A lot of hook-ups, the third flash of male genitalia of this season, and a THB 500,000 suite? Watching from a local’s perspective, here’s everything we noticed on the latest episode of The White Lotus. 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 5 is titled ‘Full-Moon Party,’ and for the first time this season, takes place throughout the course of one night. While a lot of it is set at the famous Full Moon Party and at a club, many of the characters go through some form of reflection, a habit commonly associated with a full moon in Thai culture. We love that Rick heads to our home city of Bangkok in this episode, and that the representation of his visit is accurate, despite the whopping cost of his suite. We also love the nod to Mike White’s time in the City of Angels — Bangkok, not Los Angeles, of course — as even the location of where he wrote the script is featured. There’s a soft power advert for cup noodles, a nod to a Blackpink member’s music video, and even the resurgence of a monitor lizard.
While general reviews on the episode can be found far and wide, we watched The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 from a Thai perspective, and with plenty of insider knowledge. Here are key things you may have missed.
The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5 reviewed by a Thai person: What you may have missed
Episode 5 hardly takes place in Samui, with filming locations including Phuket, Koh Phangan, and Bangkok
We knew the younger crew was headed to the Full Moon Party in the last episode, which is a common and popular activity for those staying in Samui, and for tourists especially. We were especially pleased to see that filming for the Full Moon Party actually took place on Koh Phangan, on the famous Haad Rin Beach.
Meanwhile, the three ladies spend time at Cafe Del Mar, which is actually located in Phuket. We identified the beach club in the last episode, and it is accurately represented as a buzzing destination from day to night. As depicted on the show, Phuket is also genuinely a popular destination for Russian expats and tourists.
Rick (Walton Goggins) heads to Bangkok in Episode 5, and it is likely every Bangkokian immediately recognised the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. Not only do we get a glimpse of Rick’s suite and the famously floral lobby, but Rick and his friend Frank (Sam Rockwell) also have an intriguing conversation at the renowned Bamboo Bar. Later, they bid farewell at Tha Wat Pho in Bangkok’s Rattanakosin area, opposite the famous Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun. It’s a strange place to say goodbye, as the pier is located about a 15-minute car ride (or 1-hour walk) from the hotel. The area has many famous temples, which was an interesting nod to the overarching theme of religion in this episode.
More subtly, we also got a few glimpses of the famous Chao Phraya Princess dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya river, and a car ride throughout Yaowarat Road, Bangkok’s notorious Chinatown. The signs are real, and we recognised many familiar names, from Roongsarp Travel Service to Chinatown Scala. We even recognised the fish maw and fish ball street food stands. If you’re on Easter egg hunt, you may have even spotted the Mama Noodles’ Thai Soft Power advert, too.
Bangkok’s Chinatown is one of the largest in the world, and was founded in the 1780s as a home for immigrant Chinese families. These days, it is a culinary destination and a must-visit for any visitor to Bangkok. Fun fact? Goggins’ co-star Lalisa Manobal actually shot her Rockstar music video here too. Perhaps, they shared the filming location?
Rick’s suite costs around half a million Baht a night, and the hotel is pretty legendary (not only because Mike White wrote the script there)
We love that when Frank says that the Bamboo Bar “is right through here,” he’s not lying. They really went the right way. The famous jazz bar lies to the right of the lobby of the hotel. Bangkokians are familiar with the Mandarin Oriental, so getting facts like these correct is important.
The Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok claims to be the only Bangkok hotel chosen as a filming location for The White Lotus Season 3, and in Episode 5, we get a really good look at it. Rick meets Frank at the lobby, which is famously always adorned with fresh and opulent floral arrangements. The two then go for a drink at the Bamboo Bar, one of the city’s oldest and most legendary jazz venues. Making its debut this March, the Bamboo Bar is even serving up a special edition ‘White Lotus’ cocktail.
The highlight of Rick’s stay, however, if he were more into hotels, is his room. Identified as The Oriental Suite, Goggins’ character stays in the expansive 376sqm suite, composed of a two-bedroom penthouse with a 58sqm wrap-around terrace. A one-night stay here will set you back around THB 540,000. That’s around USD 16,000 for our American friends.
