The lottery, which in Thailand is known as slaak kin baeng (RTGS: salak kin baeng), is one of two forms of legal gambling permitted by the government. Almost 19 million Thais play the bi-monthly lotto draws, which are conducted every 1st and 16th date of the month. It is also a major revenue generator for the government, and a source of entertainment for Thais and visitors to the country.
Lottery tickets are pre-printed and include a variety of anti-counterfeiting features. They are sold in ticket pairs, and each individual ticket costs 80 baht. They can be purchased at the official lottery office or at a wide range of retail outlets, including many mobile-phone operators and convenience stores. The tickets feature the prize schedule and ancillary information. They are not available for purchase outside of the country.
Each ticket has a six-digit number that corresponds to one of the five prize categories. Matching all six digits in order wins the top prize, which is B30 million. The second prize is B20,000, and the third prize is B10,000. The fourth and fifth prizes are awarded for matching two of the last three digits, respectively. The sixth prize was once a bonus prize, but this has been eliminated by the military government.
The popularity of the lottery has led to a proliferation of unofficial agencies offering a variety of prizes and facilitating credit purchases. These companies are able to offer much higher jackpots, better odds of winning, and the convenience of online transactions. While they are unlikely to revolutionize the fortunes of Thai lottery players, these new opportunities may entice them from their traditional retail outlets and into the digital realm.
