Thai Lotto is a national lottery administered by The Government Lottery Office (GLO). Draws are held every first and sixteenth of the month. The lottery is one of only two forms of legalised gambling in Thailand, the other being horse racing in Bangkok. While many people play the lottery simply as a form of entertainment, others believe that it is a way to improve their fortunes and help their community. Some critics point out that the lottery is a source of corruption, while others argue that it is a socially unifying force that helps alleviate poverty by giving the poor hope for sudden wealth.
Fate, faith and imagination swirl around lottery culture in Thailand. The lottery is more than a mere game of chance; it is an integral part of the country’s religious, political and economic history. It is a ritual that unites the people in a shared dream and fuels the human spirit with the promise of a life-altering fortune.
Although lottery players may differ in their approaches to choosing numbers, most have a deep belief that their choices are guided by some supernatural force. Some choose their numbers based on the stars in the sky, while others use signs from the universe disguised in everyday events. In some cases, a lucky number might be a word or phrase that appeared in a dream. In other cases, a person might consult a lottery “guru” online or in real life who claims to have a secret formula that will make the participant lucky.
Some Thais also believe that lottery winnings are a reflection of karma. Therefore, some players will try to avoid numbers that were drawn in previous draws or the last three months. Others will select a series of numbers that correspond with their own birthdays, anniversaries and other significant events in their lives. In some cases, lottery players will even buy numbers based on negative events such as celebrity deaths or plane crashes.
A few days ago, Bom and his friend sat together and discussed how they were going to pick their lottery numbers for the next drawing. Although Bom doesn’t believe in luck or fate, he enjoys the process of picking his lottery numbers with his friends and has an elaborate system that involves staring into a mirror to see how they might affect his chances of winning. His method is precise and evidently follows a well-practiced ritual, but for an outsider, it seems absurd.
While the operation of the Thai lottery can seem complex, it is relatively straightforward. Tickets, known as TGL or TCL, are pre-printed and include a range of anti-counterfeiting features. They are sold in ticket pairs and cost 80 baht. Ticket winners are announced live on television each month, and winnings are distributed according to the schedule printed on the ticket. Unlike some other countries, where the lottery is open to foreign residents, Thais cannot purchase tickets abroad.
