Thai Lotto
The Thai lottery offers an alluring, magical and superstitious world that blends elements of chance, faith and imagination. For many in this nation of 69 million, buying lottery tickets represents more than mere gambling; for them it stands as both an opportunity for good deeds to be recognized and the chance at big rewards.
Every month, both the government lottery (TGL) and charity lottery (TCL) draw six-digit numbers printed on yellow paper tickets that can be purchased from mobile vendors using thin wooden cases. Tickets typically cost 80 baht each depending on how propitious their pre-printed six numbers are – collectively Thai people spend an estimated annual spending total of 2.5 billion baht on lottery tickets!
Regular lottery players typically employ an intricate strategy when selecting their winning numbers, such as consulting an elderly family member or astrologer; alternatively they could visit temples to make merit and seek information from monks; these methods date back as far as 1900!
Some believe animals’ behaviors are an excellent indicator of forthcoming lottery numbers. When a woman found a tortoise crossing her path on a busy roadway, this was seen as a sure sign she would soon become wealthy; similarly, when banana trees in farmer fields sprouted an unusually large number of buds it was taken as a sign to buy some lottery tickets.
Other methods used to try and determine winning lottery numbers include praying to banana trees, reading candle wax drippings in holy water and telling fortunes with bamboo sticks. Children have even been used as random number pickers! But it should be remembered that winning a lottery prize requires considerable amounts of luck, making any combination unlikely.
The Government Lottery Office oversees the production and sale of Thai lottery tickets, held every first and 16th of every month. As the only legal form of gambling permitted in Thailand besides horse racing, lottery draws provide significant revenue streams to support national development.
Each lottery ticket features a six-digit number printed on yellow, thin and smooth paper designed to prevent counterfeiting; its coating contains chemicals which reveal themselves when exposed to bleach, while it bears the two-tone watermark of Wayupak the mythical bird.
Thai lottery prizes consist of two distinct varieties; first prize awards range up to 6 million baht while bonus prize payouts can reach 22 million. To claim their prize, winners must present both winning ticket(s) and their ID card/passport for verification; for TCL wins the stamp duty is 0.5% while with TGL it’s 1.0%.
