In Thailand, the lottery is a big deal. Local news sources are full of stories of people becoming millionaires overnight thanks to their lucky numbers. The country’s superstitious inhabitants are always coming up with new ways to get the cosmic guidance they need to score a big jackpot prize.
Whether they’re visiting a ghostly shrine or looking for clues in the everyday world, these Thai locals are determined to find a way to win the lottery. Numbers in tree bark, the number of spots on a cat’s fur (five is represented by the giant snake and six is the small one), banana flowers that are shaped like the head of a naga dragon – these are just some of the many signs that can be used to choose the winning ticket.
The thai lotto is a government-sponsored lottery in which two different kinds of tickets are sold. The first is a Government Lottery ticket (TGL) and the other is a Thai Charity Lottery (TCL) ticket. Both types of tickets are valid for the same drawing, but TCL tickets have a lower first prize payout than TGL tickets.
Each ticket features a six-digit number. To discourage counterfeiting, the ticket is printed on special yellow, thin, and smooth paper that features a two-tone watermark of Wayupak, a mythical bird of Thailand. The paper also contains two types of silk thread – one is visible with the naked eye and the other can only be seen under ultraviolet light. Additionally, the paper is coated with chemicals that will show stains when dropped on bleach.
The drawing for the thai lotto takes place every 1st and 16th of the month. The drawing is held at the Government Lottery Office (GLO) in Bangkok and is broadcast live on television. The results are announced after the draws and prizes are awarded to winners.
In addition to the main prize, there are four lesser prizes: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. The winner of each of these prizes receives a corresponding amount of cash. In 2014, total winnings for the thai lotto reached 76 billion baht.
While the thai lotto isn’t the most impressive lottery game in the world when it comes to top prizes, it’s incredibly popular in the country and has become something of a ritual and tradition that a large portion of the population participates in. While some extra regulation and higher top prizes would be nice, the enthusiasm of Thais for chasing lucky numbers makes it an interesting lottery to watch.
Those who sell lottery tickets in thailand are not allowed to increase the price of the tickets they sell, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. Some of them are poor, blind, or deaf and this is one of the few careers that they can pursue to make ends meet. They will often put aside the “lucky” numbers and charge more for these, as they believe that the chances of winning are higher with these numbers.
