Exploring Koh Samui’s Vibe: 5 Luxury Resorts Beyond The White Lotus

Koh Samui is back in the spotlight as Season 3 of HBO’s The White Lotus began airing on February 16, 2025.

After Season 2 premiered, searches for San Domenico Palace in Sicily, its primary filming location, spiked 300% on Hotels.com. A similar surge is widely expected for Thailand following Season 3, and it’s not just Hotels.com predicting the trend.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is also banking on The White Lotus effect, aiming to attract high-spending international visitors in 2025, as reported by The Nation.

With set-jetting, a trend of traveling to filming locations, growing in popularity, Koh Samui will indeed set to see a surge in interest.

However, don’t chase The White Lotus filming locations in Thailand just yet. Koh Samui is already four times denser than Paris. Choose to travel smarter and find Thailand’s high-end experience without the crowds at one these five luxury resorts.

They offer a similar vibe of exclusivity and extravagance, but in lesser-known destinations and with a commitment to sustainability.

Six Senses Yao Noi

Six Senses Yao Noi is a five-star luxury resort on Yao Noi Island in Phang Nga Bay between Phuket and Krabi, only a 45-minute speedboat ride from Phuket. The island is home to unspoiled mangrove forests, quiet beaches, rubber and rice plantations.

Guests can choose from 56 uniquely designed villas with private infinity pools and ocean-facing views. Adventure seekers will find plenty of opportunities to kayak in the mangrove forests, while diving enthusiasts can explore the marine life of Phang Nga Bay. The resort offers plenty of activities from on-site Muay Thai boxing lessons to tie-day workshops at Yao Noi Batik Centre.

The resort is part of Six Senses’s ‘Earth Lab’ initiative focusing on reducing consumption, eliminating waste and supporting local ecosystems and communities. The resort also partners with Imagine Thailand to provide clean drinking water to 25 locations and actively participates in hornbill conservation by creating artificial nests to support breeding. Six Senses Yoa Noi is the only private-sector participant in Thailand’s Royal Plant Genetic Conservation Project, advancing ecological research and sustainable agriculture.

Soneva Kiri

Soneva Kiri is a remote eco-luxury resort on Koh Kood Island, near the Cambodian border, on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand from Koh Samui. It is one of Thailand’s least developed islands and the resort is only accessible via a private charter flight, followed by a speedboat transfer.

But remote comes with space, privacy and untouched nature. “Unlike Koh Samui, which is now densely built-up with resorts and tourist hotspots, Koh Kood remains wild, offering pristine beaches, waterfalls, and crystal-clear waters where you can still snorkel and see vibrant marine life without crowds,” says Aleksandra Loustau, senior communications manager at Soneva in an email interview.

Soneva has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability,” says Loustau. The resort eliminated plastic long ago, turns food scraps into compost for the organic garden, creates coconut oil from waste and even make charcoal for cooking. It operates carbon neutral since 2012.

The Soneva Foundation supports environmental and community projects in multiple locations worldwide, like coral restoration in the Maldives or large-scale reforestation in Thailand. In 2011-2012, the foundation partnered with the PATT Foundation (Plant A Tree Today) to plant over 500,000 trees across 300 acres in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai region.

The Sarojin

The Sarojin is a five-star resort in Khao Lak, approximately one hour north of Phuket, on Thailand’s Andaman coast. Its proximity to five spectacular national parks like Si Phang Nga National Park and Khao Sok National Park and world-famous dive sites of the Similan and Surin Islands, makes it an ideal destination for eco-conscious travelers seeking high-end accommodations near protected natural areas.

Andrew Kemp, owner of The Saorjin, shared in an email interview that his vision for The Sarojin was to create an ethical, sustainable luxury retreat that delivers an exceptional guest experience while giving back to the local community and environment.

He chose Khao Lak for its natural beauty and easily accessible, still off-the-beaten-path appeal. Also acknowledging the area’s vulnerable state, The Sarojin launched the One Booking One Tree initiative in partnership with Phang Nga National Parks, the Mangrove Forest Planting Project in Baan Nam Kem, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Takuapa Local Government and the Ban Nam Khem and Bang Nai Si communities in 2022.

Since its launch the initiative planted 3,845 mangrove trees along the coastline among others in Pakarang Cape and Bangsak Beach.

Banyan Tree Krabi

Banyan Tree Krabi is a five-star luxury resort in Krabi, facing Phang Nga Bay, directly opposite Six Senses Yao Noi. It is close to the caves of Railay Beach, Wat Tham Suea, a Buddhist temple in Krabi Noi, the Hong Islands and other key attractions in Krabi.

The resort features 72 luxurious suites and villas, each with a private pool. One of the highlights is the Wellness Sanctuary which includes Krabi’s first hydrotherapy spa, The Rainforest. It is a hydrothermal circuit with rain walk, steam room, sauna, ice fountain, vitality pool, outdoor hot and cold plunge pools, jet pool and heated beds.

The Wellness Sanctuary is also the place to join a variety of classes from tai chi to forest bathing or Thai potpourri making.

Banyan Tree Krabi focuses on minimizing environmental impact by improving energy efficiency, reducing waste and adopting sustainable practices in operations. It has already received Green Hotel Award’s Gold Certification and the Kinnaree Award. The Group, as a whole, reduced the emissions intensity per occupied room by 22% in 2023.

To celebrate 30 years, Banyan Group is launching the Rewilding Banyan Fund, pledging $1 per direct booking to habitat restoration starting November 1. It will extend the Laguna Phuket pilot project, which created a high-density, self-sustaining biodiverse forest by planting 7,500 native trees, to 10 additional locations in Thailand.

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin is a five-star beachfront luxury hotel in Hua Hin, a coastal resort town on the Gulf of Thailand, about 2.5 to 3 hours south of Bangkok by car.

Hua Hin became Thailand’s first beach getaway when King Rama VII built Klai Kangwon Palace in 1929 that later became the primary summer residence of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand.

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin offers a similar level of luxury and amenities, including a range of beachfront pools and the award-winning The BARAI spa.

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin is committed to sustainability through initiatives like the “Pick up three pieces of rubbish when you visit the beach” campaign, the use of glass water bottles and locally sourced food. The hotel holds ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 22000:2018 certifications, reflecting its dedication to environmental responsibility and food safety.