Who is the actor behind Gaitok in The White Lotus? Born in London to Thai parents, Tayme Thapthimthong was a private bodyguard for rapper Way before bagging his breakout role alongside Blackpink’s Lisa

Feb 24 , 2025

Tayme Thapthimthong is the breakout star of season three of The White Lotus, captivating fans worldwide alongside Blackpink’s Lisa. Photos: @taymettt/Instagram; AFP

The former club bouncer and military man shines as Gaitok in season 3 of the HBO series, while his daughter is a fan of his famous co-star; the actor is set to appear in a film with Jason Statham next

Black comedy drama The White Lotus’ third season premiered on February 16 with an impressive cast line-up of Walton Goggins, Aimee Lou Wood, Blackpink’s Lisa, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. But as with previous instalments, this season’s breakout star is a White Lotus resort employee.

Tayme Thapthimthong and Blackpink’s Lalisa Manobal, aka Lisa, at the season three premiere of HBO’s The White Lotus, in Los Angeles, on February 10. Photo: AFP

British-born Tayme Thapthimthong, whose parents are Thai, is taking on the role of Gaitok, a sweet and gentle security guard who’s starry eyed for his colleague Mook, played by Lisa. As the season progresses, Gaitok’s role will likely become more prominent as fans try to uncover this season’s mysterious murder.

So who is the actor playing Gaitok? From his history as a club bouncer and military man, to becoming a singer and Hollywood actor, here’s everything to know about the 35-year-old rising star.

Tayme Thapthimthong is a Londoner

Tayme Thapthimthong at the premiere of The White Lotus season three, in Bangkok, on February 14. Photo: EPA-EFE

Thapthimthong was born in London to Bangkok natives running a restaurant in Kensington. In an interview this month with Time magazine, the actor disclosed that he was bullied at school for being the only Asian kid and had to learn to fight back.

“I always think back to a moment when I decided to stand up to the bullies,” he said. “It just changed everything. It made me feel maybe sometimes you just have to fight back.”

He wanted to join the Royal Marines

The third season of the HBO original series was filmed on the Thai resort island of Koh Samui. Photo: @taymettt/Instagram

While he struggled academically, Thapthimthong had a knack for sports and enrolled in a British Armed Forces-run training programme for kids when he was 13. After graduating from school, he worked as a club bouncer, but his goal was to join the Royal Marines, per the Radio Times. Unfortunately despite excelling in the fitness exam and aptitude tests, he was rejected because he couldn’t hear well enough out of his left ear.