Season two of The White Lotus made what was already an incredibly popular show into a worldwide sensation. A lot of that was down to Mike White’s commitment to capturing the Italian atmosphere of its Taormina setting. For that, not only did he strive to include tidbits that felt true to Italian culture — particularly its food, cinema, mythology, and family dynamics — but he also cast Italian actors and actresses in the roles of the hotel staff and other core characters of the show. Lucia, Mia, and Valentina, particularly, captured the hearts of everyone watching to become the true stand-out characters of season two.
Now that it’s been made official that the crew is packing up their bags and moving to Thailand for season three, The White Lotus fans are hoping Mike White will keep the standard of the previous installment both in storytelling and in his very particular way to imbue each season with its respective setting’s customs. A big part of that is casting the right local actors, which, considering how significant the Thai drama scene is, shouldn’t be too hard. Here are a few of our picks for the Thai actors and actresses we would love to see in season three of The White Lotus.
Yaya Urassaya
Yaya Urassaya is easily one of the most popular actresses to come out of the Thai scene in the last decade. She gained notoriety as the romantic lead in a number of Thai soap operas, especially when she shared the screen with Nadech Kugimiya. The two got together in 2011, and have been one of the most beloved Thai celebrity couples ever since. However, fans are particularly fond of her on-screen pairing with another big name on this list: Mario Maurer. Urassaya has also been in a number of comedy movies, including Fast & Feel Love and Brother of the Year, and would certainly feel right at home in The White Lotus‘ camp and excessive world.
Mile Phakphum
Mile Phakphum’s career positively blew up when he starred in the sultry Thai queer drama KinnPorsche: The Series, alongside the equally talented Apo Nattawin. While we’d love to see both of them reunited to play an iconic rich gay couple in season three of The White Lotus (and while we’re at it, throw in Tong Thanayut playing the exact same character he plays in KinnPorsche), we’d be perfectly content if even one of them showed up to the resort. Mile was our choice because he’s as rich if not richer than all the White Lotus hotel guests from previous seasons. It’d be hilarious to see him take on Mike White’s shrewd satirical script.
Kitty Chicha
After it was announced that season three of The White Lotus would be set in Thailand, it seemed like everyone on Twitter was asking for the iconic Kitty Chicha to be cast. She became a global star after her turn in Netflix’s hit show Girl from Nowhere, where she played the mysterious Nanno, also known as the personification of Karma, with the supernatural power to expose all the liars and miscreants around her. Chicha would be a great fit to take on The White Lotus‘ darker, sinister side, especially since the third season is supposed to delve deeper into themes of religion and spirituality.
Poyd Treechada
Trans women in Thailand have a very deep culture and history, and fans of The White Lotus have mentioned wanting this dynamic to find a place in the show’s third season, given how inclusive it has been towards the LGBT+ community in its storylines and casting. Although trans women are still generally disenfranchised in Thai society — facing fewer job opportunities among other issues —the fact that Buddhism, the country’s most widespread religion, recognizes a third gender called “kathoey” has helped integrate and normalize trans female communities within the country. Poyd Treechada is arguably the most famous trans actress in Thailand, and has built a prosperous career in both film and television. She has also used her voice to advocate for trans people in the past.
Gun Atthaphan
Gun Atthaphan is one of the kings of Thai dramas, and one of its most talented actors, too. He’s played the lead in over 20 television shows and movies, gaining special attention for his performances in the 2018 superhero Thai series The Gifted and BL (boy love) dramas such as Theory of Love and Not Me, where he stars opposite his most iconic scene partner, Off Jumpol. Atthaphan is pretty much a chameleon who’s taken on all kinds of roles in the past, and would likely nail whatever Mike White throws at him.
Aokbab Chutimon
Aokbab Chutimon is a prolific Thai actress with what might be the most reputable filmography among the members of this list, namely when it comes to her collaborations with Thai film directors Nattawut Poonpiriya and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit. Her performances in the former’s heist thriller Bad Genius and the latter’s romantic drama Happy Old Year brought her critical acclaim and put her name on the list of Thai stars to watch. The White Lotus would be the perfect vehicle for her to break through to the Western market.
Mario Maurer
Mario Maurer became Thailand’s number one heartthrob as young as 16 years old. His groundbreaking role as a gay teenager in the 2007 romantic drama Love of Siam instantly catapulted him to stardom, upon which Maurer just kept on building the incredibly successful career he has today. In 2010 he starred in the highest-grossing Thai film of all time, Pee Mak, and the rom-com Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Maurer, Aokbab Chutimon, and Yaya Urassaya were all part of the cast of the 2022 television series Bad Romeo.
Mai Davika
Mai Davika is a powerhouse of Thai dramas and Mario Maurer’s co-star in Pee Mak. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that her career would completely explode with the 2015 romantic film Heart Attack, for which she won a slew of awards including the coveted Suphannahong National Film Award for Best Actress. On TV her most famous roles were in the dramas My Ambulance and Astrophile, where she stars alongside two major Thai stars Bright Vachirawit and Off Jumpol (who, coincidentally, is the adored screen partner of Gun Atthaphan).