Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes

[webfact]

Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes
STAFF WRITER


Featured image source: via Philip Roeland

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Lottery is one of just two forms of legal gambling in the Land of Smiles, the other being horse racing in Bangkok.

It takes place twice per month, on the 1st and 16th, and is played by over 19 million Thais; a whopping 28.6% of the native population.

The street vendor carting around a brown wooden box full of lotto tickets strapped to a bicycle is an image synonymous with Thai street trade.

But despite the popularity of the Thai lottery, these traders face a battle to make ends meet. A battle many traders are losing.

When Thailand’s military government took power in May 2014, lottery reform was one of many topics on their agenda.

All Thai lottery tickets are sold in pairs with the same numbers repeated, meaning that any prize you win is effectively doubled.

A standard lottery ticket pair was supposed to cost ฿80, but you’d have been searching a long time to find one at the retail rate with many being hawked for as high as ฿120.

From last summer, it was mandated that the price of a ticket pair be capped at ฿80, with fines threatened against any vendors caught inflating prices.

The concept of a lottery ticket with a variable price may be foreign to some, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to those living in Thailand.

Here, the most basic market goods are subject to negotiation. A lottery ticket sold on the street was no different.

The going rate for a pair used to be ฿100 outside major supermarkets.

A street vendor might try for ฿110-120 baht.

The famous Thai superstition was monetised with premium prices demanded for tickets that contained what the locals might consider to be ‘lucky numbers’.

In turn, the tickets that contained ‘unlucky numbers’ would be subject to a discount. Perhaps ฿85-90 baht. A rare slashing at the coffers to get cursed numbers out of the brown suitcase.

Indeed, for many years, the best chance a foreigner had of catching a fair lottery price was to pursue tickets with numbers that an ordinary Thai wouldn’t touch with a barge pole.

The number superstition continues today, even after the crackdown; just without the mark-ups in price.

How Thais Choose Lottery Numbers

It is often said in Thai culture that tragedy precedes good fortune. [read more...]

Full story: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/thai-lottery-how-it-works-lucky-numbers-and-prizes/

-- (c) What's on Sukhumvit 2016-04-14

[ezzra]

I'd much rather play the Aussie Tattslotto on-line where one can win several to many millions of dollars

fro the same about of money here, albeit the odds to win are grater here, but there's no monkey

business in Australia.....

[thai3]

Must be the worst value lottery in the world and the worst organised. You cannot pick your numbers if you cannot find them, the only way to be sure of that is the illegal lottery.

Edited April 14, 2016 by thai3

[stereolab]

Must be the worst value lottery n the world

Lucky numbers should not exist in any properly run lottery.

It is about time Tesco, 7/11, Big C et al had lottery machines installed and the locals could buy their "lucky" numbers, to their hearts content.Petrol stations would also be a good location. Does anyone have the actual income and expenditure figures for a recent draw, or is that a secret?

[Inn Between]

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

Edited April 14, 2016 by Inn Between

[phoenixdoglover]

Lotteries Everywhere, How They Work:

By preying on superstitions of those who can least afford to lose money, lotteries take in more money than they pay out.

State sponsored con game.

Edited April 14, 2016 by phoenixdoglover

[topt]

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

So you think your criticism is justified - did you even bother to open the link where there is a very full explanation of most, if not all the questions you asked...........

Edit - the people who liked your post are equally guilty.........

Edited April 14, 2016 by topt

[nuananddon]

I never did understand a lottery where you couldn't pick your own numbers, lucky or not. With pre-printed numbers they must know the winning number before the draw. How come with the real big lotteries in other countries there are roll overs for many weeks before someone matches the winner and a hell of a lot more tickets are sold there then here? Could there be a little graft going on?

