Today's the day when the country comes to a grinding halt around 3PM with the draw of lottery numbers. For the past 2 weeks, dreams are interpreted, animals are investigated, license plates are noted, and unusual sighting are studied.....all to reveal the winning number of today's lottery draw. Years ago, when I did a lot of banking at the Bangkok Bank, I remember several times when the tellers' mobile phones would begin ringing and conversations would reveal the lucky number.....all in the middle of conducting regular banking business.
A few days ago, there was a ruckus alongside the village temple....where boys had uncovered a 7' ish tall termite pile. Villagers hurried to the location with a plentiful supply of incense, candles, and baby powder.....all in hopes that the pile would today's number.
And so today, fully 2 hours before the number will be revealed to the masses, a bevy of well-paid authorities are sitting at their stations waiting to witness the procession of 6 vestal virgins to draw and reveal the lucky numbers. I'd guess easily a hundred officials are involved......but likely many more. Never mind, hardly a year or two go by that another lottery scandal is revealed.....sticky balls, corrupt officials, altered machines......you name it, they've done it and they'll probably do it again.
It makes me think of how Texas reveals their lottery number draws......a 30 second or so break in the evening news where the number is announced. No drama, no procession of Texas Cowboy cheerleaders, no machines......nothing except the winning number.
Meanwhile, in a few days, diners will turn away from their bowls of noodle soup to meditate on a small board of lottery tickets, transfixed on the numbers, trying to find the dream number.....and of course, one above and one below, just in case.
I'd guess most everyone has a Thai lottery story to tell....certainly most every Thai does!