Harvesting filming locations as Thailand’s soft power

Overseas searches for accommodation on Koh Samui showed a 26 per cent increase year on year in June, while domestic searches were up 8%, according to Agoda, the digital travel platform.

The reason for the increase in interest has been attributed to the production of the Netflix series, “The White Lotus” (Season 3), whose filming location was moved to Koh Samui. There has been a surge in interest in people wanting to travel and experience the atmosphere seen in the series.

Tourists from Israel, India, Germany, South Korea and Malaysia were the five to show the greatest interest, Agoda revealed.

Ranked from 6th to 10th were tourists from Singapore, Japan, the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

With the unique charm of Koh Samui, along with the popularity of the “The White Lotus”, tourists expect to explore and experience what Koh Samui has to offer, and this popularity will continue into the future.

And if this series airs in 2025, there is a likelihood of more tourists showing interest to visit the location. The series, which stars Patrick Schwarzenegger and Lalisa Manoban, was shot at Four Seasons Koh Samui, which has beautiful sandy beaches, clear seas, pool villas and spas.

People who want to travel must have motivation. First, they must have money. Next is inspiration. They want to see the world, be happy, eat delicious food, etc. Therefore, the government must create motivation and opportunities for people to want to travel.

Motivation from entertainment and media that reaches people of all levels is movies, inspiring people to follow the path of travel. It has been around for a long time, it is not new.

Filming locations allow people a real-world glimpse. Thai shows such as “Love Destiny” and “Love Destiny 2” were very popular, leading to the Ayutthaya-Lopburi tour that allowed people to follow in the footsteps of the screen stars, wearing Thai traditional costume. This kind of activity generates income across the board.

There is still hope for the famous movie “Jurassic World 4”, which was filmed in the rainforests of Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, Krabi province, and several other locations in Trang, Phang Nga, and Phuket provinces.

Sometimes moviegoers want to experience the reality of the places shown in a film. And the best way to woo them would be to ensure the travel is convenient, the accommodation is clean, the food is delicious, the service is good, the trip is fun, and the heart is full of impressions from the movie that they have watched and liked.

Many Thais believe that the filming locations of Thailand, from Koh Samui to the ancient forest of Khao Phanom Bencha, will become top tourist attractions, acting as a tourism soft power, bringing income to the country.

For example, many areas of Hawaii have a history dating back to the dinosaur era, which became famous from the filming locations of many Jurassic movies. When one thinks of dinosaur movies, Hawaii is a must-see. Soon, many Jurassic movie fans will also think of the rainforests of Thailand.

Eurphan