The White Lotus crew | Photo via Fabio Lovino/HBO, via Associated Press

 

In a major twist, luxury hotel rates in Koh Samui have surged by up to 50% following the release of season three of "The White Lotus", filmed on the Thai island. The average daily rate has climbed past 10,000 baht per night, fuelled by increased interest in the picturesque setting showcased in the popular series.

 

For newer accommodations, this revelation led to significant price hikes, while older hotels maintained rates between 8,000 to 9,000 baht per night. Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan of JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group draws parallels with a previous tourism boom in Chiang Mai after "Lost in Thailand" was filmed there, yet notes that Koh Samui's smaller capacity and high-end focus differentiate it from Chiang Mai's mass tourism capability.

 

 

Despite rising room prices, Koh Samui's hotel market has not reached the stratospheric levels recorded in Bangkok and Phuket. Last year, Bangkok’s luxury hotels saw a 49% ADR increase over their pre-COVID benchmarks. Meanwhile, Phuket eclipsed these figures with a dramatic 120% jump. While mid-range hotels also performed decently, budget options remain stagnant.

 

Looking ahead, Rathawat expresses caution regarding the room rate growth on Koh Samui in the next few years, suggesting the market might stabilise after the rapid rise. He anticipates this year's growth to hover around a modest 2% to 3%. Thailand’s hotel sector continues to grapple with staffing challenges, particularly in recruiting front-office personnel, amidst a renewed wave of investor interest evidenced by record hotel transactions valued at 22.3 billion baht last year, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-03

 

 

3 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The average daily rate has climbed past 10,000 baht per night, fuelled by increased interest

 

fuelled by increased GREED. I corrected it for you

2300 baht gets a 5 star room there. 

1 minute ago, CallumWK said:

 

fuelled by increased GREED. I corrected it for you

The average is not correct. See Agoda.

 

Been to Samui twice in last 24 years. Gave it a second chance. Never feel the need to go back. Much nicer places in Thailand. Hope the White Lotus lovers enjoy the prices there.

 

 

Any excuse to milk people. Ok temple time gotta fly. 

Shouldn’t take long to see the truth

Hotel I usually stay at has doubled and I have even seen it priced at 5x the usual rate !!

They seem to think samui is on par with Monaco 🙈

Friends I have from UK have came to samui the last 3 years , this year they said the price was far too much so they went to Phuket instead.

Just scare people away with greed eventually like they always do in samui.

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In a major twist, luxury hotel rates in Koh Samui have surged by up to 50% following the release of season three of "The White Lotus", filmed on the Thai island. The average daily rate has climbed past 10,000 baht per night, fuelled by increased interest in the picturesque setting showcased in the popular series.

Gouging...