The Thailand national lottery draw originally scheduled for April 1 has been postponed for a second time, from May 2 to May 16, the country’s Government Lottery Office has said.
The GLO is now considering the possibility of selling tickets online for the first time, reports Thai news outlet The Nation.
“The postponement aims to encourage social distancing according to the government’s policy to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Phachara Anantasilp, chairman of the GLO.
“We decided to postpone it for a second time as the COVID-19 situation still persists and selling tickets on May 2 could result in public gatherings, [which is] against government recommendations.”
With regard to online sales, the chairman said: “We need to thoroughly consider the impact of online selling for the public and existing sellers before making the decision,” he said, referring to the fact that many disabled and underprivileged people in the country make a living from selling lottery tickets.
He went on to confirm that the cancellations will cost the government Bt5.4bn (c£130m) in lost revenue from ticket sales. “Each draw generates Bt1.8bn [c£43m] on average,” he said.
The April 1 draw will now take place on May 16, subject to the COVID-19 status in the country, with more postponements a possibility.