New GLO governor to take office within the month

[Lite Beer]

New GLO governor to take office within the month

BANGKOK, 19 July 2014 (NNT) – The Government Lottery Office is seeking to install a new governor before the end of this month, in order to allow time to tackle lottery distribution restructuring.

The Customs Department Director-General Somchai Satchaphong, in his capacity as chairman of the GLO committee, indicated that four persons who applied for the position of GLO governor had the qualifications that met the criteria but some of the candidates were lacking some documents. Despite this holdup, he promised that the committee would install a new governor by July. After the new governor takes office, the issue of overpriced lottery tickets would be dealt with by revamping the distribution quotas.

Mr. Somchai said that several methods have been devised to tackle the ticket pricing problem over the long term, but said there was no need to adopt automatic ticketing machines or an online lottery system.

-- NNT 2014-07-19

[ChrisY1]

"No need for automated ticketing machines...or online ticketing"......

Of course not....those systems are far to difficult to cheat with......much better, the cash system....an old, but reliable way to scim off!!

[Pib]

Other than some administrative and facade changes that will hopefully reduce probable corruption in the tickets distribution which ups the price from the 80 baht designated price to 90 to 110 baht, I really don't see any change in how tickets are sold...that is, primarily by the disabled and poor because it provides a lively-hood for so many people....going to online ticket sales would take that way of earning a living away from those folks which would cause a outcry from the affected folks and many in the general population. Plus, I think many consider the current method of ticket sales by soi vendors as a traditional way they don't want to give up to technology.

[Thailand]

Lots of new appointments doing the rounds.

[UbonRatch]

"four persons who applied for the position of GLO governor had the qualifications that met the criteria but some of the candidates were lacking some documents."

Like an American Master's degree from Khaosan Rd.?

[smedly]

"No need for automated ticketing machines...or online ticketing"......

Of course not....those systems are far to difficult to cheat with......much better, the cash system....an old, but reliable way to scim off!!

agree completely

it's time the lottery system was updated from the expensive manual system they have now to an electronic network of ticket machines placed in convenience stores throughout the country, it is not complex and Thailand has the infrastructure to support it

also an update of the number selection process possibly televised live on national TV like they do in all other modern societies

come on Thailand you claim to be the hub of this and that yet your national lottery system and distribution is from the dark ages - lets get with it

[smedly]

Other than some administrative and facade changes that will hopefully reduce probable corruption in the tickets distribution which ups the price from the 80 baht designated price to 90 to 110 baht, I really don't see any change in how tickets are sold...that is, primarily by the disabled and poor because it provides a lively-hood for so many people....going to online ticket sales would take that way of earning a living away from those folks which would cause a outcry from the affected folks and many in the general population. Plus, I think many consider the current method of ticket sales by soi vendors as a traditional way they don't want to give up to technology.

I have to disagree - I know of someone who joined the distribution clan and had to give it up because she was robbed twice in 6 months - she had to borrow the money to get started and ended up losing everything - it is a crime ridden system at every level and needs serious modernisation - it's going to happen why not now

The money made from the lottery can be put to many good uses for everyone including the poor and various charities - it needs to happen

[Pib]

Other than some administrative and facade changes that will hopefully reduce probable corruption in the tickets distribution which ups the price from the 80 baht designated price to 90 to 110 baht, I really don't see any change in how tickets are sold...that is, primarily by the disabled and poor because it provides a lively-hood for so many people....going to online ticket sales would take that way of earning a living away from those folks which would cause a outcry from the affected folks and many in the general population. Plus, I think many consider the current method of ticket sales by soi vendors as a traditional way they don't want to give up to technology.

I have to disagree - I know of someone who joined the distribution clan and had to give it up because she was robbed twice in 6 months - she had to borrow the money to get started and ended up losing everything - it is a crime ridden system at every level and needs serious modernisation - it's going to happen why not now

The money made from the lottery can be put to many good uses for everyone including the poor and various charities - it needs to happe

Are you saying because some ticket vendors get robbed (which is a occupation hazard of any vender selling anything) the lottery tickets shouldn't be sold by the disabled and poor to make a lively-hood? Instead only sold online or out of machines say at 7-11 maybe? Well, if so, that sure would work but it wouldn't do a thing for the tens of thousands of disabled/poor making a living from selling the tickets.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Pib

[smedly]

Other than some administrative and facade changes that will hopefully reduce probable corruption in the tickets distribution which ups the price from the 80 baht designated price to 90 to 110 baht, I really don't see any change in how tickets are sold...that is, primarily by the disabled and poor because it provides a lively-hood for so many people....going to online ticket sales would take that way of earning a living away from those folks which would cause a outcry from the affected folks and many in the general population. Plus, I think many consider the current method of ticket sales by soi vendors as a traditional way they don't want to give up to technology.

