Win or lose, gold rush in Thailand
jacket photo / Shutterstock.com
Fortunately, Charly's life is full of pleasant surprises (unfortunately sometimes also less pleasant ones). Until a few years ago, he would never have dared to predict that he would spend the rest of his life in Thailand. However, he has now been living in Thailand for a while and in recent years close to Udonthani. Today: win or lose in Thailand.
Win or lose, gold rush in Thailand
Gambling is forbidden in Thailand, but despite that I don't know of any people other than the English who are as addicted to gambling as the Thai. It must have something to do with the fact that gambling is prohibited. People like to do things they shouldn't. There are two exceptions to the gambling ban. The National Thai State Lottery and Horse Racing. Both activities are legal.
The Thai State Lottery alone encourages almost all Thai people to play. This event takes place twice a month. On the first and sixteenth of the month. The draw can be followed live on Thai television! After each draw, all Thais are eagerly awaiting the next draw.
There are quite a few state lottery sellers who try to earn money from this lottery twice a month. You know them. If you sit on a terrace somewhere, they pass by with a briefcase in front of them. They open the briefcase and show the lottery tickets that have not yet been sold. When I'm at Good Corner or daSofia, at least ten salespeople pass by in the space of two hours. Especially as the day of the draw approaches.
For me, the still available numbers are not that important. I'll pick one or more and see if those numbers pay off. How different is this with the Thai. They all have songs in their heads that they absolutely want to play. The number of their car or motorbike, the day a loved one died, the day someone had a car accident, their son's wedding day, the number they were advised by a monk, etc. And they all have the firm conviction that the number they chose is the winning number.
Sometimes I also buy a few lottery tickets. Every time, the discussion about the price of a lottery ticket arises, started by me. Officially, that price is 80 baht per lot. Years ago I sometimes came across that price, but nowadays it is 100 baht everywhere in Udon, even in the Central Plaza shopping mall. During the draw, live on Thai TV around 15.30 pm, it is dead quiet in the streets. Apparently everyone is sitting in front of the box to see if they have won. If I hear a lot of cheering somewhere during the draw, then I know for sure that there has been a prize.
In addition to the legal Thai State Lottery, there are a number of illegal lotteries. For example, there are illegal versions of the Thai State Lottery. The bet is lower, but so is the possible payout. There are also illegal lotteries in Laos that can be played. In Udon I have not noticed any illegal lotteries in Laos, but the sellers will undoubtedly be there.
However, if you come even further to the north and especially more to the northeast of Isaan, mainly in the smaller villages, the lottery sellers will visit you on motorbikes to sell the lottery tickets. If you have won something, they will also bring the amount won to your home the next day.
Casinos are not allowed in Thailand. Cambodia and Malaysia don't mind at all. Casinos are allowed there and the Thai know where to find those casinos. Minibuses run from places like Pattaya that pick up interested Thai casino goers and take them to the casino in Cambodia.
It is not for nothing that the Thai government is slowly but surely realizing that legalizing casinos could be very attractive. Like all governments, the Thai government is also out to rake in as much money as possible. The illegal casinos are a thorn in their side. Not only do they sometimes try to force those illegal casinos to close (depending on who owns it!) but they would rather see the amounts lost there end up in their own legal casinos.
Certainly the hiso-Thai would like to spend their money in Thai casinos. For some tourists it could also mean a welcome extra to go on holiday to Thailand. Legitimate casinos are glittering palaces without exception, and who wouldn't want to be a part of that. And take lots of pictures so that everyone can see the luxury you live in.
Where do the average Thai get the money to gamble? Well, they have little or no money. But if drinks have to be bought or tickets for a lottery, many simply do so on credit. After all, they bought the winning lottery tickets. In case of losses, gold jewelry is thrown into the battle, which must serve as collateral for the next draw or as payment of the outstanding jackpot amount.
A second exception to the gambling ban concerns horse racing. Gambling on horse races is legal in Thailand. I found this out by accident recently. When I still lived in the Netherlands I regularly went to the trotting center Duindigt in The Hague / Wassenaar. I have experienced times there when the whole of Duindigt was packed with visitors at the Derby der Lage Landen. The equestrian sport in the Netherlands has now fallen into decline. Only the course in Drachten has been completely refurbished and up-to-date with French money.
