Geeratiya Aunjarorn, like many people in Thailand, didn’t know much aboutThe White Lotus, the series that has gripped audiences in the US and UK, until early last year. But when it was announced that season three would not only be filmed in her country, but would also feature one of Thailand’s most famous pop stars,Lalisa Manobal– better known simply as Lisa – Geeratiya and legions of other fans have followed the filming closely.
Over the past year, photos of the crew filming on the tourist islands of Phuket and Samui have gone viral across Lisa fan pages, and hashtags speculated on the kind of character the singer, from the K pop group Blackpink, might play. A premiere was held in Bangkok on Friday night and season three will be released on Sunday in the US and on Mondaytomorrow in the UK.
“It’s very exciting for me – it’s her debut as a Thai actress, and she’s starring as a Thai character,” said Geeratiya, 36. She felt goosebumps when she heard Lisa, who often speaks in English in international interviews, using Thai in a promotional clip from the series. “I can hear her lines without having to translate it … I feel like it’s a little win for us.”
The country’s tourism sector is also excited. The show’s previous settings, Hawaii and Sicily, both saw surges in interest from tourists after appearing, leading to a phenomenon dubbed “theWhite Lotuseffect”. The first season, which was filmed at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii, prompted a 425% year-on-year increase in the hotel’s web traffic, according to reports. San Domenico Palace, a former monastery in Sicily that featured in season two, reported that it wasfully booked for months.
InThailand, industry experts are hoping for a similar boost. Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said he believed bookings had already increased. “The high season last year – November, December, and January – in the southern part of the country, especially Samui, was fully booked,” he said.
He expected luxury parts of the market would benefit the most fromThe White Lotus, a satire on wealth and privilege. The series features some of Thailand’s most exclusive locations, including the Four Seasons Samui, a resort surrounded by pristine sandy beaches, tropical forest and the Gulf of Thailand. A two-night stay in March would cost upwards of £1,700.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the tourism subcommittee of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, said she believed the series, which explores spirituality and Buddhism, could also help establish Thailand as a spiritual or wellness destination, one of the government’s ambitions.
“The power of media and moving pictures, Netflix or streaming, it’s immense,” she said. Thailand has increased financial incentives to attract film-makers, with greater perks offered to those who base their productions in lesser-known locations.
Thailand has faced a challenge in trying to redistribute tourism more evenly across the country, said Marisa. There are concerns aboutover-tourism in areas such as Samui, where the number of visitors has placed pressure on water and energy supplies, as well as waste management.
Thailand’s tourist industry has mostly recovered since the pandemic brought international travel to a standstill, though visitors from China, a crucial market, are still lagging, added Marisa.
TheWhite Lotuseffect is mostly expected to draw visitors from English-speaking countries. Lisa Manoban’s presence could also lead to more travellers from south-east Asian countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, say her fans. Lisa, 27, from Buriram, north-east Thailand, who rose to fame with Blackpink, is known not only for her singing and rapping, but also her dance routines. The band’s members are also pursuing solo careers, with Lisa releasing the albumAlter Egothis month, and her song Born Again, which features Doja Cat and Raye, also appearing on theWhite Lotussoundtrack.
“Whatever Lisa does always goes viral,” said Geeratiya. When Lisa visited Wat Mahathat, a temple in the ancient Thai capital Ayutthaya, and was photographed in traditional dress, the cityexperienced a surge in visitors, and even placed a sign indicating where Lisa had been photographed. An interview she gave in 2021, in which she said she craved the meatballs sold by street sellers in her hometown Buriram, caused sales of the grilled and deep-fried snacks to sky rocket,local media reported.
“As a Lisa fan, and as a K-pop fan, we all like to try to revisit the places that the stars have been – to go to the restaurant that has featured in the production, or check in at the same place,” said Nichaphon Vongpukdee, 37. He would also try to visit some of the series locations, he said, though perhaps not the five-star hotels. “If I win the lottery, I will go for sure.”
Nichaphon, along with Geeratiya, was among about 200 fans who won tickets to attend the premiere of the new season in Bangkok on Friday. They haven’t yet watched season one or two, but plan to get HBO accounts just to watch Lisa’s acting debut.
Narubes Chuaycho, an 18-year-old student, said he was overjoyed to be at the premiere and believes the series will help promote Thailand’s tourism. But as he waited for the stars to arrive on Friday afternoon, he added: “I’m more excited to see Lisa in real life.”