The White Lotus is back with a bang in Season 3, taking viewers on another wild vacation—this time in Thailand. While the new season is already making waves, did you know that Thailand wasn’t the first choice for filming? Series creator Mike White recently opened up about how the location came to be and the surprising story behind it.
Mike White’s Past with Thailand
Mike White, the mind behind The White Lotus, is known for writing, directing, and producing the show. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that Thailand wasn’t his first pick for Season 3. In fact, he once had a bad experience there.
Years ago, Mike was a contestant on The Amazing Race with his father. Unfortunately, they were eliminated while in Thailand. After losing, they had to stay at an elimination site with other disappointed contestants. The whole situation left a sour taste in his mouth. “I was just like, ‘I don’t ever want to come back here,’” White said.
Japan Was the Original Plan
After filming the first two seasons in Hawaii and Italy, Mike had his eyes set on Japan for the third. He loved the idea of filming there and started planning around it.
But the studio had different ideas. HBO suggested Thailand instead. According to HBO boss Casey Bloys, there were good reasons for the switch: Thailand had strong infrastructure, experienced film crews, and even tax breaks that made shooting there more affordable.
A Trip That Changed Everything
Though hesitant, Mike agreed to visit Thailand out of respect for the studio’s suggestion. But something unexpected happened. During his visit, he got bronchitis and had to go to the hospital. While there, exhausted and sick, he started having vivid dreams and thoughts about the show.
“I hadn’t slept for two days, and I just kept thinking about the show,” Mike said. He told his producer, David Bernard, that he even hallucinated while on a nebulizer. Surprisingly, those strange and dream-like thoughts became the inspiration for Season 3’s story.
“That’s basically what we shot,” Bernard said, confirming that the idea came from Mike’s hospital stay.
Themes of Buddhism and Reflection
What came out of that experience was more than just a storyline. The ideas Mike developed touched on deeper themes like Buddhism, self-discovery, and spirituality—things that fit perfectly with Thailand’s culture and setting.
“Thailand worked for the themes that I was trying to get into,” White shared. And in the end, his return to the country brought the story to life in a powerful way.
Now Streaming
The White Lotus Season 3 is now streaming on Max and Amazon Prime Video. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just jumping in, this season offers something new, meaningful, and a little surreal—all thanks to an unexpected twist of fate in Thailand.
