How much it costs to recreate HBO’s “The White Lotus” Thailand Vacation
If you ever wanted to recreate the luxury of White Lotus Season 3 (sans the murder/drugs/crime/fraud/stress/toxicity), here is your 1-week Thailand itinerary.
The prices here are for a vacation for two (hopefully a couples’ getaway that's more romantic than Rick and Chelsea's...). Also, if you want to recreate your own White Lotus Thailand trip at your own price point, we got you covered.
Hotel: Four Seasons Koh Samui (actual filming location). Nightly rates depend on the room: the cheapest options I could find are ~$1000 (Serenity Pool Villa room). Suites can cost $10K-15K a night. For the purpose of calculating the totals here, I'm going to assume it’s about $40K for the week.
Credit: Conde Nast
Food: while the focus of White Lotus most definitely isn’t the food, the characters seem to be eating most of their meals at the Four Seasons. Here’s the price breakdown of meals at the resort, specifically at Koh Thai Kitchen:
Breakfast: even though all the characters just eat two pieces of fruit for brekkie, we’ll assume breakfast is ~$25 pp given the price of dinner. Side note: is it just me or does every shot of Laurie at breakfast have her eating watermelon?
Lunch: ~$50 (same rationale as above)
Dinner: ~$60 pp / night (for apps, entree, drink, dessert)
Drinks/snacks: ~$15 we know Parker Posey loves her room service afternoon snacks
Credit: HBO
Total per person/day: ~$150
Food for two, all week: $2,100
Day 1: Belinda’s Spa Immersion
Alright, so I’m thinking you’re going to be pretty exhausted after your 24+ hrs of travel. After you check into your suite, you’re gonna need to get that spa and relaxation treatment ASAP.
I did some research and options range from $175 to $1000 for a full package. Here are some of your options at the Four Seasons resort (with prices):
Detox ritual ($275)
“Four hands” 90-min massage ($355)
Traditional massage ($175)
Because Belinda got to experience the full array of treatments, you will too - let’s say you get three treatments and spend ~$1000. That’s $2000 for two.
Credit: HBO
Day 2: The Ratliff’s specialized treatments
Piper’s Yoga: Piiiiiper!! Noooo!! Yoga is $118 per person, so for two it’ll be $236.
Parker’s Wine Tasting: while it's debatable whether wine tasting is a wellness treatment, Parker probably thinks she needs something given someone's been stealing her Lorazepam... a wine tasting is $74 pp. $148 total for two.
Timothy’s Gym Workouts: I found a “sunshine” fitness package for $800, not sure if it’s for a whole week. Let’s assume we get the package and spend $1600 for the week for two.
Lochlan’s Posture Improvement Session: I also found a Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary (30-min car ride away) if you want to undergo an overnight, immersive experience to transform your macaroni desk job posture. If you have terrible posture like Lochlan, their physiotherapy team has a “Structural Revival” program.
Credit: HBO
Day 3: Chelsea and Chloe’s Shopping Spree
Let’s say your boyfriend (40 years your senior) recently inherited his ex-wife’s fortune and handed you his Amex. And he’s given you his credit card. Check out the central Samui shopping center, though you’re better off doing more of your luxury shopping in Bangkok.
Credit: HBO
The total receipts for the day total ~$500.
Places to go: Central Festival Samui, Samui Hot Club, local boutiques for breezy linens and handmade jewelry, maybe even a funky graphic tee?
Damage done: ~$500 (don’t worry—Greg/Gary won’t check the receipt)
Day 4: Gaitok (security guard) and Mook motorbiking along the coast
Renting motorbikes/scooters in Thailand is CHEAP. Like $5-10 per day. So if each of you gets motorbikes, it’s about $150 for two for the week.
Be careful!! You can ride along the coast from Chaweng to Lamai, which has beautiful ocean views. Scenic stops along the way: Lad Koh Viewpoint, Laem Sor Pagoda, and hidden beaches. You can also ride up to the scenic viewpoints at Lad Koh and Laem Sor.
Credit: HBO
Day 5: Rick and Chelsea’s snake show
The Samui Cobra Show costs 400 bhat, or $12 USD. For two it’ll be $25 USD. There are cobras, pythons, vipers, and more at this show. I like how this show raises awareness around conservation efforts and ways to handle snake safety. Just make sure you don’t pick up laced weed beforehand and inadvertently set the snakes free.
Credit: HBO
Day 6-7: Rick’s Bangkok Adventure
The finale of your vacation will take place in Bangkok, but rather than fill your trip with vengeance, let’s fill it with good eats and shopping. Here’s the breakdown of prices:
One-way flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok: $70 one way. $150 for two
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River: $500 per night, $1000 total
Food: $50/day pp, $200 total
Shop: ICONSIAM (luxury brands + riverfront views), Siam Paragon (fashion + gourmet eats), and Chatuchak Market (if you’re feeling brave)
Final Total ($USD):
Hotel: $40,000
Food: $2,100
Spa & Wellness: $4,984
Shopping & Extras: ~$2,650
Bangkok: $2,350
GRAND TOTAL: ~$52,000 for a week of White Lotus luxury (chaos not included)
Also, if you want to recreate your own White Lotus Thailand trip, we got you covered.