Small lottery vendors protest against higher wholesale price

[Lite Beer]

Small lottery vendors protest against higher wholesale price
Supachai Sinprasert,
Surasit Sinprasert,
Boonleun Promprathankul
The Nation

Soldiers talk to lottery vendors who took to the streets in front of the Government Lottery Office in Nonthaburi yesterday to protest against wholesalers

BANGKOK: -- More than 300 lottery vendors blocked a road in Nonthaburi province yesterday to protest against the high wholesale price for lottery tickets.

They said that wholesalers were now demanding Bt83 per ticket pair instead of the usual Bt73.

With the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) requiring that each pair of lottery tickets cost end consumers no more than Bt90, small-scale vendors have decided to take their grievance to the streets.

As soon as the protesters began blocking the road, police and soldiers rushed in to break up the rally. Later, officials helped mediate negotiations between the wholesalers and lottery vendors.

The wholesale price eventually agreed upon was Bt80, as wholesalers said they too had to pay high prices. The protesters peacefully dispersed after the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Ranong Governor Cherdsak Jampathes yesterday explained that lotteries were often overpriced because many authorised agents did not sell tickets directly to end consumers.

"They sell them to small-scale vendors, who then add something extra for their own profit."

He said there were now about 85 lottery vendors in his province and many were migrants.

"According to regulations, authorised agents must sell lotteries to end consumers, not resellers," Cherdsak said, adding that he would crack down on vendors who do not comply with the rules.

He said he wanted Ranong to be the first province where lottery overpricing is eradicated.

"Vendors who violate this will face legal action," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Small-lottery-vendors-protest-against-higher-whole-30239509.html

-- The Nation 2014-07-26

[ukrules]

There's a simple solution to this. Just sell the tickets directly to the people who do the real work selling them across the country.

Cut out the middle men. This is corruption, price fixing and gouging all rolled into one. Exactly the kind of thing the NCPO are working to reduce.

Edited July 25, 2014 by ukrules

[Chang_paarp]

There's a simple solution to this. Just sell the tickets directly to the people who do the real work selling them across the country.

Cut out the middle men. This is corruption, price fixing and gouging all rolled into one. Exactly the kind of thing the NCPO are working to reduce.

Unfortunately to do this they would have to copy a successful foreign model, there are examples all over the world.

Otherwise it is a great idea.

[clockman]

Get rid of the whole not logical, corrupt mess. And start again. Everywhere else in the world. It works. Why not Thailand?

[inzman]

It seems corruption is a part of every scheme in this country. It is very hard to control, since at the top of every scheme sits a mr. Big.

[Utley]

"wholesalers said they too had to pay high prices"

Why did the price of the lottery tickets to the wholesalers go up since they purchase them from the government? Did the government raise the price?

[lostsoul49]

Get rid of the whole not logical, corrupt mess. And start again. Everywhere else in the world. It works. Why not Thailand?

Probably because they couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The NCPO must have considered introducing point of sale ticket terminals yet there has been no mention of this. A company was contracted some years ago and machines imported but the project was cancelled. Yes, some of the resellers are disabled people who rely on sales to make a living but most are able bodied so arguing that people would lose their jobs is not valid especially as they are, technically, breaking the law. The whole scheme is riddled with corruption and to be clean and transparent needs to be completely revised.

Existing in parallel is the underground (not very!) Black lottery which is more popular and, we are told, turns over more money than the state controlled scheme.

[hanuman2543]

How about when all Thais boycott the Government lottery for a month? Then the cartel will crack. But there is no solidarity between Thais and that is the main reason why it is so easy to take them for a ride over and over again.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ XA using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KIWIBATCH]

Am I miss something here......."Each pair of lottery tickets should not cost more than 90b" .....pair = 2 right?

So I pay 80b/90b/100b (whatever) and get 2 tickets ??

[HUAHIN62]

The NCPO must have considered introducing point of sale ticket terminals yet there has been no mention of this. A company was contracted some years ago and machines imported but the project was cancelled. Yes, some of the resellers are disabled people who rely on sales to make a living but most are able bodied so arguing that people would lose their jobs is not valid especially as they are, technically, breaking the law. The whole scheme is riddled with corruption and to be clean and transparent needs to be completely revised.

Existing in parallel is the underground (not very!) Black lottery which is more popular and, we are told, turns over more money than the state controlled scheme.

The corruption is only at the top. The GLO sell to the 5 tigers (which now is only 3) and they sell it on to wholesalers etc etc. The question is why they sell to the 5 tigers? If they want to cut out corruption cut out the 5 tigers, but then again it may hurt important rich people and that cant be allowed to happen. So instead lets put the squeeze on the poor retailers as they dont have any influence and no voice. Nothing has changed, same same.

[nong38]

Find a suitable foreign model, there are plenty about, then sell them through authorised places, like BIG C or 7-11. The current system of helping to find work for disabled persons clearly does not benefit them or the public, only the murky people in the shadows are getting their palms greased, looks like a job for the General, but not number one on the agenda, a bit of delegation required then.

Edited July 26, 2014 by nong38

[chickenslegs]

Am I miss something here......."Each pair of lottery tickets should not cost more than 90b" .....pair = 2 right?

So I pay 80b/90b/100b (whatever) and get 2 tickets ??

Yes, you get 2 tickets.

[smedly]

The problem is because the whole thing is a manual operation and every one wants a cut from top to bottom

As I stated before on TVF

Automate the whole thing with a network of machines in local stores 7/11 and family marts and put an end to this nonsense once and for all, the technology/infrastructure is available across the whole country and probably wasn't when this system was dreamed up

Also overhaul the method used to do the draw and make a live TV show every Saturday night for an hour, it is going to happen eventually - time to get the ball rolling, proceeds from the lottery for the first year can pay for the upgrade then use the money to support public charities and other good causes like they do in the west

Time for change

[Hawk]

Unfortunately the Thai elite hate changes.

[CharlieH]

Post removed.

11) Do not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[WitawatWatawit]

Kiwibatch, don't say anything to anyone, but chickenslegs has just given younthe next wnning numbers.

[54321]

So hand the comission over to the big retailers. great idea!

Find a suitable foreign model, there are plenty about, then sell them through authorised places, like BIG C or 7-11. The current system of helping to find work for disabled persons clearly does not benefit them or the public, only the murky people in the shadows are getting their palms greased, looks like a job for the General, but not number one on the agenda, a bit of delegation required then.

[FangFerang]

There are three large companies who buy lottery tickets and resell them. The corruption is real because -- the tickets must be paid for up front. This is indoctrinated corruption becuase the three big companies are military owned, in part or in toto, and few could afford such expenditures.

Worse, the Big companies that buy the tickets have no accountability -- and are literally winning the lottery. The resellers are given tickets piece meal.

There is no public drawing, no accountability. The whole operation is like Oz and goes on behind the curtain. The revenue from this makes the rice pledging scheme look like a piece of candy beside a sugar cane plantation.

I give the junta an F minus on this altogether. Instead of straightening it out, they are claiming 'migrants' are resellers and such.... red herrings, obfuscation and outright lies. Where is the yellow brigade's comments on this?

No where to be seen.

Edited July 26, 2014 by FangFerang