Millions of Thais play the bi-weekly government lottery, but few realise that if they cannot prove ownership of a winning ticket, they could lose a fortune.
Failing to take simple precautions, like writing your name on the back of the ticket, leaves winners at risk of having their jackpot stolen – as Sayan Dokmai found to her cost recently.
Not-so-friendly neighbour
Sayan, a 54-year-old woman from Sukhothai, is a regular lottery buyer. Ahead of the June 1 draw, she ordered three tickets from a local vendor and picked them up on the day the numbers were drawn. Lacking the knowledge to check the results by smartphone, she turned to her trusted neighbour, Waeo, for help.
After checking the numbers online, Waeo hugged Sayan and told her that one of the tickets had won the 6-million-baht jackpot. She then suggested that Sayan leave the tickets with her overnight for safekeeping and promised to accompany her the following morning to claim the winnings.
However, the next day, Waeo and her husband Dej changed their story. They said they had checked the “winning” ticket and discovered it had missed the jackpot by just one digit. Waeo then refused to return the ticket, claiming she had thrown it in the trash.
Refusing to believe her neighbour’s story, Sayan returned to the lottery vendor to double-check. The vendor confirmed that one of Sayan’s tickets was indeed the jackpot winner, backing up the claim with a photograph of the receipt stubs. The vendor also remembered selling the same combination to Sayan.
Sayan immediately lodged a complaint at Sawankhalok Police Station, which summoned the suspects for questioning. After intense interrogation, Dej finally confessed to having stolen the winning ticket. However, he claimed to have burned the ticket to destroy evidence after panicking when the case went viral on social media.
The couple has since been charged with theft and destroying another person’s assets. They face heavy fines and significant prison time if convicted.
Sayan, meanwhile, faces the gruelling legal process of proving to the Government Lottery Office (GLO) that she is the rightful owner of the winning ticket, despite having no physical evidence to back her claim. If she wins the case, she will finally be allowed to collect the life-changing prize.
Saga of the 30-million-baht win
Though distressing, Sayan’s case pales in comparison to the battle over a 30-million-baht jackpot a decade ago.
In early November 2017, a 62-year-old retired police officer named Charoon Wimol redeemed his winning tickets and deposited the 30-million-baht jackpot in his bank account. Trouble began soon after, when a teacher, Preecha Kraikruan, claimed the winning tickets actually belonged to him.
Preecha took Charoon to court, claiming he had accidentally dropped the tickets at a local market and the retired policemen had picked them up.
Preecha’s claim was backed by his regular lottery vendors, who testified for him in court.
Charoon’s bank account was frozen as the bitter dispute dragged through the courts for years. Finally, in June 2022, the Supreme Court cleared Charoon of all charges and ruled that Preecha had no claim to the money.
With his name cleared, Charoon countersued Preecha for perjury and filing false charges. In early 2024, Preecha was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison. The courts also handed down prison sentences to the colluding lottery vendors. The battle finally came to an end early this year, when Preecha was ordered to pay 1.7 million baht in damages to Charoon.
Advice for lottery buyers
To avoid similar disputes, the GLO and legal authorities advise lottery buyers to photograph both the front and back of their tickets as proof of purchase. They are also advised to write their name and phone number on the back of the ticket immediately after buying it. And if a ticket goes missing or is suspected stolen, buyers should file a police report right away and notify the GLO to freeze any payouts to unauthorised individuals.