[mushroomdave]

I agree with Stereolab. They should install machines and do what they did here in Taiwan many years ago. They don't have them in 7-11's / stores etc. but have their own kiosks. The best thing the government did though was only allow the disabled to own the lottery machines/kiosks/shops and are checked on regularly to make sure they are the only people operating them (after a few problems at the start many years ago). I pick my own #'s or do a quick pick on the twice weekly 6/49 which I play every Tuesday & Friday. They have draws daily (pick 3, pick 4 / others) and others twice / thrice weekly. This includes daily sports betting NBA / MLB / NFL / Pro Soccer / local-other Pro Baseball and they love it here with most Kiosks having big screen TV's showing games/reruns. The Thai government/junta is missing out doing it the way they do it now.

[Inn Between]

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

So you think your criticism is justified - did you even bother to open the link where there is a very full explanation of most, if not all the questions you asked...........

Edit - the people who liked your post are equally guilty.

No, I didn't because far too many times there's nothing more to read.

Besides that, the "writer" had ample opportunity to make reference to his chosen title in what's there for us to see but didn't.

He or she could have answered those 3 rudimentary questions very succinctly in the post and then continued on with a focus on pricing regulations if that's what they really wanted to write about, but that didn't happen.

Or the person submitting this could have merely mentioned that we should follow the link to get the the information promised in the title, but that is also missing.

And should we have to read on past what's been posted, looking for a link to actually get the information? Of course not.

No, I am completely justified in my criticism of this shoddy work.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Inn Between

[gchurch259]

May be you should tag on the place that says "The whole story" !!

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Must be the worst value lottery n the world

Lucky numbers should not exist in any properly run lottery.

It is about time Tesco, 7/11, Big C et al had lottery machines installed and the locals could buy their "lucky" numbers, to their hearts content.Petrol stations would also be a good location. Does anyone have the actual income and expenditure figures for a recent draw, or is that a secret?

And you will employ the 100 000 disabled people that sell lottery tickets for income ? This is not a nanny state if they lose the lottery tickets they have no other source of income.

[mushroomdave]

Must be the worst value lottery n the world

Lucky numbers should not exist in any properly run lottery.

It is about time Tesco, 7/11, Big C et al had lottery machines installed and the locals could buy their "lucky" numbers, to their hearts content.Petrol stations would also be a good location. Does anyone have the actual income and expenditure figures for a recent draw, or is that a secret?

And you will employ the 100 000 disabled people that sell lottery tickets for income ? This is not a nanny state if they lose the lottery tickets they have no other source of income.

Well they could give the disabled the licenses to operate kiosks/shops like they did here in Taiwan and it works really well here..........see my post above.

Edited April 14, 2016 by mushroomdave

[clockman]

State run scam.! The worlds worst lottery?

[Inn Between]

May be you should tag on the place that says "The whole story" !!

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

Read post #10.

[smutcakes]

Must be the worst value lottery n the world

Lucky numbers should not exist in any properly run lottery.

It is about time Tesco, 7/11, Big C et al had lottery machines installed and the locals could buy their "lucky" numbers, to their hearts content.Petrol stations would also be a good location. Does anyone have the actual income and expenditure figures for a recent draw, or is that a secret?

No but i have often wondered that. Given the amount of ticket sales, and the paltry pay out presumably some people high up a pocketing an absolute packet of cash twice a month.

Maybe it was not such a suprise it was one of the first and only thing the NCPO got its hands into.

[topt]

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

So you think your criticism is justified - did you even bother to open the link where there is a very full explanation of most, if not all the questions you asked...........

Edit - the people who liked your post are equally guilty.

No, I didn't because far too many times there's nothing more to read.

Besides that, the "writer" had ample opportunity to make reference to his chosen title in what's there for us to see but didn't.

He or she could have answered those 3 rudimentary questions very succinctly in the post and then continued on with a focus on pricing regulations if that's what they really wanted to write about, but that didn't happen.

Or the person submitting this could have merely mentioned that we should follow the link to get the the information promised in the title, but that is also missing.

