There are beach clubs, too, but Café del Mar, where Kate, Jaclyn and Laurie party, is in Phuket (the largest island in Thailand) and nowhere near Samui. The spa seen on the show is also in Phuket ...

And while dark comedy riffs on the tension between luxury tourism and local communities, Thailand is a particularly welcoming country. “As great as the show is, 'The White Lotus' is not represen ...