The White Lotus boom has arrived on Koh Samui. But is the island ready?
HBO’s hit series has turned this Thai island into the latest luxury travel sensation and a surge in visitors is already underway. But behind the glossy marketing, Koh Samui faces a deeper reckoning—one that could shape its future for decades to come.
Words by Liam Aran Barnes | Eco Stay Awards Co-founder
The speedboat cuts across the Gulf of Thailand leaving a white trail of foam behind it. From a distance, Koh Samui appears untouched—turquoise waters, jungle-covered hills, and luxury villas dotted along the coast. But up close, things are shifting. The island is no longer just a haven for honeymooners and high-end travellers. It has become a stage.
Since The White Lotus Season 3 premiered in mid-February, Koh Samui has been thrust into the global tourism spotlight. The season, shot primarily at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, has fuelled an immediate spike in travel interest, mirroring what happened to Hawaii and Sicily in previous seasons.
When The White Lotus debuted in Hawaii, the real-life Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea experienced a 425% year-over-year increase in website visits and a 386% rise in availability checks during Season 1, said Marc Speichert, chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels, in a recent interview with Wallpaper. Season 2 had a similar effect in Sicily, with San Domenico Palace becoming one of Europe’s most in-demand luxury hotels.
Pop culture tourism has done this before. Game of Thrones turned Dubrovnik into a year-round destination, overwhelming its medieval walls with unprecedented crowds. Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach drew hordes of backpackers to Maya Bay—forcing Thai authorities to close the site so nature could heal.
Now, Koh Samui rides that same powerful wave.
Bookings at the Four Seasons have jumped by 40%, and luxury tour operators report double the usual enquiries, according to Chaiyapat Paitoon, Minor International's chief financial officer.
But beneath the excitement, a more complex question looms: Is Koh Samui prepared for the impact?
Or, like so many destinations before it, will the island find itself drowning in its own success?
Opportunities and risks: The White Lotus effect on Koh Samui
In theory, this should be a golden moment for Koh Samui.
More visitors mean more revenue, more jobs, and a tourism sector that has struggled since the pandemic finally roaring back to life. Resorts, high-end restaurants, yacht companies, and wellness retreats all stand to benefit.
But longtime resident and director for sustainability and environment operations at Skål International Koh Samui Claudio Cerquetti sees both the opportunity and the risk.
“From my personal viewpoint as a Koh Samui resident for more than 25 years—and not speaking on behalf of my Club—I can summarise this within a broader context,” he explains. “Economic expansion is irresistible. Increase the visiting population, and you gradually consume its resources—including its beauty.
“Hotels may implement remarkable environmental practices, but it’s often one step forward, two steps back as visitor numbers climb faster and faster.”
Cerquetti acknowledges the upsides of the White Lotus spotlight—boosted visibility, full hotel occupancy, and job creation in tourism. Yet he warns that unchecked growth could overshadow these benefits in the long run.
The boom also raises concerns for local communities, many of whom are already struggling with rising costs. Charlotte Piffard, sustainability expert and head of the EXO Foundation, warns that the influx could price out locals from their own island.
“When demand skyrockets, the people feeling it first aren’t the luxury travelers—they’re the residents,” she says. “Housing, food prices, cost of living—all rise together. We’ve seen it in Bali, Boracay, and Maya Bay. Without firm guidelines, Koh Samui jeopardises the unique local identity that draws people here.”
Piffard proposes a Koh Samui Responsible Traveller Pledge, encouraging visitors to respect the island’s culture and environment before arrival. “It sets an early expectation,” she says, “so that everyone—beyond just the upscale resorts—benefits.”
Yet skyrocketing popularity also tests Samui’s fundamental infrastructure. Nowhere is that tension more evident than in the island’s basic utilities and resources.
Can Koh Samui’s infrastructure handle the tourism surge?
Water shortages, overflowing waste sites, and spiking energy demands have challenged Koh Samui for years.
The sudden influx of high-spending tourists, however, could multiply these stresses.
Water: Residents typically use around 150 litres a day, while a resort guest may consume up to 1,500 litres—depleting wells and reservoirs.
Waste: Landfills are near capacity, and recycling programs struggle with inconsistent volumes. Upscale properties often rely on disposable plastics, compounding the load.
Energy: Air-conditioned villas, private pools, and round-the-clock amenities drive up electricity usage, placing extra strain on an already limited power grid.
Lydia Tiasiri, director of design and chief sustainability officer at Fenn Designers, notes that many hotels focus on surface-level environmental gestures but skip the core issue of scalability:
“Solar panels and plastic bans are a start, but if you don’t continuously monitor energy, water, and waste metrics, you’re caught off-guard as guest numbers climb,” she says.
“You have to build with flexibility in mind—whether it’s larger wastewater treatment, modular energy systems, or infrastructure that can handle high-occupancy spikes without harming the environment.”
Tiasiri also emphasises creating a sustainable tourism workforce—staff who grasp the ‘why’ behind eco-friendly operations:
“If employees understand how water and energy usage affect the local community, they’ll pass that awareness on to visitors. That’s how conservation becomes part of the experience, not just a footnote.”
