‘White Lotus’ Generated $36.5 Million in Thailand Spending and 300% Tourism Surge, Trade Chief Says

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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Thailand‘s government arrived at this year’s Cannes Film Market with “The White Lotus” as its flagship example of how the kingdom’s filming incentives translate into tangible returns.

Sunanta Kangvalkulkij, director-general of Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), tells Variety that the HBO series generated approximately $36.5 million in local production spending across 129 days of filming and engaged around 1,000 Thai crew members. After it aired, travel bookings to Thailand surged by around 300% and online searches for the country rose by roughly 88%.

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