The thai lotto is a national lottery run by Thailand’s government. Two types of tickets are sold, the first is called a Thai Government Lottery (TGL) ticket and the second is a Thai Charity Lottery (TCL). The winnings from both are equal and can be won by anyone who plays. The TGL ticket costs 40 baht and the TCL ticket costs 80 baht. Both tickets feature a six-digit number and are printed on special yellow paper with a two-tone watermark of a Wayupak bird that can only be seen under ultraviolet light. The paper is also coated with chemicals that show up as stains if the ticket is tested with drops of bleach.
The TGL lottery is overseen by the Government Lottery Office (GLO) which prints and sells the tickets to wholesalers. The GLO then conducts the draws which take place on the 1st and 16th of each month. The total prize pool is over 6 billion baht. Prizes are awarded to the winners in order of their winning numbers. There are two prize tiers for the first prize, and five for the second. Bonus prizes are awarded for people whose winning numbers match the first five numbers but not the last five.
In addition to the prize money the lottery generates revenue for street vendors (12%), ticket wholesalers (2%), social activity funds (3%) and foundation, association and organization discounts (3%). The remaining 20% of the profits are funneled into the treasury where it is used for state affairs.
Gambling is not legal in thailand but the lottery is widely accepted as a form of entertainment and socializing. People will often visit the local temple or shrine to pray for good luck before buying a lottery ticket. Some even go to monks for help in choosing their numbers. Many of these monks have a reputation for knowing which digits will do the trick.
Aside from the official lottery there is a massive underground market in thailand that operates parallel lotteries with prizes up to 5 times larger than the official Thai lottery. These illegal operators have a network of dealers and agents that operate the games for customers across the country. The government crackdown on gambling has not stopped this booming business and it is estimated that 70% of the population gambles regularly.
Although Thailand’s government has banned most forms of gambling, it does have a lottery and allows its citizens to purchase tickets for the bi-monthly drawing. The prizes are much smaller than those in European and American lotteries but the chances of winning are much higher. To win a prize you must present the winning ticket, your ID card or passport (if you are a foreigner) and your bank account details. The maximum prize is several million baht. The minimum prize is 20,000 baht. You have two years to claim your prize. Smaller amounts can be claimed immediately. For larger sums you must come to the GLO headquarters to file a report and collect your prize.