I have to disagree - I know of someone who joined the distribution clan and had to give it up because she was robbed twice in 6 months - she had to borrow the money to get started and ended up losing everything - it is a crime ridden system at every level and needs serious modernisation - it's going to happen why not now

The money made from the lottery can be put to many good uses for everyone including the poor and various charities - it needs to happe

Are you saying because some ticket vendors get robbed (which is a occupation hazard of any vender selling anything) the lottery tickets shouldn't be sold by the disabled and poor to make a lively-hood? Instead only sold online or out of machines say at 7-11 maybe? Well, if so, that sure would work but it wouldn't do a thing for the tens of thousands of disabled/poor making a living from selling the tickets.

have you actually worked out the value in tickets that these people are carrying around

and you are saying this in a country that can waste almost up to 800 billion baht on a rice scheme amongst other things

I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with you - and may I also say that I have seen very few (if any) disabled people selling lottery tickets in the 10 years I have lived here - any I have encountered are far from disabled but are still at risk of being robbed

so I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree on this

Time for change and the current sellers can get employment elsewhere - Thailand is not short of jobs as we have seen very clearly the last couple of months

[Pib]

If you have lived here 10 years you don't get out of your home area much...many disabled sell lottery tickets....I see them all the time...and they are definitely physically disabled because it's almost always easy to see the disability. And of course many, many poor sell the tickets like all the folks riding bicycles with the lottery ticket tray stuck on the handlebars, or in market stalls. And of course you have people who sell them that are not disabled and maybe not poor-poor but they prefer to earn a living/extra money selling the tickets. Yeap, you are right...plenty of jobs in Thailand like driving taxis, selling fruit/vegetables, cooking noodles/fried rice from a cart, low skill construction day labors, or better yet get one of those jobs which gets classified as in the human trafficking industry...all of these jobs pay subsistence wages (i.e.., 300 baht or less per day)...or self-employment selling something which earns a daily subsistence profit because you couldn't find a job anywhere else.

Most unemployed in Thailand don't even identify their unemployment to the govt because they know it won't get them a job or pay much if any benefits. So, of course Thailand has a low unemployment rate...easily to have low unemployment like this. The govt has floated several proposals over the years about switching to electronic ticket buying since the govt would continue to get their lottery sales money when goes into the general treasury, but each proposal has quickly died in the uproar by the disabled/poor...I expect the same thing to happen this time after some minor administrative/facade changes are made.

[Nuddy]

I saw in another article on TV that there were some 90000+ persons selling the lottery tickets.

Whilst I dislike the corrupted system where the price is higher than 80 baht and some fat cats are raking in the dosh for nothing, I would hate to see that number of ticket sellers put out of gainful employment.

[khunken]

Other than some administrative and facade changes that will hopefully reduce probable corruption in the tickets distribution which ups the price from the 80 baht designated price to 90 to 110 baht, I really don't see any change in how tickets are sold...that is, primarily by the disabled and poor because it provides a lively-hood for so many people....going to online ticket sales would take that way of earning a living away from those folks which would cause a outcry from the affected folks and many in the general population. Plus, I think many consider the current method of ticket sales by soi vendors as a traditional way they don't want to give up to technology.

I have to disagree - I know of someone who joined the distribution clan and had to give it up because she was robbed twice in 6 months - she had to borrow the money to get started and ended up losing everything - it is a crime ridden system at every level and needs serious modernisation - it's going to happen why not now

The money made from the lottery can be put to many good uses for everyone including the poor and various charities - it needs to happe

Are you saying because some ticket vendors get robbed (which is a occupation hazard of any vender selling anything) the lottery tickets shouldn't be sold by the disabled and poor to make a lively-hood? Instead only sold online or out of machines say at 7-11 maybe? Well, if so, that sure would work but it wouldn't do a thing for the tens of thousands of disabled/poor making a living from selling the tickets.

have you actually worked out the value in tickets that these people are carrying around

and you are saying this in a country that can waste almost up to 800 billion baht on a rice scheme amongst other things

I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with you - and may I also say that I have seen very few (if any) disabled people selling lottery tickets in the 10 years I have lived here - any I have encountered are far from disabled but are still at risk of being robbed

so I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree on this

Time for change and the current sellers can get employment elsewhere - Thailand is not short of jobs as we have seen very clearly the last couple of months

Like Pib I have encountered and bought lottery tickets from disabled people. I go out of my way to buy from them & not the bigger market lottery ticket sellers.

The disabled here are treated like they have infectious diseases, can't get a job, so they have to have something to earn a few satang.

Put them out of a job and all you're doing is condemning them to begging and there's too many beggars on the streets already.

Technology is a wonderful thing - sometimes - but in weighing the balance between the many thousands of lottery sellers and machines (that some crony will benefit from installing), I fully support the ticket sellers.