Thai Lotto (sa-laak-gin-beeng-rattabaan in Thai) is a national lottery operated by the government, held twice each month on the first and sixteenth. Results can be seen both live on TV and radio broadcasting and online at GLO. In Thai it translates as: to have good fortune or luck.
Thailand allows only two forms of legal gambling: lottery is one. Extremely popular among its citizens (28.6% of population play it regularly) it dates back as far as 3,000 BC in China where its origin can be traced.
Tickets are pre-printed and include numerous anti-counterfeiting features to detect counterfeit tickets, such as watermarks depicting mythical birds called Wayupak and two types of silk thread that can be seen by either naked eye or UV light. Furthermore, coated paper makes counterfeiting harder – any fake tickets will reveal themselves when dropped with bleach! – and lottery is administered by Government Lottery Office (GLO).
Every ticket costs 80 baht and contains six-digits that must match the numbers selected during a draw to win big – up to several million baht! However, smaller prizes are awarded as well; to claim them you must present either your passport or Thai ID card and go directly to THE GOVERNMENT LOTTERY OFFICE in Bangkok with either.
Thais traditionally take a more spiritual approach to numbers than Westerners do; visiting temples and shrines to pray for luck with numbers is common, as is seeking advice from fortune tellers or monks known for divining lottery results. When an esteemed monk passes away, many locals attend his funeral in hopes of gathering clues as to which numbers will prove auspicious in future draws.
Thai lottery ticket purchases can be quite costly for locals as street vendors typically charge 120 baht per ticket; online purchases have higher payout rates and allow users to freely select their numbers. When buying lottery tickets in Thailand, always seek a vendor where other Thai people are purchasing; this will help ensure you’re purchasing genuine and paying fair prices; also don’t be afraid to walk away if a vendor seems suspicious, instead opting for another vendor as this gives the best chances of success!
