Why this London-born ‘Thai military expert’ found playing Gaitok on The White Lotus a challenge

Warning: This story is packed with White Lotus spoilers. Read only if you have watched episode six of season three.

The White Lotus is famous for delivering uncomfortable viewing. In any given episode, there are several moments designed to make you squirm in your seat. This season is no different; just over halfway through, and we have already endured brotherly incest and toxic female friendships, not to mention Sam Rockwell’s stirring monologue about wanting to wear lingerie and be “an Asian girl”.

But while cringe-watching might be part of the deal for audiences, this same feeling also extends to those in front of the camera. For London-born Thai actor Tayme Thapthimthong, landing the role of Gaitok, the resort’s earnest yet less-than-impressive security guard, was a dream come true.

Tayme Thapthimthong was working as a private bodyguard when he landed the role of hapless security guard Gaitok on The White Lotus. Credit: Aresna Villanueva

The only catch? Thapthimthong is an ex-military veteran who trained with the British Royal Marines and the Thai army, making Gaitok’s ineptitude particularly painful.

“I see people online getting frustrated with Gaitok, but no one finds it harder to watch than me,” says Thapthimthong with a laugh. “I would never leave my gun lying around; that’s like the first thing they teach you in the army.”

In fact, before he was cast as Gaitok, Thapthimthong worked as a private bodyguard and contractor. “I’d been hired by a famous Thai rapper, Way, to be his personal bodyguard, and that was going well; the pay was good, there was plenty of time off, the perfect job,” he says. “Then I got a phone call.”

On the other end of the line was a casting director who remembered Thapthimthong from his bit-part role in the 2016 Jason Statham action flick The Mechanic: Resurrection, which was filmed in Bangkok. “She said, ‘Hey, I heard you left the army. Would you be interested in auditioning for a show in Thailand called The White Lotus?’”

Tayme Thapthimthong (far left) working in a close protection team for the Thai army.Credit: Screenshot

Thapthimthong had never heard of the hit HBO series (“I thought it was called the White Loafers”), but luckily, Way was a fan. “He pulled me aside and demanded I attend the audition.”

After impressing the Thai casting directors, Thapthimthong was summoned to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok (where Rockwell’s now-infamous monologue was filmed) for a meeting with show creator Mike White.

According to Thapthimthong, the audition went well enough, but a chance bathroom encounter sealed the deal.

The White Lotus creator Mike White with Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Tayme Thapthimthong and Michelle Monaghan.

“We bumped into each other in the bathroom afterwards, and Mike said he was fascinated by my story; you know, how does an English-born Thai military expert end up living in Bangkok and occasionally acting?” says Thapthimthong. “So he asked me to email him my life story.”

Unsure of where to begin, Thapthimthong admits to including too much detail. “I started when I was seven, then rewrote it, figuring he didn’t need to know everything.”

Either way, it worked a treat because he booked the job a week later. “Mike emailed me explaining I had the right mix of vulnerability and empathy for the character; he also said I had a Gaitok smile,” says Thapthimthong.

These same qualities have helped transform Gaitok into a fan favourite, one of the few likeable characters among The White Lotus’ collection of deeply flawed guests.

“Gaitok and Mook [played by Thai pop star Lisa Manobal] are locals, so Lisa and I spoke a lot about how they needed to be different,” says Thapthimthong. “They’re observing all this wealth and luxury but remain detached from it.

Happily never after? Fans aren’t convinced that things will end well for Mook and Gaitok.Credit: HBO / Binge

“And that’s very true to the Thai experience. The wealth gap is big there, and even when I was in the army, and we’d look after foreign VIPs staying in five-star hotels, I wasn’t thinking, ‘I wish I had that flashy car or expensive suit,’ because it was too unreachable, so I had more realistic goals.”

Gaitok’s goals are similarly grounded in reality. All he wants in life is to become a bodyguard and, if possible, take Mook on a date. Given how wholesome the stop-start relationship between Mook and Gaitok seems, it has naturally become the subject of wild theories, with fans believing it’s destined to end in tears.

“I’ve read lots of speculation online that maybe Mook is manipulating Gaitok, maybe she isn’t as innocent as she seems,” teases Thapthimthong.

The other dominant theory is that sweet, gentle Gaitok might go full incel should Mook reject him, a plot twist that feels distinctly in the Mike White wheelhouse.

“Now, that would be difficult to watch,” says Thapthimthong. “I don’t know if the audience could handle that emotionally.”

While it remains to be seen what the future holds for Gaitok and the rest of The White Lotus crew, things are looking up for Thapthimthong. Having secured representation in Los Angeles and Britain, he will soon reunite with Statham for the action film Mutiny, due out next year.

“The White Lotus changed my life, and there are a few opportunities on the horizon, so I’d love to continue acting,” says Thapthimthong. “But in the worst-case scenario, I can always fall back on being a security guard.” Hmm, sounds like something Gaitok might say.

Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at [e-mail] or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.

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