Prayut pledges to solve lottery overpricing in six months

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pledged to solve the lottery overpricing in six months, while at the same time calming the public not to worry about the land and building tax bill.

Speaking on his Friday’s “Returning Happiness to the People” programme last night, Gen Prayut said overpricing of lottery tickets is being solved and will see some fruits in the next six months.

He said the government was determined to keep the ticket price at 80 baht with law amendments that will enable online lottery sale, ending lottery quota systems while reallocating fair distribution of lottery tickets to small vendors, and ending the middlemen in lottery business.

This will see improvements in six months time, he said.

He admitted that lottery draw could not be scrapped as it is also a happiness of low income earners.

But he said his government would try to rid any cause that could use to mark up price to above its 80-baht face value.

On the land and building tax bill, Gen Prayut urged the public not to panic about the bill which he has shelved with assurance that he had no desire to add a burden to people at a time when the economy slows down.

He said the people should not over-react to the issue and become a tool for individuals who might have been spreading ill-intentioned news.

He said there are many who do not wish this government to progress.

While defending the benefits of the bill, he said the tax would go to support local administrations.

He comforted the people that the bill might not survive the National Legislative Assembly after it goes from the cabinet to lawmakers.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/prayut-pledges-to-solve-lottery-overpricing-in-six-months

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-14

Where do they report he winners of the lottery? National newspapers?

then why in pattaya it cost 120 baht for a ticket. maybe that is just falang.

Lord have mercy!!

8 months already + another 6 months to solve something as simple as lottery ticket pricing.

Wonder how many decades (centuries) they need to solve the real problems facing Thailand??

Yes, that sounds about right, it would take six months for him to go round and tap every ticket seller on the shoulder and tell them their prices are too high.

All talk! If it takes this long to solve the lottery problem. What hope of solving more important issues?

I recall the lottery pricing was something he "solved" during his first few weeks. And within a week or 2, it all went tits up and back to the old prices. Now he wants a 2nd go and this time it will take 6 months to put into action.

Announce 80bt for a pair of tickets (why can we not just have one ticket at 40bt) After all he said "it is also a happiness of low income earners.", and have any vendor arrested on the spot and all tickets confiscated, who demands more.

Action needed to solve Thailand's ills -not words!

Problem solved!

Where do they report he winners of the lottery? National newspapers?

After the draw you can buy print-outs of the results for a few baht or you can go to the Government Lottery Office website

http://hopes.glo.or.th/main.php?filename=index___EN

You have to click on the "services" tab at the top (it takes awhile for it to fully load) and "prize payment", then click "check results" and then click on the PDF symbol. "winning number sheet."

then why in pattaya it cost 120 baht for a ticket. maybe that is just falang.

I think it depends partly on where you apply. I've tried several sellers on Pattay Tai and found someone still selling at Baht 110, but I think now it's universally Baht 120. So now I only buy from the guys in wheel chairs since I figure it's about the only way they're going to make any income and I mind less giving them the extra.

Where do they report he winners of the lottery? National newspapers?

Hey, thanks Suradit69 #8. I've been using the site at http://lottery.kapook.com/, but it's in Thai. The government site looks even better. One of those cases where government works better than private enterprise.

IMO - The fact that the PM has been saying this same thing for several months now and nothing has changed must mean that some pretty heavy hitters must be the ones profiting from the inflated prices.

And Thaksin promised to solve Bangkok's traffic problems in 6 months, and we all know how well that did work out. Hopefully one day this country will get a leader who tries to solve some more urgent problems.

Gen Prayut said overpricing of lottery tickets is being solved and will see some fruits in the next six months.

If it is fixed then why it needs another 12 draws before we will see the result?

More window dressing fro General happiness.

Hope he does a better job of it this time! even the sellers were laughing at him when I asked them about the set price last attempt !!!!!

When he first came to power, he told all the sellers they must sell at 80B. A few around us did, for all of a week then back up to 90-110B.

A few years ago, they tried to turn it into a proper lottery where you bought fixed price tickets at 7/11 etc, same thing we have in UK, but there was such an outcry from the little sellers and the mafia who control it all, it came to nothing.

Im not saying this is an important issue to fix, but it is a complicated one !!

Then again, 'happiness of the low income earmers' ??? like all lotteries, its a tax on the low income earners !!

6 months to solve a pricing problem...I'd like to know what the obstacles are

'Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pledged to solve the lottery overpricing in six months ...' A leaf out of Thaksin's book: every promised solution came with a six month timescale.

Overpricing issue solved, next will be gambling addict issue.

Maybe the PM will be successful on his second try on reducing lottery ticket cost...didn't work out so well on the first try about six months ago. Keep on trying....

Why don't they franchise the lottery to an independent organization such as Camelot in the UK. This lottery makes billions and no one knows to who receives it. What is clear is that it is not distributed back to the people as it should be. Who ever wins the franchise should be made to invest in state of the art machinery that is available for all local level outlets such as 7/11, Tesco, Big C, Macro, Family mart, etc etc and also smaller business who have secure facilities. These need to be linked to a national lottery HQ who conduct the live draw and disclose the income generated for that draw. What is apparent is the reluctance for this country to do this because once the true figures are exposed and the people realize that the Lottery has been paying out literally less than 5% of what it takes there will be uproar. Thailand can easily afford to make this lottery legitimate and transparent. No way could they explain a jackpot suddenly jumping from 10 million baht to 100 million baht overnight.

This is a man of the people

The general wants people to like him. However his constant appearances are like reassurances to the people of Thailand, without any great promises being given.

They are not spending money and now don't want to collect tax's but feel it necessary to let people feel empowered by the 'chance' of winning a lottery fortune?

6 months to solve a pricing problem...I'd like to know what the obstacles are

General Thainess?

Where do they report he winners of the lottery? National newspapers?

1. You can watch it on Thai TV

2. On line ck

3. Flyer at news stand following day.

4. Ask your GF

A top priority project. Thailand has no real problems that need attention.

"He admitted that lottery draw could not be scrapped as it is also a happiness of low income earners."

Raising their wages would make them happier.

6 months to solve a pricing problem...I'd like to know what the obstacles are

General Thainess?

Which ministry is he at?

When he first came to power, he told all the sellers they must sell at 80B. A few around us did, for all of a week then back up to 90-110B.

A few years ago, they tried to turn it into a proper lottery where you bought fixed price tickets at 7/11 etc, same thing we have in UK, but there was such an outcry from the little sellers and the mafia who control it all, it came to nothing.

Im not saying this is an important issue to fix, but it is a complicated one !!

Then again, 'happiness of the low income earmers' ??? like all lotteries, its a tax on the low income earners !!

And like all lotteries it's a voluntary "tax", no-one's forced to pay it.

then why in pattaya it cost 120 baht for a ticket. maybe that is just falang.

Because "now" is not 6 months time. Nothing to do with farangs or locals.

Gen Prayut said overpricing of lottery tickets is being solved and will see some fruits in the next six months.

If it is fixed then why it needs another 12 draws before we will see the result?

More window dressing fro General happiness.

He didn't say it was fixed, he said it was being fixed. The delay is due to waiting for the contracts of the existing distributors to expire in June after which the government will have more control over prices.

6 months to solve a pricing problem...I'd like to know what the obstacles are

Contracts given to distributors are the problem until they expire.