Prestige television viewers fond of impressive casts and scenic locations, take note: the third season of The White Lotus kicks off on HBO on February 16. Following earlier seasons set in Hawaii and Sicily, the latest installment of the show continues the globetrotting, with the latest season set at a resort in Thailand. And while the onscreen resort in the series is fictional, plenty of its real-life counterparts are gearing up for an uptick of visitors.
That’s one of the biggest takeaways from new reporting by Rebecca Ratcliffe at The Observer. Ratcliffe spoke with a number of tourism professionals in Thailand, including Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun of the Thai Hotels Association. “The high season last year — November, December, and January — in the southern part of the country, especially Samui, was fully booked,” Chaiyapatranun told The Observer.
That’s no coincidence. Several resorts in Samui — including the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Anantara Bophut Koh Samui and Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort — were used as locations for the third season. As Ratcliffe points out, a number of set photos taken during the filming of season three piqued the interests of both the show’s fanbase and that of K-pop band Blackpink. (Blackpink’s Lalisa Manobal, aka Lisa, is among the cast members of the new season.)
The Next Time You’re in Thailand, Head to the Hills
Chiang Mai offers travelers an entirely different experienceIf previous White Lotus seasons are any indication, Thailand is likely to see an increase in tourism as a result of the new season. A recent BBC article by Laura Hall explained the “White Lotus effect,” which has resulted in locations for the previous seasons of the show experiencing a significant uptick in interest and bookings.
That effect is already poised to continue. Last month, HBO announced that it had renewed The White Lotus for a fourth season.
More Like This
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
