You Can Win 2 Million Thai BathTuesday, January 15, 2008
SooNews Staff for SooNews.ca (Canada)
Bangkok, Thailand
He stands on the temple grounds, waiting for his next customers who at the time seem occupied in prayer. Could their prayers be answered with a vision of the luckiest lotto numbers yet?
Being the only form of gambling that is legal in Thailand, "The Lottery" is a very serious sport. That's right, no midnight runs to the casino here. The nearest casino is across the border into Cambodia where casinos are legal. For the Thais who are not willing to travel that far, the paper ticket lottery is the real deal. The numbers are drawn live on national T.V. twice a month.
Tickets are bought from street vendors (agents), which receive the tickets from authorized distributors. These agents often setup tables in a large group in high traffic locations. Other independent vendors set up kiosks in small street markets or often walk the streets with a fold-up display case. Some of these vendors (photo) are visually impaired or may have other disabilities and earn a small income from ticket sales.
A winner goes to the Government Lottery Office to claim a prize. However, because it can be a lengthy wait, many winners pay a small percent to an agent who will endure long hours in the hot sun. There is a tax to be paid by the winners, which amounts to less than 1% of the total prize.
One number is drawn for the top prize of 2,000,000 baht ($69,500 CAD), 5 numbers for 2nd, 10 for 3rd, 50 for 4th, and 100 numbers for fifth prize at 10,000 baht ($350 CAD). A ticket costs 40 baht (approx. $2.50 CAD). One million tickets are printed for each number, which means a million tickets are winners of 2 million baht. There is no splitting of the prize here. Each ticket wins the prize.
In Thailand, a country where it costs about $3 CAD for a half hour taxi ride and less than $2 CAD for a meal in a local eatery, the top prize doesn’t seem all that small.
James Mancuso, a local art instructor in Sault Ste. Marie and operator of SaultSeller.com continues his visit to Thailand.
Being the only form of gambling that is legal in Thailand, "The Lottery" is a very serious sport. That's right, no midnight runs to the casino here. The nearest casino is across the border into Cambodia where casinos are legal. For the Thais who are not willing to travel that far, the paper ticket lottery is the real deal. The numbers are drawn live on national T.V. twice a month.
Tickets are bought from street vendors (agents), which receive the tickets from authorized distributors. These agents often setup tables in a large group in high traffic locations. Other independent vendors set up kiosks in small street markets or often walk the streets with a fold-up display case. Some of these vendors (photo) are visually impaired or may have other disabilities and earn a small income from ticket sales.
A winner goes to the Government Lottery Office to claim a prize. However, because it can be a lengthy wait, many winners pay a small percent to an agent who will endure long hours in the hot sun. There is a tax to be paid by the winners, which amounts to less than 1% of the total prize.
One number is drawn for the top prize of 2,000,000 baht ($69,500 CAD), 5 numbers for 2nd, 10 for 3rd, 50 for 4th, and 100 numbers for fifth prize at 10,000 baht ($350 CAD). A ticket costs 40 baht (approx. $2.50 CAD). One million tickets are printed for each number, which means a million tickets are winners of 2 million baht. There is no splitting of the prize here. Each ticket wins the prize.
In Thailand, a country where it costs about $3 CAD for a half hour taxi ride and less than $2 CAD for a meal in a local eatery, the top prize doesn’t seem all that small.
James Mancuso, a local art instructor in Sault Ste. Marie and operator of SaultSeller.com continues his visit to Thailand.
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