Haggling Continues Over Bt23m Lottery Win

[george]

Haggling continues over Bt23m lottery win

YASOTHON: -- A lawyer representing suspects in an alleged scam to cheat a housewife out of a Bt23-million lottery win yesterday failed to persuade the woman’s family to drop their police complaint in exchange for Bt10 million.

Thongpoon Hemsamak, who claims his wife Praiwan bought the winning ticket, said the complaint would only be withdrawn if the suspects returned the whole Bt23 million.

“We can give Bt3 million to you,” Thongpoon said in a negotiation witnessed by reporters and police. According to a police investigation, Praiwan was duped into handing over the winning ticket to Paisri Lailao and Paisri’s elder sister Pissamai Khamthong after they insisted they needed to double check the ticket.

Praiwan claims Paisri sold her the ticket for the May 16 draw.

The sisters met Praiwan shortly after the draw, when the housewife was not yet aware that she had hit the jackpot, police said.

After the sisters failed to return the ticket, Praiwan lodged the complaint, police said.

Witnesses, including a relative of the suspects, testified in Praiwan’s favour. Pissamai’s husband Boonchid Khamthong, his elder brother Sam-ang Kham-thong, and their relative Utis Khamtawee have also been charged with embezzlement over the case.

Pissamai and Boonchid are schoolteachers, while Sam-ang is an assistant director at the Yasothon non-formal education office. The suspects’ lawyer Kittikachorn Chaleephutthaphong yesterday told Thongpoon to take the Bt10 million and consider the jackpot jointly won with his clients.

Thongpoon turned down the offer, insisting the whole prize belonged to him and his wife. “If you want us to end the ongoing proceedings, bring us Bt23 million. Then, we will give you Bt3 million as a gift,” he said. Kittikachorn said he could not accept the offer and would need to talk to his clients again before deciding the next move.

In a related development, police have conducted simultaneous searches of three houses belonging to the suspects.

Documents left at their homes showed that the suspects had wired money to many people, police said.

Police yesterday froze Bt1.4 million in bank accounts belonging to the suspects.

Yasothon residents have keenly followed news reports on the matter, with dozens of radio stations in the province giving the alleged scam significant coverage.

--The Nation 2005-06-09

[sriracha john]

In a very strange update, it seems as though the "thieves" of the ticket will end making 5 million baht???

Lottery gang offered Bt5m

Published on June 17, 2005

A dispute over Bt23 million in lottery winnings may soon be resolved, with the victim of an apparent scam and the alleged perpetrators coming closer to a compromise.

Praiwan Hemsamak, who was lured into handing over the winning ticket to the original seller, said yesterday she would withdraw her complaint against the suspects if they gave her Bt18 million. She had initially demanded Bt20 million of the winnings.

The lawyer for the suspects, Kittikachorn Chaleeputthaphong, said his clients were willing to pay Bt13 million to bring the case to an end. He offered only Bt10 million in the first round of negotiations.

Praiwan yesterday called on the suspects to negotiate with her directly at the police station.

“We can talk this over. I ask for only Bt18 million and this case is closed,” she said.

Praiwan purchased a lottery ticket which won the Bt23 million jackpot in the May 16 draw. Before she realised her good fortune, the ticket seller, Paisri Lailoa, and her elder sister Pissamai Khamthong had come knocking on her door, saying they needed to double-check the ticket.

Praiwan gave it to them and it was never returned. She later found out that a relative of the lottery seller claimed the jackpot using her ticket.

The housewife then lodged a complaint with police, who went on to charge eight suspects with embezzlement.

Kittikachorn has met with Praiwan and her husband four times for negotiations since the arrest warrants were issued.

Pol Lt-Colonel Samniang Luejiangkham, who is in charge of the case, said yesterday that police are now tracing funds that have been directed out of Pissamai’s bank accounts.

“We have to find out where all that money is going,” he said.

[Rags]

Makes you wonder what sort of tricks would be pulled if a Farang held the winning ticket for one of these larger jackpots - Has it ever happened....?

I can imagine there would be a bit of a backlash in the Thai press. Something along the lines of "rich farang takes money from the poor needy Thai people etc...."

[sriracha john]

Doesn't sound like a farang, but in related lottery news, the biggest winner ever remains unknown for now:

Lottery win of Bt100m unclaimed

Published on June 17, 2005

The country’s largest lottery prize – Bt100 million – was drawn yesterday. The winner purchased the ticket in Bangkok, but has yet to come forward.

The Government Lottery Office (GLO) announced the Bt100-million grand prize for the two- and three-digit lotteries for the ticket with the number 793070, the number drawn by the GLO yesterday.

The ticket was from the 82nd ticket set sold by distributor Wichian Ariyasawet in Din Daeng.

“This is the country’s highest prize ever,” said Pol Maj-General Surasit Sankhaphong, the GLO’s director. Surasit urged the winner to immediately sign his or her name on the back of the ticket and claim the prize from the GLO.

Distributor Wichian, who will get 1 per cent of the prize – or Bt1 million – said he split some tickets from the set to a retailer, Wiwat Kitnukul, who would get the 20 per cent of his share because Wiwat sold the winning ticket.

Wiwat said he remembered selling the winning ticket to a woman in her fifties, an owner of a rental apartment in Huai Khwang district, who often bought Bt5,000 worth of lottery tickets from him per round.

Meanwhile, Thippawan Pattano – the wife of Hat Yai mayor Prai Pattano won prizes worth Bt24 million in total from yesterday lottery draw. “I’m so happy, I don’t know what to do. My husband and I will go to the GLO in Bangkok to claim the prize,” Thippawan said, adding that she would repay debts, pay for her children’s education and give the rest to charity.

Edited June 17, 2005 by sriracha john

[stumonster]

there are a couple of blind lotterysellers that do the round of my moobarn and I usually purchase a ticket from them twice a month - I can hear them coming from the tap of their canes....I have never won anything though

[yoda]

Reminds me of the joke of this bar owner:

Reporter> Wauw you won the grand jackpot of 20 million! what you gonna do with it?

Bar owner> well i'm gonna pay of my drink supplier, butcher and give some money to the staff.

Reporter> Great and what are you gonna do with the rest ?

Bar owner> THE REST??? They just have to wait a little Longer

[marquess]

Surely the authorities here should take the view that this is all fraud. And that those who perpetrated this fraud, should be punished accordingly. Not rewared with 5million.

[RDN]

...The country’s largest lottery prize – Bt100 million – was drawn yesterday....

Distributor Wichian, who will get 1 per cent of the prize – or Bt1 million...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Glad they did the maths - that was a tricky one.

[Kringle]

marquess Posted Today, 2005-06-17 18:09:55

Surely the authorities here should take the view that this is all fraud. And that those who perpetrated this fraud, should be punished accordingly. Not rewared with 5million.

Have to agree here totally. Why is there any of this BS going on in the first place. Even the lawyer for these fcukwits is saying to make a deal so that would mean a crime has been committed and should be cut and dry and the perps should just be arrested. This can be a really strange country at times.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Kringle

[Mason45]

Firstly the ticket was taken by deception, then the seller decides to commit extortion and then the accused's lawyer gets into the act as he is a party to the alleged offences, lets say for 10% of the ill gotten gains and still the boys in brown are baffled what to do, maybe they're hanging out for their slice of the action too but the bottom line is the winner is a real loser, with 23 mill. she could've got a limousine and gone to the lottery office herself, even a phone call would've straightened things out.