Head of Thai lottery resigns from tough role

 Customs Department director-general Somchai Sujjapongse has resigned as chairman of the Government Lottery Office's board after nine months.

According to the Bangkok Post, Somchai said he made the decision to let someone else address the long-standing problem of overpriced lottery tickets, one of the priorities the military junta had pledged to address after the coup last year 

During his tenure, Somchai said he had tried to bring down prices, however, lottery tickets continued to be sold well above their face value, the Bangkok Post reported.

Lottery tickets are usually sold at 100 baht a pair, and up to 120 baht for popular numbers, compared to the face value of 80 baht. The price disparity is due to the intricate distribution network in the retail market, as well as quotas, intended to help underprivileged groups. 

"More stringent measures might be needed. Given the scale of the problem, a government official might not have the mandate to deal with it. A man of [higher] calibre might be able to do a better job," Somchai was quoted by the Post as saying.

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