I Was an Further on ‘White Lotus’—Here is What It Taught Me About Thailand

I used to be about to get my head shaved.

On the Dhutanga Perception Meditation Heart—an all bhikkhuni (feminine monk) religious sanctuary tucked away in nature exterior the bustling metropolis of Bangkok—Punya, the top monk, patted me on the shoulder, silver scissors in hand, and requested, “Are you able to grow to be a monk?” I nodded, trying to cover my worry. Her light palms held a lock of my lengthy, darkish hair. Earlier than I stated goodbye—snip, snip, snip—it was gone. A number of tears welled, and I questioned, “Am I going to be ugly now?”

Then, with cautious precision, one other monk started shaving my head. As soon as full, my fingertips grazed my chilly, bare scalp.

My monkhood solely lasted two weeks; I couldn’t battle my itching want to discover Thailand. However, after I left, the monks gave me a blessing necklace to maintain me secure on my journey. Three months later, rocking a contemporary pixie lower, I might put on this identical necklace as part of my costume whereas enjoying a meditation pupil on the set of The White Lotus.

Who knew my travels would land me on an HBO hit?

Like Piper (performed by Sarah Catherine Hook) in The White Lotus season 3, I arrived in Thailand desirous to immerse myself within the religious world of Thai Buddhism. My journey started on the Dhutanga Perception Meditation Heart as a volunteer. Earlier than dawn, I’d wake to the sounds of chirping birds and croaking lizards. Every day introduced a gradual and regular rhythm—transferring from meditating to chanting to learning the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) to finishing chores. My favourite one? Planting child mango bushes to blossom lengthy after we’re gone.

The night time after I left, I went straight to Khao San Street—a brief however electrical road filled with bars, finances hostels, and road distributors hawking the whole lot from fried scorpions to faux IDs. I traded my saggy meditation garments for slightly black gown and dove straight into chaotic nomad life. With a gaggle of fellow backpackers, I hopped from bar to bar, passing round low cost alcohol and inhaling laughing gasoline balloons. The night time blurred into neon lights, pulsing music, and the reckless vitality of vacationers chasing freedom on the backside of a rum-and-Coke bucket.

The subsequent morning, as I nursed my hangover by trying to meditate, I spotted Thailand exists in extremes. Vacationers come right here looking for transformation—whether or not by means of serene spirituality or wild revelry. Some discover enlightenment in meditation halls; others, within the dizzying haze of a Khao San Street bender.

I discovered it in each.

Months later, I fell in love with Koh Phangan, an island cut up by these dualities. On the western aspect, in Sri Thanu, a religious neighborhood thrived, full of yoga shalas, tantra workshops, and ecstatic dances. However on the south aspect lived the darkish underbelly: Haad Rin, residence of the Full Moon Occasion, the world’s largest seaside rave, replete with neon paint, fireplace dancing, and, once more, plastic buckets of alcohol.

At some point, a WhatsApp message invited me to be an additional on an unnamed HBO present. I used to be skeptical but open to a brand new journey. A number of weeks later, I discovered myself on Koh Samui, a extra developed neighboring island with spacious resorts, a double-decker mall, and its personal airport, prepared for my first day on set.

For two,250 baht a day (about $65 USD), I pretended to be a meditation pupil at Wat Phu Khao Thong, a quiet, secluded Buddhist temple hidden away in Koh Samui’s Mae Nam space, residence to monks and stray canine. Inside its grounds stood a hanging golden pagoda and complicated dragon-adorned stairway (a function you’ll spot in The White Lotus). 

Earlier than daybreak, the extras arrived on set, nonetheless groggy as we sipped free espresso from the craft companies desk. In between takes, we bonded over card video games and journey tales. We have been a motley crew of backpackers, expats, and locals, all chasing a paycheck and a slice of Hollywood fame. Spending 12 hours a day collectively, a camaraderie shaped amongst a small group of us. Every time one among us obtained a close-up with an actor, the remaining would silently cheer.

My shining star second? A 15-second scene with Victoria Ratliff (performed by Parker Posey) as she freaked out about her daughter Piper doubtlessly becoming a member of a cult. However my favourite behind-the-scenes spotlight was watching Mike White direct in a “Get Your Sh*t Collectively Portia” t-shirt (a nod to a personality from season 2).

From the angle of a lapsed meditation pupil and former monk, the depiction felt surprisingly correct. Most scenes we spent sweeping the grounds, meditating in teams, and learning Dharma. The second that felt off? A scene the place we ate a meal at night time—as a result of I do know firsthand monks don’t eat previous midday.

Our final day of capturing flipped the script, so to talk. We modified units from a tranquil temple to a rowdy rager. Fisherman’s Village Evening Market was reborn as a tightly packed alley resulting in Full Moon Occasion. Abruptly, it was like I used to be again on Khao San Street—besides this time the buckets have been full of water. Wearing pink cat ears and booty shorts, I pretended to occasion till we wrapped at 3 a.m. The night time ended with my castmates and I slipping away for a sneaky picture with Aimee Lou Wooden and Charlotte Le Bon.

My time as an additional surprisingly mirrored my two-sided expertise as a traveler in Thailand—each as a religious seeker and a celebration chaser. Nevertheless it was one thing exterior myself that I fell in love with: the individuals. 

As I watch the present with my fellow extras on Zoom, I’m left wanting extra perception into Thai tradition, spirituality, and life past the vacationer expertise. The one Thai characters in The White Lotus work for the resort. Because the finale approaches, I can’t assist however surprise, will the present strip away the glitz and glamour for a extra genuine glimpse of Thailand? 

On day two of filming, we spent many of the day sitting in a stuffy meditation corridor, full of artificial smoke and towering cameras. Hours handed with our eyes closed, legs folded in lotus place. I began to battle my very own eyelids, combating the urge to open them and examine the clock. I ponder how many people have been really meditating—and what number of have been simply pretending. 

On the finish of the day, possibly that’s the actual query: After we discover new locations, are we actually immersing ourselves in new cultures, or are we merely performing as our previous selves, pretending to be reworked by overseas locations?

Like The White Lotus suggests, the reply will depend on the traveler.