KOH SAMUI, Thailand – Mike White, the creator of the HBO series “The White Lotus,” was in Thailand on the lookout for the right location to film the third season of the series. His journey had taken him to the island of Koh Samui and the open-air lobby of the Four Seasons Resort, overlooking lush mountains, sparkling seas and villas that cost $9,000 an evening.
“He was quiet for a while,” Assi remembers. “Then he says, 'Okay, that's it.' It was like he fell in love with it.”
Almost two years later, the entire country is gearing up to benefit from the release of the new season next year.
The crime dramedy is set in a fictional resort town called White Lotus and has won widespread acclaim for its satirical portrayal of wealthy tourists and the working locals who host them. It's also known for causing a real travel boom as fans of the series visit the filming locations – a phenomenon dubbed the “White Lotus Effect.”
One of the main roles is a replicable advertisement for Thailand, which has broader ambitions to make more money from both Western film productions and tourists. Last month, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Hollywood executives in Los Angeles and announced a plan to increase cash rebates for foreign filmmakers.
The plan, still awaiting approval from lawmakers, would raise the maximum rebate from 20% to 30%, with no cap on total cash back.
“It’s amazing,” said Cod Satrusayang, development manager at Indochina Productions, a Bangkok-based production services company. “This makes us literally the first league in Asia and very competitive with the rest of the world.”
With Hollywood under pressure from rising production costs, streaming declines and last year's strikes, many other countries have courted cheaper services and government-funded financial incentives.
“As people moved overseas to produce, they realized they could make a film just as well at a much cheaper price than they could in LA,” Satrusayang said.
Canada, Australia and the UK are leading the way in providing incentives. But developing countries are also getting in on the game: countries like Indonesia, Jordan and Morocco are providing grants, tax refunds and reimbursements for local expenses.
Thailand's discount program began in 2017. Udom Matsayawanigul, director of the Thailand Film Office, part of the Ministry of Tourism, said Thailand needed to refine its offerings to compete as competition for foreign productions had intensified.
The Thailand Film Office estimates that every dollar of foreign film investment generates $2.80 in economic activity. The government hopes the attention will help it meet its goal of attracting a record 40 million tourists next year.
There are risks.
A 2023 Chinese action film about a kidnapping in Thailand is believed to have contributed to the decline in tourism from China. Recently, an Apple ad filmed in Thailand drew criticism for unfairly portraying the country as run-down and outdated. Apple apologized and pulled the spot from social media.
And after the release of the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach” in 2000, up to 8,000 tourists a day made the pilgrimage to the tiny islands of Koh Phi Phi, where the film was filmed. They overcrowded Maya Bay with boats, displaced marine life and destroyed coral reefs.
In 2018, the government closed the main beach at Maya Bay for restoration. It reopened in January 2022 with bans on swimming and anchoring in coral areas – and regular closures for safety reasons.
“'The Beach' was a lesson for Thailand,” said Matsayawanigul. “The National Park Authority has become aware of this problem.”
“The White Lotus” is far from the only show to inspire travelers.
Misty Belles, vice president of global PR at Virtuoso, a network of luxury travel agencies, said “Emily in Paris” increased tourism to France, “Bridgerton” to the United Kingdom and “Squid Game” to South Korea.
But nothing quite matches the impact of Mike White's creation. According to luxury tour operator Black Tomato, bookings from Americans in Hawaii increased 25% after the first season, which was filmed on Maui. Bookings for Sicily tripled after the second season, set in the city of Taormina, as travel returned rapidly following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
“The place almost becomes a character in its own right,” Belles said.
She said Thailand is already seeing a surge in bookings ahead of the third season, which also includes scenes in Bangkok and Phuket.
On the island of Koh Samui, home to about 70,000 Thais, the Four Seasons is enjoying record occupancy amid a boom since the height of the pandemic, according to Assi, the general manager. He said he expects it to be even bigger next year.
“Not everyone knows Koh Samui as a travel destination,” he said. “The resort will now be on the global stage and that is exciting. We want people to come.”
While foreign visitors account for about two-thirds of Thailand's tourism revenue, enthusiasm for “The White Lotus” is also growing among domestic tourists thanks to the casting of Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, a Thai member of the K-pop group Blackpink.
Preparations for an expected tourism boom are also underway outside of the luxurious resort's private infinity pools, two-person bathtubs and 24-hour butler service.
Kanokkorn Lamlert and Patrick Moukarzel, owners of The Thai Tapas restaurant, said they felt logistical strains last yr as tourism picked up after the pandemic.
When the local fish market sold out, that they had to drive 45 minutes to purchase sea bass or shrimp. Hotel and food prices have risen and roads have develop into more vulnerable to traffic jams, it said.
However, the economic impact of a tourism boom on Koh Samui could be felt throughout the country, Moukarzel predicted.
“When you come here, you never just come to Samui,” he said. “Bangkok will also benefit. Some people will spend a week in Chiang Mai. They will go back and say, “We were there for the White Lotus; you have to go.'”
The restaurant has already welcomed a couple of dozen superfans of the show after they spotted the forged and crew eating there on social media.
The restaurant owners said they’re planning a marketing campaign surrounding the season premiere that may include a scene filmed on the road in front of their restaurant. One idea is to introduce a brand new Thai dish made with lotus root, fried mushrooms and slow-cooked beef.
They will call it “The White Lotus Beef Ribs.”
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