HBO’s “The White Lotus” is back, and this season, the award-winning series has traded the beaches of Hawaii and the historic charm of Sicily for the tropical luxury of Thailand.
But while the show’s characters unravel in their usual web of privilege and dysfunction, the real star of the season is its stunning backdrop — the five-star Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui.
Perched on the island’s northwestern coast, the hotel is a 40-acre sanctuary set on a former coconut plantation, preserving nearly 900 trees that sway above its hillside villas.
Known for its traditional Thai architecture and signature monkey statues scattered throughout the property, the resort has been transformed into the latest fictional White Lotus hotel — though its real-life luxury is anything but scripted.
Following in the footsteps of the previous seasons, which were filmed at Four Seasons properties in Hawaii and Italy, the Koh Samui location delivers cinematic scenery, from infinity pools overlooking the Gulf of Siam to its famed water hammocks that float above the shoreline.
The resort’s 71 villas — of which 11 are sprawling private residences — serve as the setting for much of the show’s high-stakes drama.
Among the guests checking in this season is the Ratliff family, played by Jason…