And should we have to read on past what's been posted, looking for a link to actually get the information? Of course not.

No, I am completely justified in my criticism of this shoddy work.

Just keep on digging........

[novo58]

I personally have never known a LOTTERY where you can pick your own number.

Now ....a lotto or keno type game - yes you pick your numbers lets say 6 from 40 , or 6 from 45 etc.

But a true lottery consists of tickets with the number from 1 to a maximum numbered ticket ( the thai lottery is 999999) which forms the lottery set. IN some countries it is ONLY when the lottery set is fully sold that a draw occurs. In Thailand they sell multiple sets in the same draw, this is how 19 million ( as stated) people can "play" in the same draw. IN this way it is possible that some " winning " tickets may NOT have been sold-----( but I have always imagined that the vendor then gets to claim that prize but I dont know for fact, as the vendor has purchased the ticket from the wholesaler so is therefore the owner of the ticket if they dont on sell it ).

The game most posts seem to refer to is a lotto( keno) style game where you chose ( for example) 6 numbers between 1 and ( lets say) 45 and the prize depends on how many of those numbers you have selected( matched).These are 2 ENTIRELY different games.

The odds of getting a prize in the Thai lottery are far greater than in a lotto(keno) style game.....but the prizes are also a lot less.

As they say .....you gotta be in it to win it

and

no-one ever makes you buy a ticket ,so if you think it is rigged just move on and worry about something else.

[Inn Between]

"Thai lottery: How it works, lucky numbers and prizes"

Let's see...we didn't find out how it works. How long is a the number on a ticket? How many digits do you need, to win, etc.?

We didn't learn anything about the prizes or payout structure. How much can you win?

We didn't find out what numbers Thais consider lucky, so perhaps we can choose nice little gifts for Thai acquaintances rather than buying the unlucky numbers

Actually, this was really about price control by the junta coup gov't, but with a strange and very misleading title. There seem to be so many very ill-equipped "journalists" in this country.

( I suspect this post won't last long -- TVF hates any criticism regardless of how justified it is.)

So you think your criticism is justified - did you even bother to open the link where there is a very full explanation of most, if not all the questions you asked...........

Edit - the people who liked your post are equally guilty.

No, I didn't because far too many times there's nothing more to read.

Besides that, the "writer" had ample opportunity to make reference to his chosen title in what's there for us to see but didn't.

He or she could have answered those 3 rudimentary questions very succinctly in the post and then continued on with a focus on pricing regulations if that's what they really wanted to write about, but that didn't happen.

Or the person submitting this could have merely mentioned that we should follow the link to get the the information promised in the title, but that is also missing.

And should we have to read on past what's been posted, looking for a link to actually get the information? Of course not.

No, I am completely justified in my criticism of this shoddy work.

Just keep on digging........

And yet another thoughtful and meaningful post from you.

Attaboy topt, don't worry, some day you'll actually post something worthy of reading. Just keep at it.

[novo58]

@ Inn Between....................

And just maybe eventually TVF members will learn to click on links to read the WHOLE STORY ....before committing their fingers to the keyborard.

Anyone who relies simply on a sensationalist headline for their information, without reading the complete story is simply going to make a fool of themselves.

EVERYTHING that you questioned is available in the actual article if you had bothered to look and read.

[wabothai]

it works simple, impose taxes on yourself.

[Inn Between]

@ Inn Between....................

And just maybe eventually TVF members will learn to click on links to read the WHOLE STORY ....before committing their fingers to the keyborard.

Anyone who relies simply on a sensationalist headline for their information, without reading the complete story is simply going to make a fool of themselves.

EVERYTHING that you questioned is available in the actual article if you had bothered to look and read.

Sure, that's fine, and I'm not going to say anything more on the subject other than my point is that something pertaining to the topic should have been stated in what was quite a lengthy post. I just don't think it's good "journalism" to read a fairly long post (over 300 words I figure) and see nothing of the topic mentioned.

