"White Lotus" Season 3: My Attempt to Afford Thailand (Spoiler: I Failed, But You Can Live Vicariously)

Like many of you, I'm completely hooked on "The White Lotus" on Max. So, when I found Randee Dawn's article, "Where was 'The White Lotus' Season 3 filmed? Inside the real hotels in Thailand" on Today.com, I knew I had to explore those stunning locations further. Check out the original article here. Get ready to join me on a (mostly virtual) tour of the Thai paradise featured in Season 3!

Mystical locales and spicy food await you in Thailand.

"White Lotus" Season 3: My Attempt to Afford Thailand (Spoiler: I Failed, But You Can Live Vicariously)

Hey fellow travelers! So, "The White Lotus" is back, and this time, they’ve ditched the Italian pasta for some spicy Thai curry. Naturally, I immediately started planning my own luxury Thai getaway. My budget, however, had other plans.

But fear not! I’ve done the research (read: drooled over pictures) so you can live vicariously through the show’s stunning filming locations. And maybe, just maybe, win the lottery and actually go there.

Where Did They Film? Basically, "Where Can I Sell a Kidney?"

Season 3 decided to bless our screens with the sheer opulence of Thailand, and they weren’t messing around. They basically booked out a bunch of places where your room service probably comes with a personal butler and a complimentary baby elephant.

According to the article, these are the resorts used:

• Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui: This place is basically paradise on steroids. Think infinity pools that blend into the ocean, and bungalows so fancy, they probably have their own Instagram accounts.

• Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas: Apparently, one resort wasn’t enough. They needed another one to film the reception area and a pond. Because, you know, regular ponds just don’t cut it for HBO.

• Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort & Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort: These resorts were also used, with the bar scenes being filmed at Lawana. I can only imagine the price of a cocktail there. I'm guessing it's more than my rent.

• Rosewood Phuket: They used this place for dinner scenes, probably because the lighting was better. Because when you’re spending thousands a night, you need your food to look extra good on Instagram.

The "Frankenstein" of Filming Locations

As Randee Dawn points out in her article, apparently, even these super-luxe resorts weren’t perfect. They had to Frankenstein the whole thing together, using different parts of different resorts. It’s like they were building the ultimate luxury travel Voltron.

• Breakfast at the Four Seasons? Sure! Dinner at the Rosewood? Why not!

• Spa day at Anantara Phuket? Obviously!

This basically confirms my suspicion that rich people live in a world where you can just pick and choose the best parts of everything.

My Attempt at Recreating the "White Lotus" Experience (Spoiler: It Involved Takeout)

Since my bank account is currently laughing at the idea of a luxury Thai vacation, I decided to recreate the experience at home.

• I ordered Thai takeout and ate it in my bathtub, pretending it was an infinity pool.

• I watched YouTube videos of Thai beaches while lying on my couch.

• I attempted to make a cocktail that looked like it belonged at the Anantara Lawana bar, but it mostly just tasted like regret.

The Moral of the Story?

"The White Lotus" Season 3 is going to be visually stunning. And if you have the means, by all means, go live your best life in Thailand. For the rest of us, we can just enjoy the show and dream. And maybe start a GoFundMe.

So, who’s ready to plan their (hypothetical) Thai adventure? Let me know in the comments or fill out my travel request form! And if anyone needs a roommate for their luxury villa, I’m available.