Bridge too far? Fresh from ‘White Lotus’ bounce, Thailand’s Samui questions need for road link
Worried locals say Samui Sea Bridge could potentially tarnish the island’s reputation for peace, clean air and respite from the perils of overtourism
The White Lotus effect – better known to Thais as the “Lisa” effect – has seen a surge in searches for hotels and holidays on the island, according to resort owners, and with the third episode of season 3 dropping on Sunday, Thailand is dining out on the deluge of free publicity.
But behind the headline promise of ever more tourists lies a more textured picture on the small, white-sand fringed Gulf of Thailand island, which some locals say is already struggling to cope with the tourist volume at peak season.
A controversial solution appears to be on the horizon.
Exploratory work began this month on a 54km (34-mile) road bridge to connect the island to Surat Thani on the mainland by a 40-minute drive.
The Samui Sea Bridge would end the relative isolation of an island accessible only by ferries and an expensive single airline – a distance and cost that has broadly kept Koh Samui’s white sands to higher-spending tourists.
While the bridge is in a consultation phase, seabed drilling tests have begun to find the best route to the shore for a link that could be completed within a decade.