Mike White’s HBO sensation The White Lotus is back and not since Chevy Chase’s ’80s heyday have vacations gone wrong quite this spectacularly.
Second 3 sees another party of unsuspecting but largely fairly deserving wealthies disembarking for a week or so of passive-aggression, skullduggery, and in the odd case, death. Friendships will fray, cobras will be unleashed and uptight westerners will unravel in the serene surrounds of a Thai resort. And we’ll all be there every step of the way.
As with previous seasons the location is the story. This time White is taking us further east: to Thailand and a White Lotus resort where devices must be popped in a bag and the healing power of spiritual therapy allowed to do its thing.
Season 1 took us to Hawaii, season 2 introduced the Sicilian White Lotus. Now it’s time for a tour of White Lotus Thailand and its ultra-luxe locations.
Where is White Lotus season 3 filmed?
The third season takes its cast – Michelle Monaghan, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Jason Isaacs, Cate Le Bon et al – to The White Lotus Resort in Thailand.
According to Mike White, it was nearly set in another a couple of thousand miles to the east. ‘Originally, [Thailand] was kind of a stalking horse because I wanted to shoot in Japan,’ says the showrunner. ‘I've spent more time there and I just had a vision for doing it in Japan. Then we got to Thailand and obviously it's such a lovely country and the people charmed us.
‘Obviously, Japan is amazing and it would be incredible to shoot there, but it turned out to be such a great decision to shoot in Thailand and very life changing.’
These are the key Thailand locations used in season 3.
Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, Koh Samui
Season 3 opens with the new batch of holidaymakers travelling to the White Lotus resort by boat. The eye-wateringly beautiful ocean vistas were filmed in Koh Samui’s Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, while the tiny Ya Nui Beach, a hidden gem tucked away on Phuket, was also used in the sequence.
Four Seasons Resort, Koh Samui
The main location used to represent the White Lotus resort is Koh Samui’s Four Seasons Resort. It boasts 60 villas that rise up on stilts, all surrounded by towering palm trees with sweeping views of the Gulf of Thailand – there’s even a spa nestled amongst the jungle thickets.
The Four Seasons was the most extensively used location in season 3. The villa used by stressed-out financier Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), his snobby wife (Parker Posey) and their three children was filmed here, as was the room of the jaded Rick (Walton Goggins) and his much younger girlfriend Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood).
Anantara Bophut Koh Samui
The business end of the White Lotus resort – the hotel driveway, jewelry shop, lobby and the security barrier manned by the friendly Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) – was filmed across Koh Samui at the Anantara Bophut hotel.
You’ll also find the pool, beach, gym and water hammocks from the new season here.
Anantara Mai Khao Villas, Phuket
The series’ bar scenes were filmed in The Singing Bird Lounge in this 113-villa resort in Phuket. The holiday spot takes its design cues from traditional Thai homes, and also boasts a supersized tree house restaurant and a hotel boat. The resort’s wellness sanctuary and spa also feature in the show, and season 1 survivor Belinda Lindsey’s (Natasha Rothwell) room was filmed there too. You can follow in Belinda’s pampered footsteps for around $500 a night in high season.
Ta Khai at Rosewood Phuket
Another resort across the island of Phuket appears in dinner scenes in the show. The luxury Rosewood resort’s Thai and seafood restaurant, Ta Khai (‘fishing net’ in Thai). Try the fresh Phuket spring rolls.
What are the reviews like for season 3?
The reviews are, again, golden, with critics noting that what season 3 gives up in ruthless satire, it’s gaining in sheer watchability.
‘Absolutely exquisite’, raves The Guardian. ‘Exquisitely shot, scripted, paced and performed, it’s a sumptuous feast for all the senses.’
‘As good and twisted as ever,’ agrees The Spectator, while ABC News calls it ‘TV at its peak’. ‘Those accustomed to its style, subtlety and commitment to delivering moments of intense discomfort will not be disappointed,’ writes The Financial Times.
Chicago Sun-Times singles out the cleverly assembled cast and performances for praise. ‘What a marvel of casting, with some of our best actors doing spectacularly entertaining work as they dive into their performances,’ enthuses its critic. Vogue, meanwhile, praises its ‘eye-wateringly stunning locations; poetic, hallucinatory cinematography; razor-sharp dialogue; and killer costuming’.
The BBC’s critic notes that the satirical bite draws a little less blood this time around. ‘The White Lotus still has writer and director Mike White's fingerprints, and occasionally his iconoclasm and inventiveness. But this uneven iteration feels flabby and elongated, with far less satiric bite.’
‘Each new season of The White Lotus has had one more episode than the last, yet the series has less to say than ever,’ agrees the Boston Globe. ‘It’s comfort food masquerading as social critique.’
When can I watch White Lotus seasons 1-3?
Seasons 1 and 2 are available on Max in the US and Now TV and the UK, as well as PVOD sites like Prime Video and Apple TV+.