The White Lotus Season 3 Review: Sun, Satire, and Secrets in Thailand

What’s It About

The White Lotus checks into a new resort, this time swapping Sicily’s sun-drenched coastline for the lush jungles and pristine beaches of Thailand. And true to form, creator Mike White has assembled another ensemble of deeply flawed, deeply wealthy, deeply entertaining characters for us to observe like particularly glamorous insects under a microscope.

Season 3 brings us to a luxury wellness resort in Koh Samui, where a collection of guests have arrived seeking various forms of enlightenment, healing, and escape. There’s a group of middle-aged mates on a “spiritual retreat” that’s really an excuse to behave badly away from their families. There’s a young couple whose picture-perfect relationship is quietly rotting from the inside. There’s a tech mogul experiencing a crisis of purpose, and a solitary writer wrestling with creative and personal demons.

As always with The White Lotus, the opening scene tells us someone has died — and the rest of the season is a slow, intoxicating unravelling to discover who, why, and at whose hands. The Thai setting isn’t just window dressing; it’s central to the season’s themes of cultural commodification, the Western obsession with Eastern spirituality, and the uncomfortable dynamics of tourism in developing nations.

The Verdict

Mike White has done it again. The White Lotus Season 3 is a gorgeous, venomous, frequently hilarious examination of privilege that earns its place alongside the first two seasons without simply repeating them.

The Thailand setting is inspired. The show looks absolutely stunning — every frame is dripping with tropical beauty, which serves as a deliberately ironic contrast to the ugliness of its characters’ behaviour. The resort itself becomes a character, its serene facade masking the chaos bubbling beneath.

The ensemble cast is magnificent. Without naming every name (and there are plenty of recognisable faces), the standout performances come from unexpected places. The “lads on tour” group provides some of the season’s biggest laughs and most uncomfortable moments, capturing that particular brand of entitled male bonding that tips so easily into cruelty. The couple’s storyline is a slow-motion car crash that’s almost physically painful to watch — in the best possible way.

The writing is razor-sharp, as you’d expect. Mike White has an extraordinary ear for the way wealthy people talk around things rather than about them, and the dialogue crackles with unspoken tension. The comedy is darker this season — there are fewer broad laughs than Season 1 and more of a creeping, uncomfortable humour that comes from watching terrible people justify their terrible behaviour.

The Thai cultural elements are handled with more nuance than you might expect from a show about awful tourists, though your mileage may vary. The show clearly has something to say about the Western wellness industry’s appropriation of Buddhist and Thai traditions, and it says it with characteristic bite.

If there’s a weakness, it’s that the mystery element — who dies? — feels slightly less integrated than in previous seasons. There are stretches where you almost forget someone’s supposed to die because you’re so absorbed in the interpersonal drama. Whether that’s a flaw or a feature depends on what you’re here for.

Who’s It For

If you watched and loved the first two seasons, you’ll devour this. It’s the same formula — gorgeous location, terrible rich people, someone dies — but Mike White finds enough new angles to keep it feeling fresh rather than formulaic.

Beyond existing fans, this is perfect for anyone who enjoys dark comedy with brains. If you’re into Succession, The Menu, Triangle of Sadness, or anything else that takes gleeful aim at the obscenely wealthy, The White Lotus Season 3 is right up your alley.

It’s also brilliant holiday viewing, oddly enough. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a show set in paradise while lounging on your own couch. Just don’t watch it too close to your own overseas trip, or you might spend the whole holiday feeling self-conscious about being a tourist.

Where to Watch in Australia

The White Lotus Season 3 is streaming on Binge in Australia (it’s an HBO show, and Binge is where HBO content lands here). Plans start from $10/month for Basic. You can also access it through Foxtel Now if that’s your setup.

Our Rating

8/10 — The White Lotus Season 3 is another triumph of savage social comedy, elevated by stunning visuals, a killer ensemble cast, and Mike White’s wickedly perceptive writing. The Thai setting adds rich thematic layers, and the slow-burn mystery keeps you guessing right up to its devastating conclusion. It’s the kind of show that’s immensely entertaining on the surface while quietly making you examine your own complicity in the systems it skewers. Brilliant, uncomfortable, essential television.