When it premiered in 2021, “The White Lotus” was a sharp class satire aimed at skewering high-end sightseeing, an elite one-center willing to pay $9,000 a night to relax. The mystery of the dark comic, written and directed by Mike White, followed by qualified guests and plagued employees in a gorgeous Maui hotel during an increasingly tense week.
Instead, destinations that were supposed to be refuge from world problems have become microcosms for them. It is a place where classes were divided and the heritage of American imperialism was on a vivid display. “The White Lotus” was filmed for its first season at locations at Four Seasons in Maui, so somehow the exclusive resort looked like a toxic pressure cooker. Working there not only shatters your soul, it could even kill you.
Season 2 is a bedroom farce set in a luxurious beachfront resort in Sicilian, where you saw sex, money and power. Both installments smacked wealthy people and portrayed people dying under tragic circumstances in picturesque places. And perhaps counterintuitively, both seasons led to a tourist boom at filming locations. For some reason, the show, where a sharply criticised luxury trip also served as a glossy ad.
This inconsistency is even more prominent in season 3 of “The White Lotus,” which premiered on HBO last month. The latest installments standing on the island of koh samui in Thailand follows tradition by opening with corpses. However, it also explores new themes, such as the conflict between Western materialism and Eastern spirituality, particularly Buddhism. This season’s fictional White Lotus is known for its wellness program. Guests are advised to clean up their phones during their stay and are available to use products such as yoga, meditation, and massage.
Sam Nibola, Sarah Catherine Hook and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s “The White Lotus.” Characters recommend cleaning up their phones that week.
(Fabio Lovino/HBO)
Hollywood films and TV shows tend to focus on more decadent aspects of Thai culture. The team behind “The White Lotus” wanted to showcase other aspects of the country.
“It clearly exists here, but it doesn’t define Thai culture,” executive producer David Bernad said in a phone interview from Bangkok last month, and the show had a flashy local premiere featuring Thai-born K-Pop star Lalisa Manobal, Aka Blackpink’s Lisa, who joined the star at the hotel. “What we tried to do is portray Thailand in a genuine way – the beauty of the people and culture – hopefully brings a more positive interest in Thailand.”
The season was held in collaboration with the Thai Tourism Bureau and the Four Seasons. The Thai government also provided a generous tax rebate on production. HBO collaborated with various brands to create products inspired by “White Lotus” including $98 scented candles, $48 sunscreen, $325 bags overnight, $725 dresses and $4.50 flavored coffee cream. Despite the often dark themes and ironic take on humanity, the show has clearly become an ambitious marketing tool for brands across the spectrum. Why, to be precise, shows about how horrible people behave (and dying) so appealing to these companies?
“I really don’t know the answer. That’s very strange,” Burnad said. “It’s surreal to know that the initial structure of the show was very intimate and small. For me, it still feels strange that everyone is paying attention.”
Given how pop culture juggernaut “The White Lotus” turned out, it’s easy to forget that a show that could be quickly and safely made in a single isolated place was conceived as a stopgap, when HBO was craving fresh programming at the height of a new pandemic.
The original plan was to film in Australia. There, strict lockdowns helped to contain the pandemic. When it turned out to be too difficult, Hawaii became an obvious choice. This setting not only offered stunning natural beauty, but also a rich theme exploring the light-forms of American colonialism and Native Hawaiians, among other things.
Similarly, Season 2 was mostly set in France, but was wound up in Sicily after a scouting trip to Taormina. The tour guide conveyed the legend behind the decorative Moorish head statue found in the area that was the motif of the series. “That was the kickoff to Mike, who wants to write about this bedroom farce season about sexual politics,” Barnad said.
Season 3 was always envisioned as an “exploration of Eastern and Western philosophy,” Barnad said. However, the plan was to film in Japan. In Japan, they have been keen to create something for years. White and Bernad also visited Thailand, mainly as courtesy of HBO. (White had a negative association with Samui, especially as he was segregated on the island after being excluded from “an astonishing race.”)
Thai K-Pop artist Lisa Manovaru is one of the stars of “White Lotus.” Season 3 of the show was always envisioned as “an exploration of Eastern and Western philosophy.”
(Stefano Delia/HBO)
But in the end they were fascinated by the country and its people. White was also struck by a fit of inspiration when he developed bronchitis while in the city of Chiang Mai. He was treated with powerful steroids and “had hallucinated the entire season,” Bernad said. “To be honest, the next day we were scouting in a van. He told me about his dreams. It was basically what we filmed – his steroid dream.”
