Thai Lotto (Thailand’s National Lottery) is one of two legal forms of gambling in Thailand; with 19 million Thais playing it annually. Though odds of success may be slim, jackpots can often reach millions! Managed by the Government Lottery Office (GLO), draws are held twice each month on 1st and 16th. It serves as one of two forms of legalized gambling – another form being horse racing in Bangkok.
GLO is responsible for overseeing and regulating Thailand’s lottery system and overseeing its distribution to retail outlets. Thai lotto tickets can be bought from convenience stores, street vendors or authorized lottery retailers, with prizes awarded based on how many matching numbers there were and in what tier. All winnings are announced on national TV and newspaper. It remains an extremely popular form of gambling within Thailand – and can often prove highly profitable!
Thailand stands out from many countries by still permitting online lottery sales; the General Lotterie Office (GLO) has made great strides towards making sure that it remains an equal playing experience. Unfortunately, however, some untrustworthy operators operate illegal online lottery games not affiliated with GLO that offer subpar service; to protect yourself properly always purchase tickets from authorized sellers.
Thailand boasts not only its official lotto but also several other lotteries such as baht-total huay and huay koot but also two popular lottery games: Bhuay Sai and Huay Koot, with Huay Koot offering up to 30 Million Baht in top prizes while Bhuay Sai can offer 20 Million.
Thai society boasts not only an official lotto but also a sizeable underground lottery that operates parallel lotteries 4-5 times larger than its official lottery, creating a complex, multifaceted system which is difficult to suppress.
Thailand has long been known to pick its lottery numbers superstitiously. While some people visit temples to look for lucky numbers, others take more practical approaches such as consulting the license plate numbers of cars involved in accidents or death certificates in search of “lucky” numbers. With their ability to calculate short odds so quickly, it’s no surprise so many Thais feel the urge to seek their lucky lottery numbers out.