Dating back almost 150 years, the Mandarin Oriental is a historic five-star hotel, located on the banks of the Chao Phraya river. It is known and beloved for its rich sense of heritage, architecture, and world-famous guests past and present. The elegant Authors’ Lounge gets its name from the legendary authors who have penned their stories here, and the impressive list of guests now even includes Mike White. It is said that White spent time working on the script for The White Lotus Season 3 here. In fact, you can even find his framed and signed photograph in the lounge to attest to this.
The representation of the Full Moon Party is fairly accurate, and was even filmed on location
Let’s start with a local’s confession: many, many Thais have not visited the Full Moon Party themselves. This is despite its world-wide fame, and despite the easy access, relatively low price point, and all the wild stories.
Nonetheless, everybody knows about the Full Moon Party. It is one of the most popular parties in Southeast Asia for a reason, and a bucket list item for many tourists to the region. Every full moon, some 10,000 people gather on Koh Phangan for this event, as they enjoy multiple stages with DJs, food stalls, beach bars, and UV body paint stations. With the legalisation of cannabis in Thailand, there are even weed shops along the streets. Entry is only THB 200 (around USD 5 for our American friends), and the party is actually permitted to run until sunrise (around 6am) the next day. This is fairly rare in other Thai cities like Bangkok, where the nightlife ends around 1am.
We were quite surprised to find that The White Lotus crew filmed at the real location for the Full Moon Party, directly on Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin Beach. It is crowded, people drink from buckets, and you really can get themed t-shirts and merchandise. As Chloe (Charlotte Le Bon) describes it: “the vampires come out and everyone gets laid.” The other thing Chloe gets everyone to consume is pretty accurate too. We said it.
The significance of the full moon in Buddhist religion
The Full Moon Party is named after the full moon, though partying is not the only meaning behind a full moon in Thailand. In Buddhism, full moons are associated with major events in the Buddha’s life, such as his birth, his enlightenment, and his passing. The night of the full moon is seen as an auspicious time to practice reflection and meditation. We see this in Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) at some moments in this episode.
Several major holidays in Thailand fall on the full moon, including Visakha Bucha Day, where candlelit processions take place to honour the Buddha’s life, and Loy Krathong, where people release lotus vessels into the water to honour the Goddess of the River. Makha Bucha is another big Buddhist holiday, and it celebrates the teachings of the Buddha.
As a symbol, the full moon is also often seen as completion, clarity, release, or even an ending. In Western lore, some humans even turn into wolves or werewolves during a full moon. Timothy Ratliff, is this something for you?
The White Lotus Season 3 Episode 5: Local’s Verdict
Nothing comes at face value on The White Lotus, so the title of this episode had us reflecting hard. There were many layers and many parallels in Episode 5, and we enjoyed the varied exploration of religious themes especially. Whether it is Timothy’s (Jason Isaacs) singing of a Marian hymn, Piper and Frank’s journey with Buddhism, or Belinda’s (Natasha Rothwell) simple “thank god, thank you both” to Pornchai (Dom Hetrakul), the interplay and interweaving of storyline and symbolism was interesting in this episode. To a backdrop of Thailand and its spiritual rites, it becomes even more intriguing.
Nonetheless, there were also humorous moments. While previous episodes toyed with stereotypes of Thais and expats in Thailand, Episode 5 turned it around by poking more direct fun at Westerners visiting Thailand. Victoria Ratliff (Parker Posey) is a hilarious instrument for this: “You want to live in Taiwan?” Meanwhile, Rick’s expressions during his friend’s confession will forever live in our heads rent-free.
Still, there were a few holes in the story for us. In the previous episode, Belinda investigates Greg-Gary (Jon Gries), and the newspaper clipping says Tanya’s death happened “yesterday.” Now, it is said it happened a year ago. Wouldn’t a respected newspaper update a date like this, so that the news stays accurate?
Always here to call them out, we’re excited to see where the next episodes will head. The characters are starting to show their true colours, and we only have a few episodes to go. Drink up and Shia LeBeouf everybody, it’s about to get crazy.
The White Lotus is now streaming on Max. New episodes will be released in Thailand every Monday morning. Check back here weekly as we dissect The White Lotus Season 3 through a local lens.
