Bangkok Airways eyes fleet expansion as HBO's 'The White Lotus' sparks Thailand tourism surge

By Phan Anh March 19, 2025 | 09:29 pm PT

A scene from the third season of HBO's "The White Lotus," featuring Blackpink's Lisa (L) as part of the cast. Photo courtesy of HBO

Bangkok Airways is gearing up for a tourism boom, driven by the global popularity of HBO's hit series "The White Lotus," by planning to acquire up to 30 new aircraft.

According to CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth, the Thai airline intends to order at least 20 new planes from leading manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing and Embraer within the first half of the year. An additional order of approximately 10 aircraft may follow. This ambitious expansion aims to refresh Bangkok Airways' current fleet of 25 planes, some of which have been operational for two decades, Bloomberg reported.

"The White Lotus," filming its third season in Koh Samui, is anticipated to significantly boost tourism to Thailand. As the owner of Samui Airport, Bangkok Airways plans a substantial renovation worth ฿1.5 billion (US$44.6 million), scheduled for the second half of this year, to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, the Bangkok Post reported.

The airline has already observed a 14% rise in advanced bookings for the typically slower second quarter. Additionally, passenger traffic to Koh Samui alone is projected to grow by up to 20% compared to last year.

Thailand's government forecasts around 40 million tourist arrivals this year, a boon for Bangkok Airways, which expects to serve a record 4.7 million passengers, up from 4.3 million the previous year. To meet growing demand, the airline received approval to increase its daily flights to 73, up from the current 50.