SINGAPORE - Asian fans of HBO’s award-winning series The White Lotus (2021 to present) have been looking forward to its upcoming third season, which was filmed in Thailand and features the acting debut of K-pop girl group Blackpink’s Lisa. But the first teaser for the show - set in Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui, Thailand’s second-largest island - has sparked online criticism upon its release on Aug 5. Netizens are zeroing in on one aspect: the usage of a noticeable yellow filter.
The six-second clip briefly shows the cast in a resort, walking through Thailand and a shot of a Muay Thai fighter -- along with a voiceover stating, “What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand”. On social media platforms like Reddit, Instagram and X, users - including those from South-east Asia - have voiced their displeasure. “This hideous yellow filter?” wrote one user on X in response to the teaser.
An Instagram user added: “Not the third world country yellow filter.” Users on Thailand’s Reddit forum also mocked it, joking: “They had to film in Mexico to save money.” Another user quipped: “Maybe it’s recorded in Chiang Mai.
” Chiang Mai is a landlocked Thai city known for its heat during the haze season. Some users have taken to posting their own images of Thailand’s natural beauty, showcasing its vivid shades of blue and green to highlight the disparity between the country’s appearance in real life and the show’s version in the teaser. This is not the first tim.