Duindigt is completely depraved. The horse stables and the grandstands are, so to speak, about to collapse. On most match days there are no more than two hundred spectators. Mostly owners with their boyfriends, staff, caretakers, illegal bookmakers and brats with their hookers.
The only horse races that do reasonably well in the Netherlands are the so-called short track races. The pikeur sits on the sulky, behind the horse. They are sprint competitions, over a maximum of 300 metres, that are held in the street, often as part of an attraction week in a village, with fairgrounds, horse days and therefore also a short track competition. In a short course competition, two horses run against each other every time. The winner moves on to the next round, etc. If anyone wants to know more, send me an email and I'll be happy to explain.
Discovered by chance that there are also horse races in Udon, where legal gambling is possible. The track is at Intergames Park, just outside the town of Udon. Take the highway from Udon to Sakon Nakhon. After about 3-4 kilometers you have to take a u-turn to the other side of the road and then turn left towards the track. The exit is not indicated, at least I have not seen it. Toey had been to Intergames Park about ten years ago, and therefore managed to find the exit after completely missing that exit. Address: 333 Udon-Sakon road, 41000 Udon Thani. Parking and entrance is free.
Games are every Saturday from 12.00:17.00 PM to 1.000:1.000 PM. If there is an official Buddha day on a Saturday, the competition day shifts to Sunday. On average, there are roughly 1.400 visitors. Many visitors come from Khon Kaen, Nong Khai and of course from Udon. There are ten races, one every half hour. About eight horses participate in each race. The competitions consist solely of running. The jockey is on the horse. The distances are XNUMX to XNUMX meters. In the Netherlands you have, in addition to a few races, mostly trotteries. In a trotting competition, the pikeur sits on the sulky, behind the horse.
You can buy a “programme booklet” in advance, in which all horses and their jockeys are listed. The park is spacious with lots of greenery. Intergames Park has an oval “sand” course. There is a fairly large grandstand at the finish. The betting counters can be found under the grandstand, as well as a large number of stalls with Thai food and drinks, at very affordable Thai prices. Coffee for example for 20 baht. The betting kiosks are divided into counters for playing with 20 baht and counters for playing with 100 baht. What is striking is that the staff of the betting kiosks speak good English. Opposite the grandstand is a large "scoreboard" on which the quotes of the course to come can be seen.
I got to see some horses up close. Some of those horses showed wide open eyes. This gives me the impression that drug administration in those horses is not an exception.
An afternoon at Intergames Park is simply a great afternoon out. A bit off the beaten track. Even as a non-gambler a pleasant pastime. And don't you like it? No problem. Parking and entrance is free and you can leave at any time. Well, a tip. Don't put your car all the way in front, as close to the entrance as possible. If you then want to leave, there is a chance that your car is locked in. So park a little further away from the entrance. Another remark. The entire complex has no air conditioning. You have to rely on the shade under the grandstand.
Submitted by Charly
Not Drachten Racecourse has been completely refurbished, but Wolvega.
Hans
Dear Hans,
You are absolutely right. I don't know how I came up with the name Drachten. Must be Wolvega of course.
Regards,
Charly
Hans Wolvega has not been refurbished, but has had a new job for years. The old track was in the middle of the village and is now full of houses. It was always fun. I think that drachten has long since lost its racing days.
Dear Charly, The Thai state lottery has often been discussed on Thailand Blog, as well as the requested price for a lottery ticket. From your stories, which I have read so far, I gather that you are a practical bon vivant with the heart in the right place. You don't seem stingy to me at all, rather the opposite. Do not therefore understand that, according to your own words, when you buy a lottery ticket you always start the discussion about the price to be paid. Leads to nothing and in my opinion a waste of time and energy. No one forces you (or me) to purchase a lottery ticket and I would like to grant the reseller a very modest profit on the investment and commitment. Twice a month it is a race against the clock for her/him to sell all the lottery tickets before the drawing hour. Unsold lottery tickets are not exchangeable and then it is also for the seller to wait and see whether he / she has earned anything anyway. Incidentally, in the course of time I have never seen a Thai enter into a discussion about the purchase price of a lottery ticket, which seems to be typically reserved for Western visitors/residents of Thailand.
