Woman cleared of 12 million baht lottery ticket theft accusation, plans defamation case
In a tale of family dynamics gone awry, a 93 year old woman accused her 53 year old granddaughter of stealing two winning government-issued lottery scratch cards worth a total of 12 million baht (US$340,000). The case arose after an investigation by the Lottery Department, which included examining the original stubs of three books of tickets. However, the department confirmed that none of the stubs matched the winning numbers.
Jee Chaowangyen originally reported her granddaughter-in-law, Saengthong, to officers at Nong Prue Police Station, Kanchanaburi. She claimed that Saengthong, who lived nearby, had stolen her lottery tickets that won the first-place prize in the lottery draw on May 2. Police summoned Saengthong, along with the lottery seller and others involved in the incident, to give statements, and presented three ticket books for sold lottery tickets to the Lottery Department for inspection.
On June 27, Saengthong revealed that the police received a reply from the Lottery Department confirming that the three lottery stubs submitted for verification did not match the winning number of the top prize ticket. This confirmation vindicated Saengthong from accusations made by Jee, her mother-in-law, asserting that the theft claims were unfounded, reported KhaoSod.
“I will lodge a complaint against mother-in-law Jee at the Nong Prue Police Station since her allegations have tarnished my reputation and caused hardship,” Saengthong said. She added that since the news spread, she had been ostracised by their community and faced constant questioning about the alleged theft. Saengthong added…
“I have always maintained that I did not steal the winning lottery ticket and have never even seen it.”
She added that neither Jee nor any family members have apologised for the false accusations. After the interview, Saengthong made a vow at a local shrine where she had previously sworn that she had not committed any wrongdoing. She will then proceed to lodge a defamation case against Jee.
Attempts to reach Jee for comments were unsuccessful, as she had moved to her children’s home in the same district and was not available for comment.
