Barbara Woolsey
February 14, 2025
Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas takes a star turn in The White Lotus’ third season.
A guide to our favorite islands, in honor of the hit show’s third season.
What better antidote to the sun-starved end of February than a blast of Thai heat with a helping of high drama and a generous sprinkling of Parker Posey? We’re talking, of course, about the fiercely anticipated season-three premiere of The White Lotus. This time, the cast of the HBO hit unpack along Thailand’s sandy shores, where, if the show’s Hawaii and Sicily seasons are any indication, we can look forward to bad behavior among palm-fringed pools and dramatic revelations during Gulf of Thailand yachting excursions.
In honor of the new season and the inevitable flight browsing it will inspire, we’ve rounded up a few of the Thai islands and resorts where we’d love to indulge in White Lotus-inspired glamour (minus the murder).
Banyan Tree Samui.
Koh Samui: For Seeing (and Being Seen)
Thailand’s second-largest island, a primary White Lotus filming location, is known for attracting the glitterati and those in the mood for fine dining: Try Clandestino for vegan options and cocktails and Nahm for seafood with a view. Ban Tai Beach, surrounded by coconut groves and shallow waters, draws families and snorkelers. Just a few miles east, the night market at Fisherman’s Village remains the island’s go-to. On the village’s beach promenade, restaurants grill freshly caught seafood, shops stock jewelry and local handicrafts, and cocktail bars await on soft sands.
Stay: On the island’s southeast coast, Banyan Tree Samui’s 88 villas, each with a private pool, sprawl across a jungled hillside. The resort’s sustainability manager leads a regular snorkeling class on the house reef to introduce guests to local marine life, including blue-spotted stingrays and a colony of giant clams. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit.
A private place to unwind at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas.
Koh Phangan: For Post-Party Recoverers
Just an hour’s ferry ride from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan feels wilder, greener, and more remote. While the backpacking crowd still descends on Haad Rin monthly during the neon-happy full-moon party, Koh Phangan has a quieter side: Travelers come here to experience some of Thailand’s most sought-after well-being retreats, where yoga and meditation reign supreme.
Stay: Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas is an Ayurvedic retreat, where therapists address issues ranging from insomnia to energy blockages. Its 64 villas sit on the island’s northeast coast, 30 minutes from the full-moon party and steps from beach tennis, volleyball, and movies after dark on Thong Nai Pan Noi Beach. Virtuoso travelers receive local welcome amenities, breakfast daily, and one 50-minute massage for two.
At sea in Phuket.Getty Images
Phuket: For Aspiring Restaurant Reviewers
Thailand’s largest island – another White Lotus season-three filming location – stands out for its international airport and miles of sandy coastline. Phuket’s dining options range from khachapuri at Georgia Restaurant to seasonal Thai at PRU, street food at eclectic night markets, and fresh coconut at cafés with space for chilling and coworking. Adventurers will find scuba diving off the northwest coast at Sirinat National Park and proper surf at Nai Harn Beach and Promthep Cape, the island’s southernmost beach.
Stay: The 113-room Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, which makes a cameo in season three, offers private yacht-charters sunrise muay Thai on the beach, and omakase sushi at Tree House restaurant, next to an ancient banyan tree. Travelers receive breakfast daily, a $100 resort credit, and a choice of one on-site activity for two.
Dinner with a view at Soneva Kiri.
Koh Kood: For the Never-Without-Hiking-Boots Crowd
Off Thailand’s east coast, Koh Kood – roughly six hours from Bangkok (combining ground transport and ferry) – is less easily accessed than the southern islands, but those who make the trek are rewarded with very little traffic or crowding. Hikes around the island yield waterfall views and nesting oriental pied hornbill sightings, and kayakers and snorkelers visiting during summer’s rainy season might catch bioluminescent plankton at night.
Stay: Soneva Kiri is a 34-room retreat on Koh Kood’s northwest coast. Its spa, with an expansive massage menu (including a traditional Thai tok sen treatment involving a tamarind-wood hammer) is a major draw, and so is its observatory, given the area’s clear, dark skies. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 resort credit.
