The 6 million baht lottery confusion involving "Aunt Khayan" who trusted her neighbor to check the tickets before they went missing has concluded. Police interrogated "Uncle Dech," who admitted to taking the tickets himself but said he burned them.
The Beginning of the Lottery Confusion
- 54-year-old Aunt Sayun, also known as Aunt Khayan, brought three lottery tickets for the June 1, 2026 draw, which she had bought from "Je Haeng," a vendor in the village, to her neighbor "Aunt Waew" to help check them on the night of the lottery draw.
- The lottery tickets Aunt Khayan purchased ended with the numbers 15, 70, and 73, which were placed together by vendor Maek before being put into an envelope.
- Aunt Khayan claimed that after checking, Aunt Waew told her that ticket number "173770" had won the first prize, then jumped up hugging herself in joy.
- Aunt Waew then told Aunt Khayan to leave the tickets there for safekeeping, fearing thieves might break into the house, and said she would take them to report to the police and claim the 6 million baht prize the next morning.
- Trusting her neighbor, especially since "Mr. Dech," Aunt Waew's husband, was a former subdistrict administrative member, Aunt Khayan left the tickets there.
- Also, that day, several relatives of Aunt Waew were staying at her house.
Morning Arrival: The Lottery Tickets Go Missing
- On June 2, Aunt Khayan went to Aunt Waew's house, but Mr. Dech showed her the lottery tickets on his phone and told her they did not win the first prize because the phone displayed a frowning face. Then he crumpled the tickets and threw them in the trash bin.
- Trusting him, Aunt Khayan went home, keeping her doubts to herself.
- On June 4, Aunt Khayan returned to Je Haeng’s stall to buy tickets in number sequence. Upon hearing the news, Je Haeng said the ticket had won the first prize and asked where the ticket was to help find it.
- Aunt Khayan explained that the neighbor checked and said the ticket did not win, then threw it in the trash.
- Je Haeng and Aunt Khayan searched the trash bin in front of Aunt Waew's house but found only two tickets. The missing ticket was the one suspected of winning the first prize.
- Je Haeng then took Aunt Khayan to file a police report to find the winning lottery ticket.
- Je Haeng had taken photos of the tickets at her stall after arranging them and confirmed the first prize ticket was indeed there.
- Je Haeng said there were two tickets ending in 70. She remembered selling one and kept the other for Aunt Khayan since she had requested that number.
Aunt Khayan Repeats: Neighbor Acts Suspiciously
- After the case gained attention, Aunt Khayan recounted the events on various programs. Being straightforward and slow-spoken, some doubted her story.
- However, many noted that despite her slow and hesitant speech, she consistently told the same version of events.
- Surveillance footage at Je Haeng’s stall captured the moment Aunt Khayan collected all three lottery tickets.
- Netizens noticed inconsistencies: initially, Mr. Dech was said to have thrown the tickets in the trash, but later he claimed to have returned all three tickets to Aunt Khayan by placing them in her hand.
- Aunt Khayan usually kept the lottery tickets she bought for years, never discarding them even if they didn’t win. So why would she discard the tickets this time, especially the one that won the first prize?
- When police questioned the garbage truck driver, he said he collected trash around 4 a.m. recently, so why were tickets still found in the trash bin, and only two tickets at that?
Police Intensify Investigation Before Arresting Lottery Thief
- After the complaint, police collected evidence and took the clothes Aunt Waew wore on June 1, 2026, for DNA analysis.
- They also coordinated with the Government Lottery Office to freeze the lottery ticket, preventing anyone from cashing it, as doing so could lead to charges of handling stolen goods.
- Aunt Khayan’s lottery tickets were charity tickets, valid for redemption for up to 10 years.
- Police also seized the mobile phones of Aunt Waew, Mr. Dech, and three witnesses present at Aunt Waew’s house to examine their internet activity.
- On June 11, police found Aunt Waew’s house closed and quiet during an inspection.
- Pol. Maj. Gen. Sathaporn Sripirom, Commander of Sukhothai Provincial Police, stated that the case has many details and suspicious points but suspects will likely face legal action.
"Dech" Confesses to Taking and Burning the Lottery Tickets
- After police separately interrogated Mr. Dech and Aunt Waew, Mr. Dech admitted that he took Aunt Khayan’s winning lottery tickets but said he burned them.
- Mr. Dech said he became afraid of the consequences as the case grew bigger in the news.
- Police took Mr. Dech to a rice field in Pak Nam Subdistrict, Sawankhalok District, where he burned the tickets.
- Mr. Dech claimed that on June 4, he went alone to the field and hid the winning lottery ticket in a hut post before riding his motorcycle home.
- On June 6, he returned to the field, took out the ticket, and burned it, waiting until it was completely destroyed before covering the ashes with straw and going home.
- He claimed he acted alone in this matter.
- Meanwhile, Aunt Waew admitted she checked the tickets for Aunt Khayan on June 1 and that one ticket had won the first prize, which she kept as Aunt Khayan had instructed.
- She said she did not know when Mr. Dech took the ticket and denied any involvement in her husband’s actions.
"Aunt Khayan" Relieved to Know the Truth, Wants an Apology
- After Mr. Dech confessed to taking the winning lottery ticket,
- Aunt Khayan said she felt relieved and happy that the truth was revealed but saddened that someone close to her had taken the ticket.
- She said what she wants from Mr. Dech is a public apology, which might lead her to forgive him.
- She feels much more at ease now after enduring pressure and fighting to prove the truth for several days.
- Previously, she said she would share the prize money if the ticket was returned, but now she will not because Mr. Dech did not return the ticket but burned it instead.
- However, Aunt Khayan remains concerned about claiming the 6 million baht prize since the original ticket was destroyed.
- Still, she is prepared to pursue legal processes to prove her rightful ownership of the ticket.
