If you have THB 5 million in loose change right now, you could actually rent the yacht on which The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 4 takes place. For more tips and tid bits like this, read on for our local review of The White Lotus from a Thai person’s perspective. Do not fear: no spoilers lie ahead.
As Mike White’s award-winning The White Lotus takes to Thailand for season 3, we’re reviewing the show through a critical, local lens. On #WhiteLotusWatch for the next weeks, stay tuned for our weekly reviews on special details, shooting locations, and cultural nuances you may have missed.
Episode 4 is titled ‘Hide or Seek,’ and it’s rough waters for most of the White Lotus guests this time. Many of them spend the day on a luxury yacht, while others venture into the streets to encounter local surprises. We like the island-hopping storyline in this episode, which reflects an activity many locals will be familiar with. While the snake theme from the previous episode is less prevalent, tensions rise and several new and important facts are revealed. The Thai soundtrack stands out in Episode 4, making for an appropriate background to the vibrant Songkran celebrations, frisky beach club cocktails, and the welcome of a famous Thai-Swedish actress in Phang Nga bay.
While general reviews on the episode can be found far and wide, we watched The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 4 from a Thai perspective, and with plenty of insider knowledge. Here are key things you may have missed.
The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 4 reviewed by a Thai person: What you may have missed
Episode 4 sees a lot of Phuket filming locations, and some realistic island-hopping
Even though the previous episode had placed the White Lotus resort in Koh Samui, filming locations for The White Lotus this episode are covered mostly in Phuket.
At the beginning of the episode, the gang heads to Phuket Yacht Haven Marina, a well-known home for many yachts on the island. Located on the northeast coast of Phuket, it caters to yachts of many different sizes, and the real-life version of Gary’s yacht, SpaceCat, is also home-ported here. A lot of the landscape we see in the episode is from around the Phuket archipelago. Gary’s pensive house scene is also filmed in Phuket, at Samujana Villas (villa number 12, to be exact), and Villa Amaravida.
While a few of the guests spend the day on the water, Kate (Leslie Bibb), Laurie (Carrie Coon), and Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) head to the Anantara Bophut in Koh Samui, as well as Cafe del Mar in Phuket. The latter is where the ladies go to have some fun, and it is a fitting location to do so. Bringing the popular Ibiza beach club to Thailand, Cafe del Mar is known for its parties, and is located in the trendy Kamala area.
Before the trio arrives at the beach club, they must walk through a water fight. This takes place at Thanon Bo Phut in Samui’s Fisherman’s Village. Once a fishing community, it is now a popular area with many small cafes, restaurants, and shops.
To the trained Thai eye, it is clear that many scenes in this episode are split between the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, which is not entirely realistic. Nonetheless, we do like to island-hop, often by boat, and sometimes, like Rick (Walton Goggins), by plane. Fun fact? Rick’s Bangkok Airways PG 102 flight is a real one. However, it currently leaves Koh Samui at 7am, not 7pm. The outdoor airport gate is also real, as Samui International Airport is almost fully open-air.
You can actually charter Gary’s yacht, SpaceCat, for THB 5.3 million a week
We’re not sure whether to call Jon Gries’ character Greg or Gary (Belinda calls him an appropriate curseword), but one thing we know for sure: his yacht is real. Known as ‘SpaceCat,’ the 35.9m luxury catamaran was designed by Silver Yachts and Espen Øino. It features a 5.5m pool, and a total living space of over 534sqm across three decks. Its shallow draft makes it convenient for exploring secluded locations, such as the shallow bays of Phang Nga. According to Yacht Charters Phuket, “she is not just a yacht; she is a floating oasis.” We think Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) may agree. She says, “it’s like an oligarch’s boat.”
Prices may vary, but we have seen them listed from USD 160,000 (approx. THB 5.3 million) for a weekly charter in the low season between May and November, and from USD 200,000 (approx. THB 6.7 million) in the high season between December and January.
There are various channels through which you can rent SpaceCat, including Yacht Charters Phuket, Boats at Sea, and Northrop & Johnson.
Praya Lundberg, Thai actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador, makes an appearance
There are a number of Thai extras in this episode, though many will have spotted ‘Pu’ Praya Lundberg in the teaser released last night. In the episode, the Thai-Swedish actress plays one of the girlfriends of a foreigner on the yacht. In real life, Praya Lundberg is also a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Goodwill Ambassador.
Other extras include Valentin’s (Arnas Fedaravičius) friends, played by Julian Kostov and Yuri Kololnikov, who promise the girls they know how to “make fun.” American model Maggie Rawlins also makes a brief appearance.
The Songkran celebrations are realistic, and the Full Moon Party is real
While it may have looked excessive to those who have never celebrated Songkran in Thailand, the water-splashing that Kate, Laurie, and Jacyln experience is real. Filmed at Fisherman’s Village in Koh Samui, the episode shows water guns and water buckets, as people splash each other in celebration of the Thai New Year, or Songkran. This is the biggest national holiday in Thailand, and while it may seem like only children embrace the water fights, adults definitely join in the fun, too. Applying white powder (din sor pong) to the face is also a real custom, as can be seen on the little girl who troubles Kate.