From take-back programmes and locally sourced materials to prioritising WELL-building elements (air quality, acoustics, water), these strategies can reduce carbon emissions and nurture healthier conditions for both guests and employees alike.
Weak governance threatens Koh Samui’s sustainability
Addressing these mounting pressures requires more than well-meaning programs.
If Koh Samui hopes to avoid the fate of other overextended destinations, strong local governance and consistent enforcement must step in.
Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model and a 300-baht fee for international arrivals aim to foster low-impact growth, while Skål International Koh Samui’s Samui.Green Initiative offers practical resources for businesses striving to reduce waste and manage energy consumption.
Still industry observers caution that these measures alone won’t neutralise the impact of The White Lotus–fueled tourism.
“Thailand is trying to adopt more responsible policies,” Piffard says. “But without local enforcement and stakeholder buy-in, even the best national initiatives can falter—especially if visitor numbers surge overnight.”
According to Piffard and Tiasiri, coordinated, enforceable regulations remain missing in key areas:
Coastal development controls: Construction near fragile shorelines continues with limited oversight from provincial and municipal bodies. Developers often prioritise waterfront parcels, aggravating erosion and reef stress.
Visitor flow management: Neither the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) nor local administrations allocate or limit tourist arrivals throughout the year, leading to peak-season congestion and off-season lulls.
Enforcement of plastic bans: While single-use plastics are discouraged or outlawed in some areas, budget shortfalls and insufficient manpower hamper proper oversight. Beaches and dumps still grapple with high plastic volumes.
“Regulations can’t remain on paper; they need genuine oversight,” Tiasiri says. “Hotels should collaborate on utility improvements and transparent reporting. An eco-minded approach won’t stick if everyone—from municipal leaders to housekeeping staff—doesn’t buy in.”
Ultimately, without more rigorous local oversight, Koh Samui risks replicating the trajectory of other tourism hotspots: rapid expansion, degraded ecosystems, and social backlash—often prompting policymakers to step in belatedly. Tying local strategies to Thailand’s BCG framework could avert such turmoil, but only if officials, businesses, and communities act before the island is fully overwhelmed.
Two possible futures: Sustainable growth or overdevelopment?
For some on Samui, the lack of robust policies reflects deeper systemic issues. That’s why observers like Cerquetti are already looking to long-term outcomes. He’s witnessed how a burgeoning tourism industry can either enrich a destination or erode it.
“When the overuse of nature is spread across enough people, no one really feels personally responsible,” he says. “In the clash between ecology and economy, it’s always the former that pays the price.”
Drawing on local trends—and lessons from places like Maya Bay—there are arguably two potential outcomes for Samui’s future:
Path 1: Business as usual
Minimal regulation and frenetic resort construction bring a swift financial windfall. Hotels crowd every stretch of coastline, draining water sources, clogging beaches, and inundating waste systems. Authorities respond late, amid rising public anger over soaring living costs and deteriorating natural habitats. Though the influx of revenue may continue for a while, the island’s image—and its coral reefs—ultimately bear the brunt.
Path 2: A sustainable course
Alternatively, hoteliers, community groups, and local authorities establish robust guidelines—from seasonal visitor caps and coastal buffer zones to enforceable building codes. Hotels invest in scalable infrastructure: expanded wastewater treatment, microgrids for clean energy, and staff trained in green practices. This approach aligns with Thailand’s BCG aspirations, yielding economic rewards without eroding the island’s core resources.
Key Elements
Infrastructure upgrades: Joint efforts on advanced waste management and water treatment to avoid the breakdown seen in other popular spots.
Enforceable standards: Local municipalities link permits and penalties to tangible ecological benchmarks, ensuring compliance.
Community inclusion: Fishermen, farmers, and artisans gain representation in planning decisions, directing tourism revenue into local projects.
By collaborating instead of scrambling for quick gains, Samui’s stakeholders can protect the island’s natural wonders and support those who call it home. It’s a challenging vision, but Cerquetti remains hopeful.
“We’ve seen destinations pull themselves back from the brink. But it requires real commitment—and putting ecology on equal footing with commerce.”
Koh Samui in the spotlight: Boom or bust?
As The White Lotus draws global eyes to Koh Samui, the island stands at the threshold of sweeping change. Like Dubrovnik after Game of Thrones or Maya Bay post–The Beach, the collision of sudden fame and a fragile environment can bring both prosperity and conflict.
Still, the final outcome isn’t set in stone. With thorough infrastructure planning, inclusive governance, and a united local workforce, Koh Samui could become a model for deliberate development. If these measures falter, though, it risks joining the long list of destinations where paradise eroded under unchecked expansion.
“Will Koh Samui learn from other pop culture hotspots,” asks Piffard, “or rush into reckless overdevelopment? The cameras won’t linger forever, but the repercussions might.”
The White Lotus effect has already begun. Whether it unfolds into a story of balanced progress or devolves into a cautionary example depends on decisions made now—before the final credits roll on Koh Samui’s real-life drama.