Summary of the 6 million baht lottery confusion: "Aunt Khayan" trusted her neighbor and gave the tickets to help check them before they vanished. Eventually, police interrogated "Uncle Dech," who admitted taking them himself but said he had already burned them.
The Beginning of the Lottery Confusion
- Aunt Sa-yan, also known as Aunt Khayan, 54, brought three lottery tickets for the June 1, 2026 draw, bought from "Je Haeng," a vendor in the village, to her neighbor "Aunt Waew" to help check them on the evening of the draw.
- The tickets Aunt Khayan bought ended with the numbers 15, 70, and 73, which the vendor "Mak" had grouped together. She then put them into an envelope.
- Aunt Khayan claimed that after checking, Aunt Waew told her the ticket number "173770" had won first prize, then jumped up hugging herself, expressing joy.
- Aunt Waew then told Aunt Khayan to leave the tickets there for safekeeping, fearing thieves might break in, and said she would take them to report and claim the 6 million baht prize the next morning.
- Trusting her neighbor, especially since "Mr. Dech," Aunt Waew's husband, was a former local administrative official, she left the tickets there.
- Moreover, many of Aunt Waew’s relatives were present in the house that day.
The Lottery Disappeared the Next Morning
- On June 2, Aunt Khayan went to Aunt Waew’s house, but Mr. Dech showed her the lottery tickets again on his phone, saying they hadn’t won first prize because the phone displayed a frowning face. He then 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 a sequence of numbers. When Je Haeng heard the story, she confirmed the tickets had won first prize and asked where the tickets were to help look for them.
- Aunt Khayan explained that her neighbor had checked and said the tickets weren’t winners, then threw them in the trash.
- Je Haeng and Aunt Khayan then searched the trash bin outside Aunt Waew’s house but found only two tickets. The missing one was the suspected first prize winner.
- Je Haeng then took Aunt Khayan to file a police report to search for the missing first prize ticket.
- Je Haeng had photographed the tickets at her stall after arranging them and confirmed the first prize ticket was indeed at the stall.
- Je Haeng said there were two tickets ending with 70; one had been sold, and the other was kept for Aunt Khayan since she had ordered that number.
Aunt Khayan Reiterates: Neighbor’s Behavior Suspicious
- After the case gained attention, Aunt Khayan recounted the events on various programs. Because she spoke slowly and plainly, some people questioned her credibility.
- However, many others noted that despite her slow and halting speech, Aunt Khayan consistently told the same story.
- Security footage from Je Haeng’s house showed the moment Aunt Khayan collected the three lottery tickets.
- Meanwhile, netizens noticed inconsistencies in reports: initially, Mr. Dech was said to have thrown the tickets in the trash, but later claimed he returned all three tickets to Aunt Khayan by placing them in her hand.
- Yet, Aunt Khayan had always kept her purchased tickets over the years, even if they didn’t win, so why would she throw them away this time? Moreover, the missing ticket was the first prize winner.
- When police questioned the garbage truck driver, he said he had collected trash around 4 a.m. recently, so why were there still tickets in the bin—only two tickets, however?
Police Intensify Investigation Before Catching Lottery Thief
- After the complaint, police collected evidence and took the clothes Aunt Waew wore on June 1, 2026, to collect DNA samples.
- They also coordinated with the Lottery Bureau to freeze the ticket so no one could claim the prize; doing so without rights could lead to charges of receiving stolen goods.
- Aunt Khayan’s ticket was a charity ticket, which could be claimed within 10 years.
- Police also seized the mobile phones of Aunt Waew, Mr. Dech, and three witnesses present at Aunt Waew’s house to check browsing data.
- On June 11, police found Aunt Waew’s house closed and silent.
- Pol. Maj. Gen. Sathaporn Sripirom, Commander of Sukhothai Provincial Police, said the case had many details and suspicious points, and some individuals would likely face legal action.
"Dech" Confesses to Taking and Burning the Lottery Ticket
- After separate interrogations of Mr. Dech and Aunt Waew, Mr. Dech admitted to taking Aunt Khayan’s winning lottery ticket but said he had already burned it.
- He claimed that after realizing the case was becoming big news, he became afraid of legal consequences.
- Police then took Mr. Dech to a rice field in Pak Nam Subdistrict, Sawankhalok District, where he allegedly burned the lottery ticket.
- Mr. Dech said that on June 4, he went alone to the field, hid the ticket in a hut’s post corner, then rode his motorcycle home.
- On June 6, he returned to the field, took out the ticket, burned it completely, then covered the ashes with straw before leaving.
- He claimed he acted alone in this matter.
- Aunt Waew admitted she checked the lottery for Aunt Khayan on June 1, found one ticket was a first prize winner, and kept it as Aunt Khayan requested.
- She said she did not know when Mr. Dech took the ticket and denied any involvement or knowledge of her husband’s actions.
"Aunt Khayan" Feels Relieved Knowing the Truth, Wants an Apology
- After Mr. Dech admitted to taking the winning ticket, Aunt Khayan said she felt relieved and glad the truth was revealed but saddened that someone close took the ticket.
- What she wants from Mr. Dech is to apologize to her face, which might lead to forgiveness.
- She now feels much more at ease after enduring pressure and fighting to prove the truth for several days.
- Previously, she had said she would share the prize money if the lottery was returned, but now she will not because Mr. Dech did not return the ticket but burned it.
- 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 ownership of the ticket.
