Koh Samui tops the list of Thai destinations for the Songkran holiday next month, thanks to the continuing influence of the hit TV series “The White Lotus”, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.
The resort island in the southern province of Surat Thani has seen a 65% rise from a year ago in bookings by foreign tourists planning to check in between April 10 and 17, said Anukool Pruksanusak, citing data from the hotel booking technology firm SiteMinder.
Samui is the primary destination for long-staying foreign tourists for the April holiday, said Mr Anukool, adding that the average stay has risen to 3.8 nights from 3.74 nights previously.
The latest season of The White Lotus has stirred international tourism interest in Koh Samui since it premiered in mid-February. Direct online bookings for the three Anantara resorts, owned by Bangkok-based Minor International, rose 41% in mid-February from a year ago, while web traffic more than doubled during the same period, according to founder and chairman Bill Heinecke.
Foreign bookings for hotels in Chiang Mai are up 41% and Bangkok has seen a 20% increase in Songkran bookings, according to Mr Anukool. The government expects the Thai new year holiday famous for public water fights to generate about 20 billion baht in tourism spending, he said.
Thailand has welcomed 8.9 million visitors since the start of 2025, an increase of about 2.9% from the same period last year, generating revenue of 435 billion baht, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The tourism industry accounts for about 12% of Thailand’s economy and employs nearly 20% of its workers.