Thai govt thanks Blackpink’s Lisa, HBO’s The White Lotus for big tourism boost
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Blackpink’s Lisa plays a receptionist with big dreams in the hit HBO series The White Lotus.
PHOTO: AFP
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The Thai government has thanked Lalisa Manobal – better known as Blackpink’s Lisa – and the HBO series The White Lotus for sparking a surge in interest in Koh Samui and other tourist destinations in Thailand.
The third season of the series was filmed in locations in Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok.
Lisa – born Pranpriya Manobal in Buri Ram, Thailand – is cast as a hotel employee.
Deputy government spokeswoman Sasikarn Watthanachan said in a statement Koh Samui has seen a 65 per cent increase in interest among American tourists since The White Lotus began airing on HBO in February.
Searches for accommodations on Koh Samui via the Agoda booking platform rose 12 per cent, she said. This has also propelled Thailand into the top five most-searched destinations on Agoda, she added.
Ms Sasikarn said there has been a 40 per cent rise in luxury hotel bookings on Koh Samui.
Four hotels in Koh Samui feature in The White Lotus: Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort, Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas and Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort
The series was also filmed at the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park, Choeng Mon Beach, Rin Beach on Koh Pha Ngan, Wat Phu Khao Thong, Pi Samui Beach Club and Restaurant and Dusit Dhewa.
The White Lotus is a dark comedy with a murder anchoring the main plot and the lives of the hotel’s guests and their interactions with the staff layered on top of it.
In the latest season, Lisa plays Mook, a receptionist who dreams of a bigger future for herself but is stymied by the lack of opportunities typical for island girls in Thailand like her.
Lisa’s muted character in The White Lotus is far from her glamorous, sultry persona as a member of the mega-girl group Blackpink.
Her performance has so far won over critics and fans of the series, with one entertainment site saying it was “restrained yet meaningful, hinting at deeper layers to her character’s journey”.
The White Lotus is the name of a fictional hotel chain set in actual hotels in exotic locations across the globe.
The first season was set in Hawaii, while the second was in Sicily. Both have enjoyed a bump in tourism because of the series’ huge fan base.
