Thai lotto is one of only two forms of legal gambling in the country. It is run by the Government Lottery Office (GLO) and draws on the first and 16th days of every month. The game is played by over 19 million people in Thailand, and the jackpots are often larger than those of international lotteries.
The odds of winning the top prize in thai lotto are one in a million. Nevertheless, this doesn’t deter players from purchasing tickets. Some even interpret their purchases as a sign from the gods, or try to find patterns in their everyday lives that might indicate which numbers they should purchase. Trying to see figures in tree bark, the number of spots on a cat’s fur, snakes (a giant snake represents the number five and a small snake represents six), rats (linked to the number one), or other omens are common ways that players try to predict their lottery fortune.
A thai lotto winner must present their ticket/s and a copy of their ID card or passport to claim their prize. They must also pay 0.5% stamp duty on government lottery winnings and 1% on charitable lottery winnings. Vendors are required to collect this money on the winners’ behalf and pay it to GLO.
While the GLO is a state-run entity there are still some questions about how it operates and how much of the money generated by lottery sales is funnelled back into national causes. Some people worry that the centralized system of selling tickets could lead to corruption, especially given that many lottery agents are relatives of the ruling party’s elite. However, the GLO is a well-regulated organization that is not at risk of being taken over by organized crime groups, and there is a strong framework in place to prevent fraud and corruption.
GLO sells tickets to wholesalers who then distribute them to a network of 14,700 authorized retail venues throughout the country. Each venue has its own lottery drawing machine and each lottery draw is overseen by a special guest known as the “Draw Chairman.” The Draw Chairman randomly selects a ball from each draw machine to start the process.
Two-digit numbers are drawn for a prize of up to 2,000 baht. There are four three-digit prizes, each worth up to 4,000 baht. Finally, there is a single six-digit prize worth up to 50,000 baht.
The winner can then choose to cash in their prize. Prizes of less than 20,000 baht can be cashed out at the authorized retail venues, while larger amounts are paid by cheque issued in the name of the winner. Winning players have up to two years from the date of the drawing to claim their awards. In order to receive their prize, the winner must be at least 20 years old and a citizen of Thailand.
