thai lotto is the official state lottery in thailand. The twice-monthly lottery is a popular pastime for 19 million Thais; 28.6% of the nation’s population. The prize money is typically in the millions of baht but a bigger draw is often the popularity and passion with which Thais chase lucky numbers.
While gambling is illegal and frowned upon by Buddhism, it’s a huge part of the national culture. It’s common for bus tickets to have a lottery number, and many people visit temples and shrines to pray for good fortune. Many also visit fortune tellers or go to a monk for lottery tips.
The national lottery is run by the government and regulated by the GLO. Those who sell lottery tickets must register with the GLO. There are more than 35,000 registered vendors in the country, most of whom reside in Bangkok and the provinces. The GLO prints the tickets itself and distributes them to wholesalers and retail venues. The ticket price is set by the GLO but brokers and retail venues put their own mark-up on top of it. This has led to inflated prices for tickets, making the lottery less accessible for people with lower incomes in the country.
When a person buys a ticket, the ticket must be presented to the GLO together with a valid ID card or passport for foreign bettors. The GLO will then verify the winning numbers and issue the prize money to the winner. The winner will shoulder a 0.5% stamp duty on their prize money from the government lottery and a 1% tax on their winnings from charitable lotteries.
To avoid counterfeiting, the GLO uses a special type of paper that has a two-tone watermark of a mythical bird called a Wayupak and has chemicals to make drops of bleach show as stains if poured over it. Additionally, the paper has a security strip with barcodes on it. It’s a bit expensive to print these tickets but the security measures are important for ensuring a fair and honest lottery in the country.
Despite the security measures, there are still some concerns about how the Thai lottery is played. The government is trying to move the lottery online, but there have been problems with fraud and cheating. Nevertheless, the lottery is a popular pastime for Thais and will probably remain so for years to come. While the jackpot prizes aren’t the biggest in the world, it’s a tradition and ritual that the Thais love and are passionate about. There’s something to be said for that kind of commitment and passion, even if it could use some more regulation and higher top prizes.
