Meatball seller wins 6 million baht lottery jackpot in Thailand

A meatball seller from Buriram province in northeast Thailand won the first prize of 6 million baht in the government lottery yesterday. She says she won’t stop selling meatballs.

The newfound millionaire, 53 year old Champa Sumahungphan, revealed how she chose the winning numbers.

Champa explained that she was riding around the Thai Samakkadi subdistrict on her motorbike and attached cart selling meatballs when she stopped at a temple to pay homage to Thao Wessuwan.

Thao Wessuwan (Sanskrit: Vaiśravaṇa) is a popular Buddhist deity whose sculpture can be found all around Thailand and elsewhere in Asia. Holding a staff, Thao Wessuwan looks like a giant.

As well as a ‘demon god,’ Thao Wessuwan is also regarded as the ‘god of fortune’ and is believed to be the ruler over all the world’s wealth. People who want money, power and wealth might choose to worship Thao Wessuwan.

As Champa left the temple, she joked that if she won the lottery’s first prize, she would parade around the temple and village with her meatball cart, she said.

After praying to Thao Wessuwan for wealth, Champa found a local lottery seller. Champa asked the lottery seller if she had any tickets containing the number 52, her age. The lottery seller had one ticket left with the number 417652, so Champa bought it.

Champa said that when the lottery number was drawn, she could remember that her ticket ended with the number 52. She said she was standing in front of her house with her neighbour when she inspected the ticket and realised that she won the first prize.

So, Champa did as she said and paraded around the village with her meatball cart to celebrate.

The lottery winner revealed that she will use the 6 million baht (US$172,000) to pay off her debts and the rest she will spend on her children’s education.

As for her career, Champa said she will not stop selling meatballs.

In other lottery news, someone won 102 million baht in the lottery yesterday. The lucky winner bought 17 winning tickets for 80 baht each through the government digital lottery. Their identity has not been revealed.