Slum-dweller wins Bt20m govt lottery

SI SA KET: -- A Si Sa Ket man has won a government lottery jackpot worth Bt20 million, after spending 15 years carrying rice sacks for a living and sheltering in a slum.

The lucky winner, Prasart Jomkho, 37, said he bought the 51st set lottery ticket with the number 009554, which won the Bt20 million prize in the July 1 draw.

After learning of his luck, Prasart said he went back to his hometown in Si Sa Ket’s Pho Srisuwan district in fear for his security.

Prasart said he was so poor that his wife had run off with another man and left him with a daughter. He had raised his daughter but had been forced to leave her with his sister when he went to work in Bangkok.

He said he got a job carrying rice sacks in Pathum Thani. This earned him between Bt70 and Bt250 per day, and he had to live in a slum to reduce his expenses.

“I’m rich now,” he said. “I’ll buy land to grow rice and build a house to live with my daughter and will support her to finish at least Mattayom Six.”

He urged his daughter and his sister to contact him.

Today Prasart will ask local police and his relatives to accompany him to get the prize money at the Government Lottery Office in Bangkok.

--The Nation 2005-07-04

Good for him. Hope his present good fortune continues into the future, and he lives a happy and content life from here on.

aye, good lad.. Sounds like he deserves it

Prasart said he was so poor that his wife had run off with another man

I'll marry him now he's rich.

She'll come running back now.

Next news heading will be lucky winner of 20 mill. commits suicide whilst walking home with police escort after claiming money..! If he survives the police escort then good luck to the guy. A deserving winner.

He'll have to go into hiding to escape the thousands of new fairweather friends he didn't know he had. Plus, of course, the puzzling letters and emails he'll be getting from gentlemen in Nigeria.

He deserves the money, but all this publicity isn't in his best interest. His first investment should be in 'minders' and responsible money managers.

Hope he spend his money wisely..

Slum-dweller wins Bt20m govt lottery

After learning of his luck, Prasart said he went back to his hometown in Si Sa Ket’s Pho Srisuwan district in fear for his security.

--The Nation 2005-07-04

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and then the newspapers went and published the whereabouts of his hideout

Next news heading will be lucky winner of 20 mill. commits suicide whilst walking home with police escort after claiming money..! If he survives the police escort then good luck to the guy. A deserving winner.

So sad, so true and so ....funny ! !