When the third season of the hit HBO series The White Lotus debuts on Sunday, viewers will be taken to Thailand's tropical island island. And if the previous season is any indication, many of them will soon book a holiday there.
The show is held every season at different fictional White Lotus luxury resorts, and is all distorted, centered around a group of wealthy tourists, their interpersonal drama, and an inevitable tension with staff and locals. Masu.
With waves of tourists set to wash land, around 68,000 residents of Samui are trying to get more familiar with the “White Lotus” effect.
Tay, 46, a local carpenter who refused to award his last name in the untouched white sands of Chaweng Beach in recent evenings, said he didn't know much about the series. But then a flash of recognition emerged.
“Yes, yes. Lisa's show was filmed here,” he said. Lisa, or Lalisa Manobal, is a Thai member of K-Pop Band Blackpink, making her acting debut this season in “The White Lotus.”
Has he heard anything else about it? Tay shook her head.
We sell luxurious flavors
Bookings at Koh Samui, a $2,000 four-season resort where most of Season 3 was filmed, have already risen 40%. And as the new season begins streaming, Mark Spichart, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, said he expects to increase demand “exponentially.”
“We saw a 10-fold increase in Maui and Taormina properties,” Speichert said many of the seasons 1 and 2 were filmed, referring to Four Seasons Resorts in Hawaii and Sicily. High-end travel network Virtuoso said its data showed a 424% surge in sales to Sicily after season two.
For visitors to Samui who want a sweet “White Lotus” life but don't have a bank balance, at least if you are using the beach and have access to restaurants and bars. The pass offers a resort's general manager Jasjit Assi said it would be 5,000 baht, or about $150.
Other local and global companies have also been banking their banks during the boom. American Express offers the White Lotus Thay Experience package for certain card members. Includes 3 days at Four Seasons Resort and a full moon party.
Even about 200 miles west of the popular Phuket Island, where part of Season 3 was shot, the hotel is about to win cash for “White Lotus.” Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villa, for example, boasts offering a level of luxury that is similar to the four seasons. Unlike the Samui people, Phuket has a Michelin-starred restaurant, PRU.
Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui are all stops for a 7-night White Lotus Thai trip, offered by an unforgettable travel agency that is a luxurious tour operator for just under $8,000 per person. Includes private tours of Bangkok and Sunset Cruises and Bangkok and Samui ko.
“I think it's going to be huge for Samui,” said Michael Brajar, owner manager of Naam, a casual, airy fusion restaurant sitting in the water near the airport on Koh Samui. Mr. Braja had already benefited from his “White Lotus” boone. A group of actors, including Walton Goggins, who plays one of the resort's guests, visited Naam several times a week during filming and had photos. Prove that.
“Gorgeous, layered, complicated”
However, this trend has started in recent years with events such as “Bridgeton” style balls and girls' trips inspired by “Emily in Paris” in the French Riviera. In 2023, high-end travel provider Black Tomato began offering more than $18,500 in experience, including James Bond-themed private tours (including speedboat races on the Thames).
However, in the past, Set Jetters have visited places they have already seen in their favorite movies and shows. With “White Lotus” season 3, they're not waiting.
British actor Jason Isaacs said he was one of the stars of the new season and was surprised to hear that the Set Jetters were already traveling to Samui.
“I didn't think it was already a thing,” he said.
Speaking on the phone on the way to the season premiere in Los Angeles, Isaacs said he was able to do some research on himself over two months on Koh Samui to film. He cited some of the highlights: Temple visits, waterfall hiking, massages and Thai boxing training. “Samui is a gorgeous, layered, intricate place and is full of incredible beauty,” he said.
However, he warned that the expected influx of visitors and the resulting development also have drawbacks that reflect the character and horse themes woven into the show. Despite the beautiful environment, there is “poverty and deprivation,” he said. “Visitors are curious and will see a lot if they keep their eyes open.”
Tay, a carpenter in Chawen Beach, is well aware of what changes have made to the island. He remembers that as a child, the sight of foreigners was a major event. At the time, the hill was not covered with foreign-owned villas, and the roads were not lined with shops selling marijuana, which was decriminalized in Thailand in 2022.
But at the same time, Tay, who learned English, working for the UK developers who build the same villa, was practical about change.
Those tourists and foreigners bring money to the island and express feelings in the “white lotus” episode that “they can want” he said.
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