn more than the minimum wage. In addition, the lottery provides a safe and convenient alternative to illegal gambling in Thailand.