Realistically, most hotels offer guests some information about Songkran, explaining the local customs and traditions, especially the water-splashing. We’re a little surprised Sritala and Fabian didn’t think of this.
As the sun sets, the yacht group talks about heading to the Full Moon Party. Even those who have not been to Thailand may have heard of this event, as it is one of the most famous beach parties in all of Southeast Asia, and draws visitors from all around the world. There are multiple stages with DJs, fire shows, bars, and UV body paint stations. Entry only costs THB 200, and the party is officially permitted to run until sunrise at 6am. It takes place on Haad Rin Beach on Koh Phangan, and while Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) completely butchers the pronunciation of the island’s name, we forgive her because her outfit in this episode is top-notch. It is also realistic that they would head to Koh Phangan from Koh Samui by yacht, as most people take a ferry across, too.
Despite all the craziness, the Full Moon Party normally respects Buddhist holidays (where often alcohol cannot be sold) and shifts it to the nearest possible date. Nonetheless, it can still take place on Songkran. The next Full Moon Party will be this Thursday 13 March, followed by 12 April, a day before Songkran 2025.
The soundtrack for this episode is *chef’s kiss*
The first episode of The White Lotus Season 3 featured a lot of really good Thai tracks, and Episode 4 does not disappoint, either.
We start off with mid-1960s Thai guitar band The Song of P.M., who play Boongatanyon, followed by the charming and kind of hilarious Mun Plak Dee Na by Ter Rewat. The latter begins by repeatedly singing “it’s so strange, it’s so strange” in Thai, and offers a bit of a commentary on foreigners and following the rules.
Later in the episode, we hear the lyric “pom rak khun jing jing” from Pleng Yuk Owakard from the album ‘Sound of Siam, Vol.1,” which features Thai luk thung, jazz, and molam music from 1964-1975. The opening lyric translates to as much as “I really, really love you,” even though Jaclyn really, really does not love the poolside where this plays.
At the end of the boat day, we get to hear Huai A-Ba-Ni-Bi by Hongthong Dao Udon, a Thai luk thung and molam singer from Udon Thani, who rose to fame as a child star in the 1970s. She later also became a political activist.
In Episode 3, when Rick and Chelsea get into the tuk-tuk, a classic Thai wedding song plays. In Episode 4, when the girls get into the songthaew, this song plays again. Most excitingly, of course, the old theme song also creeps back towards the end of the episode this time.
Additional Easter egg: Belinda reads a book called ‘Surrounded by Narcissists’ by Thomas Erikson
We’ve been loving the placement of books throughout Season 3, and in Episode 4, we caught a banger. In the scene where Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) is lounging by her private pool, and later researching Tanya McQuoid’s death, a few spa and wellness books can be seen on her desk, alongside Thomas Erikson’s ‘Surrounded by Narcissists: How to Effectively Recognise, Avoid, and Defend Yourself Against Toxic People.’ Part of the author and behaviourist’s ‘Surrounded by Idiots’ series, we’re glad to see Belinda understands who she is dealing with. While we wish she read this literature in Season 1, we can only hope it is helpful to her in Season 3.
The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 4: Local’s Verdict
The slow burn is really slow this season, and the tension-building is getting almost unbearable. As we reach the halfway mark for The White Lotus Season 3, we know we’re about to get classic-White-Lotus-shooketh from here on out. Murder themes are creeping in, weapons are disappearing, and at this point, everybody has a motive. For Episode 4, we enjoyed that both storyline and story-telling felt accurate, even if we could do away with some stereotypes.
Besides it being a somewhat unintentional advert for lorazepam, there was a lot to admire about Thailand and Thai culture in this episode. The scenery is gorgeous, and the nod to local traditions is realistic, following the minor faux pas with the tuk-tuk from Episode 3. While Saxon continues to spew sleazy dialogue (especially his fascist mispronunciation of “Sawasdee ka” had us cringing to another dimension), the show continues to develop the uncomfortable stereotype of caucasian expat men in Thailand. Some of the yacht scenes felt like a game of ‘Spot the LBH,’ and while we can acknowledge that the depictions may hold some truth, it chips a little at our creative expectation for the show.
In Episode 5, the gang heads to the Full Moon Party. As a local, we can’t even count the number of (true) crazy stories that have taken place here. We can’t wait to see what Mike White does with it. We also can’t wait to write Rick’s upcoming guide to Bangkok. Keep the molam music coming — it’s about to get wild.
The White Lotus is now streaming on Max. New episodes will be released in Malaysia every Monday at 9am. Check back here weekly as we dissect The White Lotus Season 3 through a local lens.
