Dreaming of the good life

The first phenomenon is the underground lottery in Thailand. Results are released twice a month, based directly on the government lottery results.

One hot afternoon recently in the northern province of Nan, an underground lottery player attentively watched TV at home as the government lottery results were broadcast live.

A food vendor at a stall nearby also listened to the results on her radio.

At a small salon, the owner was also near her radio.

Right after the biggest result was announced, they all chatted about the result. 

The salon owner showed me a book that gives clues to what numbers will win in each round. She said every two months, she wins a prize by buying the numbers suggested in the book. In each round, 10 series of numbers are suggested. In each round, she spends about Bt2,000. That’s a lot given that she charges only Bt60 for hair washing. If she’s lucky, by buying the right three-digit number for Bt20, she will win Bt12,000. In this round, she lost. She was a bit moody but seemed determined to sharpen her number-crunching skills for the next round. 

Heightening the salon owner’s disappointment was the sweltering heat. She definitely needs an air-conditioner for her salon, which should help draw more clients.

She is just one of millions of Thais who regularly buy underground lottery tickets, in the hope of getting rich quick. 

And Thais are not unique in this regard. As if to confirm that millions of Thais buy underground lottery tickets, on that day a TV commercial for AIS’s lottery results service was rerun several times.  

Lotteries in the US and elsewhere in the world also draw a huge number of patrons. An Internet search on “Lotto US” ends up with over 27 million results. 

The Mega Millions lottery in the US, with its 311 million population, requires the matching of all five numbers. Awards pile up if there is no match in the previous draw. In March last year, the lottery made headlines as no gambler had matched all five numbers for 18 draws, allowing the lucky winner to collect half a billion dollars in the March draw. 

It might be difficult for rich people to fathom the lotto buyers’ mind, to find the reason for their addiction. Well, such people earn little by selling meals for Bt30 or spending months growing rice. To people whose savings accounts contain less than Bt100,000, it is absurd to read in newspapers that the country’s richest man spends nearly Bt200 billion to acquire a cash-and-carry wholesale chain, or some celebrity pays Bt1 million for a charity dinner.

Winning the lottery, to them, is to get rich quick in return for a regular small investment. Headlines about poor people who win Bt10 million in the government lottery inspire others them to continue with the habit. They are convinced that they deserve a better life that fortune can bring.

Dreaming of a better life also explains why a certain TV series is a big hit. The series’ storyline is simple – the romances of five eligible men in a noble family, Juthathep. The soap was shot in several places in Europe including the famous Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. The snow-capped mountains are a top destinations for wealthy Thais, but few can afford the huge travelling expenses involved. 

In the series, girls show up at banquets in expensive dresses, dreaming of marrying a rich man of nobility. It seems to be an easy life, talking about dresses and planning social functions. Viewers can dream of the characters’ lives, but in real life, how many could afford a fancy lunch or dinner at the Le Normandie restaurant at the Oriental Hotel? Money aside, they would be intimidated by the hotel’s lobby alone, never mind advancing to the fourth floor where the restaurant is located.

The two phenomena confirm that there is a great divide – the haves, the have-nots and everyone in between. 

In the US, the richest 1 per cent of the people own more than 40 per cent of the wealth and take home nearly a quarter of the national income.

In Asia, according to the Asian Development Bank, close to 20 per cent of the total income goes to the wealthiest 5 per cent in most countries.

In the capitalist world, money can buy anything, particularly good services. At airport departure lounges, where most passengers have to look hard for an available seat, VIP rooms are reserved for some passengers. With some connections, they have a special escort to the lounge and the gate. On arrival, they are escorted to a VIP room, while officers take care of their passports. They don’t need to bother about the long queues at immigration booths. 

Living the life of the elite is a dream of most people. 

With the margins from their daily business routines so small, it is easier to dream of winning the lottery. This guarantees one thing: the phenomenon will remain in Thai society for a long, long time.