That's it, that's all -- nothing more.

----- 30 -----

EDIT: I'm going to have to make fibber out of myself by adding one last thought. It just occurred to me that this "news item" is being credited to a Thaivisa Forum staff writer. So, it's a piece written for Thaivisa Forum by Thaivisa Forum, so what sense does it make to have to go to another site to get the information promised in the title?

Edited April 14, 2016 by Inn Between

[GreasyFingers]

I'd much rather play the Aussie Tattslotto on-line where one can win several to many millions of dollars

fro the same about of money here, albeit the odds to win are grater here, but there's no monkey

business in Australia.....

Statistically I have as much chance of winning as you even though I never buy a ticket.

[SOTIRIOS]

...the distributors that buy them up...by any means possible make all the money....which is not even mentioned in the article...

...so what is your point.....

[khunPer]

Superstition..?
I just hold my hands over the brown case with the lottery coupons, then I can fell if the 1st price number is there.

I learned that trick from a spiritual friend – healer and ghost hunter in his spare time – who worked in the Danish tax revenue department; and they are tough. He was controlling if companies were paying the right amount – rather, enough – value added tax, and he had the best results of all the controllers; never came to a company without finding extra revenue in their books. He told me, that his secretary every morning would bring a stack of folders with potential "clients". He would take one folder at the time from the top of the pile, put it on his desktop, place his hands over it and spiritually feel if something was wrong. He would then place it in one of three stacks; one for nothing to come after; one with there is something, but not enough worth spending time for a check-up; and the last would contain the "big money". When he got enough in the last pile for a day's work, he would stop and together with his assistant go-after-the-money.

If you are Dane and company owner, just relax, he retired two years ago...

Unfortunately I have till date not felt the 3 million baht set...

Edited April 14, 2016 by khunPer

[Thakkar]

I personally have never known a LOTTERY where you can pick your own number.

Now ....a lotto or keno type game - yes you pick your numbers lets say 6 from 40 , or 6 from 45 etc.

But a true lottery consists of tickets with the number from 1 to a maximum numbered ticket ( the thai lottery is 999999) which forms the lottery set. IN some countries it is ONLY when the lottery set is fully sold that a draw occurs. In Thailand they sell multiple sets in the same draw, this is how 19 million ( as stated) people can "play" in the same draw. IN this way it is possible that some " winning " tickets may NOT have been sold-----( but I have always imagined that the vendor then gets to claim that prize but I dont know for fact, as the vendor has purchased the ticket from the wholesaler so is therefore the owner of the ticket if they dont on sell it ).

The game most posts seem to refer to is a lotto( keno) style game where you chose ( for example) 6 numbers between 1 and ( lets say) 45 and the prize depends on how many of those numbers you have selected( matched).These are 2 ENTIRELY different games.

The odds of getting a prize in the Thai lottery are far greater than in a lotto(keno) style game.....but the prizes are also a lot less.

As they say .....you gotta be in it to win it

and

no-one ever makes you buy a ticket ,so if you think it is rigged just move on and worry about something else.

Why are you letting facts get in the way of a perfectly good conspiracy?

T

[Mickmick]

@ Inn Between....................

----- 30 -----

EDIT: I'm going to have to make fibber out of myself by adding one last thought. It just occurred to me that this "news item" is being credited to a Thaivisa Forum staff writer. So, it's a piece written for Thaivisa Forum by Thaivisa Forum, so what sense does it make to have to go to another site to get the information promised in the title?

Actually, if you read the article it is by a staff writer of whats on Sukhumvit. Perhaps you want TV to just plagiarise complete articles from elsewhere instead of linking and crediting other sources ? Edited April 14, 2016 by Mickmick

[Thian]

Do they cost 100 again now? Then the big general wasted a lot of time .

[HomeinThailand]

^{BINGO!!! errrr.....sorry, wrong game.}