Rayong lottery seller scoops 6 million baht first prize following temple rites
A local lottery vendor in Rayong Province struck gold recently with the first prize in the national lottery, following a round of prayers at Wat Lao-ok. The win came soon after the lucky aura of Toa Wessuwan at Wat Lao-ok presumably assisted in a second-prize win.
The extraordinary turn of events unfolded on August 18 when 61 year old vendor Pensiri, who usually sells lottery tickets, instead found herself the recipient of the first-place prize. Phensiri had reportedly hoarded a lottery number of 471782 for herself, invoking the blessings of Toa Wessuwan at Wat Lao-ok. As it turned out, luck was indeed on her side as she won the first prize, taking home a hefty sum of 6 million Baht.
Interestingly, the same venue that saw Phensiri’s change in fortune also provided others with a generous dose of luck. Several beneficiaries of second prizes and those who matched the last three and two digits of the lottery also attended the same ceremony.
Upon inquiry, Pensiri divulged how she hired a troupe of traditional dancers from Bangkok to perform a dance ritual in honour of the two deities of Toa Wessuwan present inside the temple. After offering prayers, she was inspired to keep a 471782 lottery ticket which eventually turned out to be the jackpot. A part of the win will be donated to the temple for its improvement.
Similarly, 65 year old Kritsakorn, during his visit to the temple with his 58 year old sister, Wunchan, also confessed to experiencing good fortune. Following the previous award of a second prize win, they returned to offer fruits and plan the construction of ten more bathrooms to meet the needs of temple-goers and visitors who frequent the temple to seek the blessings of the protective deity for their lottery numbers.
As a part of the ceremonial process, Pensiri lit a candle speaking words to Toa Wessuwan, which was followed by the hired dancers performing three songs. The ceremony ended with the lighting of 5,000 funeral flower wreaths, which to the astonishment of the attendees, revealed the number 888 on the tails of all three sets of the flower wreaths.
As word spread about the mystical powers of the deities, locals from the area were seen flocking to the temple in large numbers, hoping to share the same good fortune. The twin deity Toa Wessuwan statues are believed to be extremely special as within a short span of just a month, they have blessed worshippers with first and second prizes.
Usually visited to ask for good fortune, it is not surprising that the temple sees a large number of lottery enthusiasts among its worshippers, reported Sanook.