Dear Leo,
You are absolutely right. I actually only start a discussion as a little bullying. I often add that I'm going to call Prajuth. But nonsense of course. I pay that 100 baht and wish those people that they earn something from it. Most of the sellers / saleswomen here in Udon know me by now and if they like me, they like to come to me.
Regards,
Charly
See many lottery ticket sellers, and therefore also those who sit at the gas pump or ride their bicycles in circles. Most have more than a thousand lottery tickets by default, I have counted them. Well then the calculation 20 baht extra + the standard 5 baht = 25 baht x 1000 lottery tickets x 2x per month = 50.000 baht earnings per month. Yes, poor lottery ticket sellers, but not really. My old neighbor across the street, who has since moved, is also a lottery ticket seller. After arrival of the lots, everything is sorted and prepared, he had staff (family) to help him. Owned several houses and cars.
Dear Ger Korat,
I don't think your math is correct. If that is the case then I suspect that I would not encounter dozens of lottery sellers / saleswomen, but thousands.
Regards,
Charly
The official selling price of lottery tickets is 80 baht. One of the regime's actions was compliance with this price in order to gain confidence because most Thais directly benefit from the official price of 80 baht. My calculation is correct. Yes, there will again be distributors and main buyers who also operate on a national level. Hence the small margins. But for a long time the selling price was maintained at 80 baht and you really didn't see fewer sellers or that sales declined, on the contrary, because many people buy multiple lottery tickets as standard, so at a lower price there is more sales. Now that the price is back to normal, you can assume that the minimum profit is the difference between 100 and 80 baht and then a few more baht official profit margin.
Dear Ger,
I don't think you fully understand. Does not matter. But don't make hopeless attempts to prove yourself right now. You don't have that.
Regards,
Charly
Dear Ger, I know from close by a Thai family who also sold lottery tickets. That calculation of yours (unfortunately) did not work for them. To begin with, like so many lottery vendors in Thailand, they were forced to source their tickets from a local distributor. Of course they also want to earn money from it and as a result they already paid more than the printed price on the lottery ticket. Moreover, they ran the risk that they did not sell all their lottery tickets, so they had to hope that they won a prize themselves with the remaining tickets, which rarely happened given the chance of winning. Because, despite the fact that 3 members of the family were sometimes peddling day and night with the lottery tickets, not enough money came in, they were in any case forced to stop. Your old neighbor is definitely not the prototype of the average lottery ticket seller. Owning several houses and cars can of course also have a different origin. And Charly, apparently I didn't misrepresent you. Hopefully next time you will have a winning lottery ticket in your possession. Good luck!
Hi Leo Th
I can confirm that, my wife also has 3 girlfriends who cycle around with such a lotto box and they really can't buy those lottery tickets for less than 80 Thb. That lotto, like many things in Th, has been awarded to a few big boys, who buy up a lot of lottery tickets and then resell them to intermediaries. They then sell them in smaller parts to the street vendors, who really don't get rich from it, but can make a living from it. If they earn 10 or 15 Thb per lot, it is a lot, because “beloved” numbers are also more expensive for them to buy.
My wife enjoys playing with it and sometimes wins something, but always forgets that she has lost more in advance. And if you win you have friends, rows of real friends.
I usually buy 1 or 2 lottery tickets per draw.
Usually 1 with an older lady in our neighborhood and sometimes a 2nd or 3rd when that man in his wheelchair passes by again. I just give that man some money.
Personally, I think that the government could use the lottery to give the disabled and handicapped an extra income, but as usual most of it ends up somewhere with someone who doesn't need it
Changmai also has a racetrack, on the way to Mae Tim.
Always full house and cozy, can eat well there, sometimes take a chance for 20Bath on place.
But when you see how much people gamble, you think I don't think they're poor.
I like the old Wolvega job more.
Nice to see that there are some horse enthusiasts on thailandblog.
Regards,
Charly
As an addition, Nakhon Ratchasima Korat also has a racecourse. It's always a busy place.
Kind regards, Ben Korat
Yes, a horse lover here too.
Worked as a groom in the showjumpers in my younger years, that aside,
Khon Kaen also has a racecourse with races on Sundays.