Bunyawi Proposes Lottery Prize Increase to Consumer Protection Panel, Demands Lottery Office Return Profits to Public
MP Bunyawi Yomchinda proposed raising government lottery prize payouts to the Consumer Protection Committee, arguing that prizes unchanged for over a decade should be increased and profits returned to the public.
On May 21, 2025, at Parliament, Bunyawi Yomchinda, a Ruam Jai Thai Party list MP and vice-chairman of the House Consumer Protection Committee, announced that he has fulfilled his promise by submitting a proposal to increase government lottery prize money to the committee. The next step involves establishing a complaint screening subcommittee before the proposal goes to a plenary meeting. Discussions will include relevant parties, particularly the Lottery Office director.
Bunyawi confirmed his commitment to the public, noting that lottery prizes have remained unchanged for over 10 years. The two-digit prize has increased from 1,000 to 2,000 baht, and the first prize from 3 million to 6 million baht. According to data, each draw produces 100 million lottery tickets with a unit cost of 67 baht, generating approximately 6.7 billion baht in revenue. With only 1.4 million total prizes awarded and over 98.5 million tickets winning nothing, the Lottery Office's first prize payout of 600 million baht is relatively minimal, justifying a profit increase for prizes.
Bunyawi argued that consumer protection requires increasing prizes that haven't been raised for over a decade. He proposed raising the first prize from 6 million to 10 million baht, the two-digit prize from 2,000 to 5,000 baht, and the three-digit prize from 4,000 to 10,000 baht. He emphasized that this is not about encouraging gambling but about fairness, urging the Lottery Office board to show compassion to the people and return some profits to society through education and charity.
Bunyawi also highlighted issues with lottery sellers, noting that while tickets are officially priced at 80 baht, they actually cost over 100 baht. Sellers who don't sell all their tickets face losses and cannot return unsold stock. He stated his role is to protect consumers by having the lottery office share profits, and expressed confidence that the proposal will succeed since it stands with the people.