When the show moved to Thailand, where over 90% of the population is Buddhist, “we were able to explore Buddhism as religion and philosophy,” Bernad said. One of their creative goals was to present a more subtle version of Thai culture than typical Western media. “It’s usually like ‘Hangover Part II’, taking advantage of Bangkok’s dark side. But that’s not what we’re trying to do,” he said.
One of the characters of this season, Piper Ratriv (Sara Katherine Hook), is a religious studies major who dragged wealthy southern families into Thailand, and is able to interview Buddhist monks with Buddhist monks. Her spiritual curiosity is bewildered by her family, skeptical of the many wellness offerings at the hotel.
Koh Samui “like Detox Island,” where heeled tourists become engaged in Buddhist-related practices, but often a mishmash of various spiritual traditions, said Brooks-Schedjunek, a professor of religion studies at the University of Rhodes, who studies Buddhism and religious tourism in Thailand. “Everyone who comes off the (Samui) plane has yoga mats,” she said. Places like the fictional White Lotus “draw wellness options that are Buddhist places but not necessarily linked to Buddhism.” (For example, you don’t practice yoga at Buddhist temples.)
“I think it’s really interesting…most of them go to this wellness resort, but then they say, ‘I don’t want to do wellness. Why do I have to do this?’ Scheduled Neck spoke about the spoiled guests of the hotel. “It shows an individualistic, Western way of thinking, ‘I want to do whatever I want.’ ”
However, the contradiction between the East and West may not be as severe as one would expect. Some Westerners falsely assume that Buddhism is so common in Thailand that it means that people are less interested in material things. “The idea that Buddhism can embrace and encourage wealth is difficult for people to grasp,” Schedjunek said.
In Four Seasons, “White Lotus” was undoubtedly a powerful marketing tool despite the deaths and inexplicable actions taking place at the resorts of the series. The official partnership launched ahead of Season 3 means the company can use the “White Lotus” IP to activate brands, including poolside cabanas and viewing parties at the resort. Four Seasons recently announced a 20-day excursion in which guests will travel on a company private jet to three filming locations on the show.
As part of HBO’s partnership with “The White Lotus,” Four Seasons presents food and experiences inspired by the show. (Commentary of the four seasons Resort)
A poolside villa at Four Seasons Resort Kosamui, featured on the show. (Commentary of the four seasons Resort)
As part of its marketing research, the company conducts monthly surveys with wealthy individuals. The survey includes questions about “White Lotus.” Of the millennials surveyed, 88% recognized both brands, and 71% said they were more likely to visit the property listed in the series.
“We know that if you choose the right show and the hotel is featured in the right way, it has a big impact on big business. That’s the best PR we can do.” He has already seen a surge in online interest in Koh Samui’s fortune. Visits to the site have increased by almost 600% at the same time last year.
“Everyone knows this is obviously fiction. The white lotus is not the four seasons, it’s itself. You just use the hotel as a backdrop. The PR we’re getting is about how great a hotel looks,” Speichert said. (He said that characters like Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell in seasons 1 and 3, and Valentina, played by Sabrinine Patch Ator in season 2, reflect the type of people who work in the Four Seasons.)
Past seasons for “White Lotus” have led to a surge in visitors to Maui and Sicily. In Thailand, where tourism is a major industry, influx is welcome. The country saw 35 million foreign visitors last year, according to the Thai Tourism Bureau, which aimed to increase that number to 40 million in 2025.
“As a setting for “White Lotus” season 3, Thailand allows you to reach a truly global audience, offering a unique opportunity to showcase the breathtaking scenery of Thailand, the rich culinary scene, the vibrant culture, the beauty of nature and, most importantly, the warmth of Thai hospitality.”
While increasing visitors is an economic benefit for Thailand, local residents report that there are also concerns about the potential environmental impacts that more visitors have on the country. Other Hollywood productions offer warning stories of “beach” released in 2000, but have helped transform Maya Bay on the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh into a major tourist destination that received as many as 5,000 visitors a day. An estimated 80% of the corals in the bay have been destroyed due to the resulting pollution. Authorities eventually closed the beach for several years and are now restricting access. HBO did not provide any comments when asked by Koh Samui about the environmental impact of filming “The White Lotus.”
But for Bernad, making a series in Thailand taught him the importance of treading lightly. “You have to bring along the humility that you are not imposing the way you produce,” he said. “You’re learning from local crews and producers and adapting to their needs,” as well as good advice for producers and tourists.
