Despite the official ban on gambling, Thais are still big gamblers. Over 250 billion baht worth of lottery tickets are purchased each year by Thais. Among them, one in four women play regularly.
The Government Lottery Office (GLO) manages Thailand’s national lottery. The lottery is drawn twice a month. The first prize is six million baht, while the third prize is three million baht. หวยนกตาทิพย์ has a bonus prize of 30 million baht.
หวยนกตาทิพย์ come in pairs. The numbers are printed on special paper with two different silk threads. One silk thread is visible with the naked eye, while the other silk thread only comes through under ultraviolet light.
Tickets are sold by brokers and retailers. They are sold through a network of over 14,700 authorized retail venues. Some of these tickets are sold by unofficial Thai lottery agencies, which offer punters better chances of winning. Despite the popularity of these tickets, these agencies are illegal.
Ticket sellers often overprice tickets. The government has introduced a cap on ticket prices. This was introduced in June. In addition, the government plans to computerize lottery services.
All Thai lottery prizes are subject to stamp duty. The winner must present the winning ticket and a valid passport to claim the prize. The government charges a stamp duty of 0.5% on every lottery prize won. All winnings must be claimed within two years from the draw date.
Thai lottery tickets are printed on special chemical paper. There are also two prizes of two million baht each.
