Factory Worker Seeks 21st Grand Prize Win at Buddha Statue
A factory worker sought blessings at Thailand's tallest newly constructed Buddha statue in Chachoengsao, hoping to win the lottery after a previous 200,000-baht prize, as crowds gathered at the shrine ahead of an August drawing.
At noon on July 29, 2025, at the grounds of Wat Khao Chong Lom in Siracha District, Chachoengsao Province, large crowds came to pay respects to the Thao Wessuwanna Tong Luean statue, a 15.99-meter-tall brass Buddha image weighing 80 tons—the tallest newly constructed Buddha statue in Thailand. The shrine's opening ceremony was held on July 24, 2025. A smaller 9.9-meter plaster statue of the same deity has already blessed 19 lottery winners with grand prizes, while the larger statue granted one grand prize winner on December 16, 2024.
Visitors brought offerings and incense to worship and seek blessings, drawing lucky numbers from incense sticks to use as lottery ticket guidance for the August 1, 2025 drawing. The deity is known to favor dance offerings, with devotees either performing traditional dances themselves or hiring dancers, sometimes spending 100,000 baht on firecrackers as offerings.
Among those seeking blessings was Nang Sao Saithong, a 30-year-old factory worker who came to give thanks and seek further blessings after winning over 200,000 baht in the previous lottery. She drew the number 997 from incense sticks and plans to use it to purchase lottery tickets, hoping to become the 21st grand prize winner blessed by this shrine.
