Lottery in Thailand is a big business. In the mid 2000s Thais spent about $10 billion on illegal lottery games (huay tai in) and 36 billion on the official government lottery. The country’s two- and three-digit lotteries were introduced in the early 2000s by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who also wanted to expand legal gambling and allow Las Vegas-style soccer betting – but these ideas never came to fruition. The military government that ousted him in 2006 has since cracked down on lotteries and set a maximum price for tickets, but there are still plenty of people trying to find the right numbers.
When it comes to picking numbers, many Thais rely on superstitions. Some, for example, believe that tragedy precedes good fortune, so they might peruse the license plate numbers of crashed cars or the highway signs where accidents have occurred. Others head to their local temple or shrine to pray for the right number, with some monks renowned for their ability to divine which digits will do the trick.
While the lottery is an important part of the economy in Thailand, most of its profits are used for public works and welfare services. The Government Lottery Office is responsible for the organization and administration of the lottery, as well as ensuring its fairness and integrity. It is the only form of gambling that is allowed in Thailand.
The Government Lottery Office has a special team that monitors the activities of lotto agents and provides disciplinary action as needed. It also conducts random spot checks to ensure the integrity of its lottery products and processes.
Lottery winners must claim their prize within two years from the date of the drawing, and they can receive any amount up to 20,000 baht in cash at any authorized retail venue. If the prize is more than 20,000 baht, players must visit the GLO headquarters to receive the money.
A lottery winner can also opt to take a lump sum payment of 200,000 baht. In order to claim this option, the winner must submit a request to GLO’s Department of Prize Payments and pay a 0.5% tax on the winnings.
There are some other requirements that must be met in order to win a prize, such as submitting proof of identity and providing a copy of the ticket. In addition, the winner must be a citizen of Thailand and over 18 years old. The government also requires a lottery player to have an address on record. The winner must also agree to be publicly recognized for the award. In some cases, the prize can be redeemed in-person at a GLO office, while in other cases, a check will be sent to the winner’s home. GLO has more information about the process on its website.
