Thailand’s Tourism Boost: White Lotus and a Jurassic Park-Themed Attraction
Thailand is set to benefit from the season 3 of HBO’s popular series White Lotus, which was filmed in Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui. The show, which premiered its first episode on February 16, has a track record of boosting tourism in its previous filming locations. Both Sicily and Hawaii experienced significant surges in visitor numbers following the release of the first two seasons.
A similar trend is expected for Thailand. In an interview with CNN, Hotels.com reported a 40% increase in searches for accommodations in Koh Samui ahead of the season three premiere. The filming of White Lotus comes at a time when the global travel trends are increasingly influenced by movies and TV series, a phenomenon known as “set-jetting”. According to 2025 survey conducted by Expedia on 25,000 participants across 19 countries, two-thirds of the respondents said that movies, streaming services and TV shows influenced their travel choices, while 36% stated that TV and films became more influential on their travel decisions than they were in the previous year.
Beyond White Lotus, Thailand is also set to drive tourism revenue with a new themed attraction. The Thailand Board of Investment recently approved a USD 35.5 million Jurassic Park-inspired theme park, scheduled to open in the second quarter of this year. Spanning 4,000 square meters, the park will feature animatronic dinosaurs, recreating the experience from the iconic movie franchise.
Earlier this year, Thailand increased its cash rebate rate to up to 30% to attract more film productions and spending. The rebate rate varies based on the amount of qualified spending ranging from THB 50 M (around 1.4 million USD) to over THB 150 million (USD 4.3 million). In 2024, the country hosted 491 foreign productions, generating THB 6.58 billion in spending. Major productions in the recent years include Disney’s Alien series, which has been filming in Thailand since 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Meg 2: The Trench, which was shot in the country in 2022, and Netflix’s Mother of the Bride, set in Phuket. Filmmaking activities in Thailand contribute approximately 1.3 million USD daily to the local economy.
