White Lotus Resort: History of Tsunamis at the Location

As the latest season of The White Lotus takes viewers on a journey to Thailand, a sense of impending disaster hangs over the fictional resort, symbolized by haunting allusions to a tragic tsunami. One character imagines confronting a massive wave, while another shares a disturbing video of a real tsunami hitting the region. (Fun fact: the footage used in the show is from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, a catastrophic event that claimed the lives of over 5,000 people in Thailand and over 230,000 overall.)

While The White Lotus is fiction, its backdrop is not. The show was shot at the stunning Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui. Although the island was mostly untouched by the 2004 tragedy, it raises the question: could a tsunami again strike this area? Situated on the east coast of Thailand in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui is naturally shielded from the types of tsunamis that typically affect the country’s western shores. Experts suggest that a tsunami hitting the island is not impossible, but would require highly specific and rare circumstances. For instance, a massive earthquake in the South China Sea near the Philippines would have to occur to generate a powerful tsunami. However, based on historical and geological data, the chances of this happening are estimated to be less than once in 400 years.

Even in the unlikely event of a tsunami, the Gulf of Thailand’s geographical features serve as a protective barrier against destructive waves. The shallow seafloor in the area, which gradually slopes, would diminish much of the tsunami’s energy before it reaches the shore. Therefore, while a tsunami could potentially form, it would probably be significantly weakened by the time it reaches Koh Samui, lessening its impact. Although the risk of a tsunami at The White Lotus’ filming location is low, Thailand as a whole remains vigilant. The country has heavily invested in earthquake-monitoring systems and tsunami detection buoys to promptly alert authorities of any possible threats.

Ultimately, while Max’s latest season brings a tsunami of drama, in reality, the Four Seasons Koh Samui is unlikely to be in the danger zone.