Government Lottery

[Valentine]

Where do you go in Phuket if you win a prize in the government lottery? Not saying I have won anything but been curious about this for quite a while. In the past I have won the odd 1,000 Baht & would take it the lottery vendor (a long time ago in Patong it was to the laundry lady) & they would pay but keeping 10% commission. Some Thai connections tell me if you win a big prize you have to go to Bangkok & collect it there but I have also heard you can redeem at a bank. Anyone else have experience?

[hkt83100]

I was lucky (2 numbers) and I got my money at the shop opposite the Krung Thai Bank Aroonsom Branch in Patong, just across the Rath-U-Thit Road. Another one should be the lottery shop at the corner at Robinson's in Phuket City, opposite McDonalds. These shops keep 3% normally, for the grand slam should travel to Bangkok - the Lottery Office charges just 1%.

[Roel]

Can confirm that you can cash your lottery winnings across from Aroonsom Krung Thai bank. Three percent tax is deducted, it is not a commission for the shop, so I do not understand why it would be only one percent in Bangkok.

Anyway, you can collect lottery winnings at any of the places that prominently display the winning numbers. These are official agencies that are allowed to pay out the prizes and collect the tax from you. I was lucky a little while ago (2,000 Baht) and when I claimed my prize they acted quite nervous. Asked me where I had bought the ticket and checked it thoroughly. They wanted to see my passport. I showed them my Thai driver's license and explained them in Thai where I worked. Brought out big smiles and they were demonstrably relieved. They wrote my mobile number on the back of the ticket.

Maybe nowadays people try to collect fake tickets? I remember a few years ago I collected my winnings (4,000 Baht this time) without a fuzz. They did not ask for my passport and hardly glanced at the ticket. This was in Phang Nga.

Afterthought: Possibly some of these traveling sellers sell fake tickets from their wooden boxes? I always buy from the same lady who sells from a table stand.

.

[Lingba]

normally you pay 3% of what you win but if you go to the lottery office in BKK,..it's 1 or 1 1/2 %

[NamKangMan]

I was once told a foreigner can not collect a major prize. Can anyone confirm this?

[stoneyboy]

I was once told a foreigner can not collect a major prize. Can anyone confirm this?

Incorrect you can claim it,but foreigners don't win big it's in the rules.

[NamKangMan]

I was once told a foreigner can not collect a major prize. Can anyone confirm this?

Incorrect you can claim it,but foreigners don't win big it's in the rules.

As an expat, if I can claim the prize, I'll just put it into my Thai bank account, however, how would a tourist, legally, get 1 million baht out of Thailand?

[LivinginKata]

As an expat, if I can claim the prize, I'll just put it into my Thai bank account, however, how would a tourist, legally, get 1 million baht out of Thailand?

Good point. Not likely you could transfer it all at one time. Just get a Thai ATM card good for international use and take money out in your home country. Attracts a lot of bank fees

[fiddlehead]

"Lottery: The government's way of getting back at people who didn't listen in math class"

[surangw]

"Lottery: The government's way of getting back at people who didn't listen in math class"

for sure, the odds of winning are almost the same even if you don't buy a ticket.

[falkan]

underground lottery i won a couple of times but government, never..

[JetsetBkk]

"Lottery: The government's way of getting back at people who didn't listen in math class"

for sure, the odds of winning are almost the same even if you don't buy a ticket.

Unless you know someone who works in the lottery office.

[phuketsub]

I have been following the lottery for over two decades and never remember a foreigner winning a major prize; I am not saying it is rigged, just that the chances of winning are almost negligible for anyone who plays - Thai or foreign. The underground lottery pays out more that the state one, which is why it remains popular.

In my case I have wasted 10s of thousands on it (Govt Lottery) and never got back one baht.

[KarenBravo]

I've won money on the government lottery. Two digits about seven times and three digits twice.

Considering there is no way that the Lottery Organizers have any way of knowing which nationality has bought what ticket, the idea that the lottery is rigged to exclude foreigners is frankly, ridiculous.

Edited July 9, 2013 by KarenBravo

[Roel]

Two time 2 digit and one time 3 digit winner! If you are paranoid about collecting a big prize of say 4 million Baht then sell the winning ticket to a Thai for 3.8 cash.

Talking about the underground lottery. Many years ago I was sitting in a restaurant with my Thai girlfriend. I was talking to another foreigner and an elderly Thai lady started a conversation with my GF. I did not pay attention, they chatted as if they knew each other. Later when she left I asked my GF who the lady was and she replied she just met her for the first time and that the lady worked for the illegal lottery. I said I hope you did not hand over any money to a stranger. Well actually I did she said, I put a hundred Baht on certain numbers. So how do you contact this lady if you win? I gave HER my mobile number. Duuh.

And as fate would have it of course her numbers came up. An hour or so after the results were published my GF received a telephone call from the lottery lady. My GF explained her where we lived and that same evening someone came to our house and paid her 4,000 Baht. I have no pictures but true story.

[sting]

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/issuesanswers/2005/article882.html

[NamKangMan]

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/issuesanswers/2005/article882.html

Thanks for the link, but I note the question and answer is near 8 years old. Can anyone confirm this is still the case?

[NamKangMan]

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/issuesanswers/2005/article882.html

Thanks for the link, but I note the question and answer is near 8 years old. Can anyone confirm this is still the case?

[Guest]

Can someone explain few details of the lottery. I tried to understand few threads and websites, but got more confused.

I basically wish to calculate how many percentage is paid back to the players among other things.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/549716-who-can-explainthe-thai-lottery-system/

-> There is an image of the lottery numbers.

Single ticket: 40 Baht, double ticket 80 baht

Income for 1 million single tickets: 1.000.000 -> 40.000.000B in all

Payouts:

6 correct numbers
- 1 * 2.000.000B -> 2.000.000B
- 5 * 100.000B -> 500.000B
- 10 * 40.000B -> 400.00B
- 50 * 20.000B -> 1.000.000B
- 100 * 10.000B -> 1.000.000B

Bonus numbers (5 first correct with the next number being next to the last correct number)
- 2 * 50.000B - bonus -> 100.000B

2 last numbers * 10.000 * 1000B -> 10.000.000
3 last numbers * 4 * 1.000 * 2000B -> 8.000.000B

Returns: 10000000+8000000+100000+500000+400000+1000000+1000000
Total returns: 21.000.000B

Payout percentage: 40.000.000B/21.000.000B -> 52.5%

This site gave some information, but it was confusing as it did not mention the 2 and 3-digit winnings on the main part. It was only mentioned at the weird part of Irish lottery.

http://www.thailotteryresults.com/how-to-play-the-thai-lottery/

Is the above payout winnings correct or is the 2-digit and 3-digit lottery played with different tickets?

Edited July 9, 2013 by Guest

[JetsetBkk]

Can someone explain few details of the lottery.

<snip>

All explained here, oilinki:

http://hopes.glo.or.th/ewt_news.php?nid=67&filename=index___EN