What do you get when you swap a four-figure lottery habit for a humble 200‑baht whim? For 53‑year‑old Samruay Phangkonrak of Phra Thong Kham in Nakhon Ratchasima, the answer was two golden tickets and a life-changing 12 million baht windfall.
The Government Lottery Office confirmed the jackpot-winning first prize number for the September 16 draw as 074646. Other notable results were front three-digit numbers 740 and 512, back three-digit numbers 308 and 703, and the two-digit prize 58. But for Samruay, the only number that mattered was 074646 — twice over.
Photo courtesy of KhaoSod
Samruay, a regular lottery player who usually spends about 2,000 baht per draw, decided to cut his spending to just 200 baht for this round. The tiny budget tweak paid off spectacularly: he bought two tickets that matched the first prize and each ticket was worth 6 million baht.
“This is my first time winning, even though I’ve played regularly for years,” Samruay told reporters, still stunned at his luck. Far from blowing the money on flashy trinkets, he says the plan is practical and family‑focused: buy land, secure his children’s and grandchildren’s education, and generally put his family’s future on firmer footing. In short — buy peace of mind, not just a bigger television.
News of his win lit up local social media pages almost immediately. Photos and posts of Samruay clutching his winning tickets flooded provincial feeds as friends, neighbours and well‑wishers poured in with congratulations. The reaction was as enthusiastic as a stadium chant: local pride mixed with an undercurrent of “why didn’t I buy that ticket?”
And Samruay wasn’t the only lucky soul in Isaan this week. Over in Khon Kaen, another 53‑year‑old man from Kok Song Puey village in Thung Chomphu subdistrict, Phu Wiang district, also scored a 12 million baht jackpot. He held two first‑prize tickets, each worth 6 million, and celebrations in his village looked like a spontaneous festival: neighbours gathered to clap, cheer and offer blessings, and videos shared online captured the joyous, communal atmosphere.
These twin wins across northeastern provinces have reignited the familiar mix of exuberance and superstition that follows every lottery draw in Thailand. From street vendors to temple markets, conversation quickly turned to dreams, rituals and the ever-popular question: what’s your lucky number?
This streak follows another headline-grabbing win on September 1 when a woman from Nakhon Ratchasima walked away with 30 million baht from five tickets. Whether it’s a lucky street, a favoured vendor or the mysterious pull of certain digits, northeastern Thailand has been enjoying a roll of good fortune this month.
What makes stories like Samruay’s so compelling isn’t only the sudden wealth but the human detail: the regularness of his playing, the quiet hope that kept him buying tickets for years, and the modest change in strategy that suddenly turned into a life-altering outcome. It’s a reminder that luck often arrives unannounced — sometimes after a budget cut and a quick detour to the lottery stall.
For many, the lottery is a ritual as much as a gamble: an annual fair in miniature where people swap stories, share tips about numerology and consult relatives who “always seem to know” which numbers are hot. For winners like Samruay and his Khon Kaen counterpart, the payoff is real and immediate: land to buy, education to secure, and communities to celebrate with rice and coffee on the veranda.
Yet beyond the festivities, there’s a quieter message. Samruay’s first big win came at 53, after years of trying — a narrative that blends patience with serendipity. Whether you chalk it up to divine intervention, fate or sheer chance, the community response shows how tightly woven these moments are into local life. They’re not just private triumphs; they become shared stories of hope, proof that ordinary people can suddenly find doors opening where they once saw walls.
So, what’s the takeaway for the rest of us? Maybe it’s that a little restraint (or a change of habit) can sometimes bring surprising returns. Or perhaps it’s simply that luck is delightfully unpredictable. Either way, for Samruay, the Khon Kaen winner and the woman from earlier this month, September has been a month to remember — and their neighbours will be talking about those lucky numbers for months to come.
Thank you everyone for the kind words, I still can’t believe it myself and I’m trying to stay humble and practical.
Congrats Samruay, but don’t you worry about relatives suddenly asking for money every week?
Joe, that is already happening a little, but I plan to help carefully and set boundaries so the money lasts for my family.
This is inspiring, but also scary — the lottery can ruin as many people as it helps if there’s no financial planning.
He won twice! That’s either insane luck or someone at the office should check for fraud, sorry not sorry.
Twelve million baht twice? That’s a lot of coincidences, either karma or a system glitch.
Calling it a glitch without evidence fuels conspiracy thinking, people win by chance all the time.
Statistically speaking, independent draws can produce clusters of winners, but transparency in the drawing process is essential.
Transparency yes, but real oversight and public audits would calm the skeptics more than explanations.
My aunt plays the same numbers for 20 years and still nothing, this feels unfair.
That’s how luck works sometimes, my friend says you gotta change numbers or pray to a shrine.
From a legal angle, lotteries are regulated gambling; fairness is about process not individual outcomes.
As an economist I’d note that government-run lotteries function as a regressive tax, disproportionately funded by lower-income citizens.
But the money funds public services and temples in many places, it’s complicated and culturally embedded.
Culturally embedded or not, better social safety nets would reduce the need to gamble for survival.
All these headlines about winners make everyone think the lottery is a path out of poverty — dangerous narrative.
Yet people love stories of sudden change; media sells optimism even when it’s statistically misleading.
Agreed, we should report winners but also highlight the math behind odds and addiction risks.
Where I live people are celebrating as if it’s a national holiday, the village atmosphere must be electric.
Yes, and sometimes the celebrations are about community pride more than the money itself.
Two men, same age, same region, both with two winning tickets each — waking up conspiracy bingo here.
I get the suspicion, but coincidences are part of randomness; it feels weird when humans look for patterns.
Pattern-seeking is natural, but we must demand audits if transparency is lacking.
Good on him for planning to buy land and support education instead of flashy stuff, that’s maturity.
Cutting spending from 2,000 to 200 and winning — ironic advice for gamblers everywhere.
That irony will have people changing habits for the wrong reasons; luck isn’t a strategy.
People love a neat moral: ‘spend less, win more’ even though it’s just one anecdote.
These wins will ripple — local businesses will benefit, but jealousy and family disputes may follow.
Money exposes relationships, true. I saw it happen once and neighbors fought for months over tiny loans.
Media glosses over the long-term outcomes of winners; many end up worse off if they don’t manage funds well.
Exactly — winners need solid advice: trusts, staged gifts, and professional planning to avoid pitfalls.
This morning I read about it and felt happy for them, but also uneasy about how the lottery is marketed.
Marketing appeals to hope; policy should ensure funds are used for public good, not just excitement.
Agree, and maybe part of proceeds should expand education or job training in the region.
I want to believe in fate, maybe there’s a lucky vendor or a special street — it’s fun to imagine.
Fun myths are harmless until they lead people to spend beyond means chasing the same vendor.
But rituals give people comfort and a shared story, that social value matters too.
In my day people gave thanks at the temple and shared rice, money didn’t change that entirely.
Generosity is beautiful but sometimes people expect too much when someone wins big.
We should teach winners how to be generous without being taken advantage of, balance is key.
Thank you for the wise words, I hope to give back to the temple and my neighbors in thoughtful ways.