Bill Barnett

Bill Barnett has over 30 years of experience in the Asian hospitality and property markets. He is considered to be a leading authority on real estate trends across Asia, and has sat at almost every seat around the hospitality and real estate table. Bill promotes industry insight through regular conference speaking engagements and is continually gathering market intelligence. Over the past few years he has released four books on Asian property topics.
  • PropertyHotels and real estate driving a new power equation in Phuket’s economic transformation | Thaiger

    Hotels and real estate driving a new power equation in Phuket’s economic transformation

    Phuket is rewriting its story. Once the domain of lifestyle seekers and individual investors, the island is now emerging as one of Asia’s most compelling real estate and hospitality investment frontiers. A surge of institutional capital, the rise of branded residences, and the blurring lines between living and staying are transforming what it means to build, own, and operate in…

  • Thailand HotelsPHIST 2025 draws 1,300 delegates as Phuket Governor and Minor Chairman call For community-led sustainability | Thaiger

    PHIST 2025 draws 1,300 delegates as Phuket Governor and Minor Chairman call For community-led sustainability

    Asia’s biggest sustainability event for tourism, PHIST 2025, broke records today with over 1,300 delegates from across the region as government and business leaders warned the hospitality industry to act fast on integrating community-driven sustainability into travel and tourism experiences to appeal to a new generation of visitors. Hotels and tourism operators need to engage with local communities to enrich…

  • Property NewsPhuket enters a new real estate cycle as resale market gains traction | Thaiger

    Phuket enters a new real estate cycle as resale market gains traction

    Phuket’s property market is quietly evolving. After a wave of new project launches in 2023 and 2024 that reignited interest in the island, a new storyline is emerging as buyers are increasingly considering resale homes as a meaningful alternative to off-plan developments. Data from Thailand’s largest real estate portal, FazWaz.com, highlights how the secondary market is no longer on the…

  • Property NewsKoh Samui’s property pivot: Luxury living, rising condos, and smart investments | Thaiger

    Koh Samui’s property pivot: Luxury living, rising condos, and smart investments

    Koh Samui is undergoing a quiet revolution in its residential property market. While the headlines often focus on Thailand’s better-known destinations, this island in the Gulf of Thailand is steadily drawing the attention of lifestyle buyers and investors—especially those eyeing luxury villas at competitive prices. With the total value of Samui’s real estate market for sale currently reaching approximately 30.3…

  • PropertyBranded residences gain ground in Asia’s Property Market with Thailand taking the lead | Thaiger

    Branded residences gain ground in Asia’s Property Market with Thailand taking the lead

    A quiet transformation has been shaping Asia’s residential landscape for over a decade: the rise of branded residences. Once a niche offering, this category has grown into a significant segment of the region’s property market. Blending high-end real estate with the services and credibility of globally recognised brands, branded residences are increasingly appealing to discerning buyers, and Thailand is at…

  • Koh Samui TravelKoh Samui shines as Thailand challenged: Positive tourism performance drives island growth | Thaiger

    Koh Samui shines as Thailand challenged: Positive tourism performance drives island growth

    The Koh Samui hotel and tourism market is demonstrating solid growth through the first four months of 2025, supported by strong air and cruise arrivals, stable hotel performance metrics, and impressive European market engagement. From January to April of this year, Koh Samui International Airport recorded 1,127,832 passenger arrivals, representing a 9% increase over the same period in 2024. This…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s spiritual tourism surge: A new journey beyond the usual | Thaiger

    Thailand’s spiritual tourism surge: A new journey beyond the usual

    As global stress levels soar and wellness becomes the new luxury, travellers are seeking more than sandy beaches and nightlife. They are craving meaning, mindfulness, and a reconnection with themselves. Enter Thailand’s newest tourism trend: spiritual travel. According to a groundbreaking report titled Spiritual Travel Thailand: Exploring the Journey Beyond Destination 2025 recently released by C9 Hotelworks in collaboration with Guestasy,…

  • Phuket TravelBeing Thailand 2025 highlights Thailand’s evolving role as a global wellness economy leader | Thaiger

    Being Thailand 2025 highlights Thailand’s evolving role as a global wellness economy leader

    As the global wellness landscape continues to shift alongside changing consumer demands and travel behaviour, Thailand is increasingly recognised as a model of adaptive leadership in the wellness economy. And it was at the new industry strategic touchpoint, Being Thailand 2025 in Phuket, where the country’s role in shaping wellness-oriented tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and consumer markets, was assessed. Over the…

  • PropertyA pivot to lifestyle as Phuket’s property market continues to surge | Thaiger

    A pivot to lifestyle as Phuket’s property market continues to surge

    Phuket’s property market is continuing to thrive despite global economic volatility as the sector moves increasingly towards condominiums as lifestyle becomes the new luxury on the island, as delegates heard at the Asia Connect: Phuket Property Pulse event. Held at Andara Resort & Villas, in conjunction with Property Guru Thailand and C9 Hotelworks, the top-level industry gathering further heard speakers…

  • Property NewsPhuket property market in 2025: Evolving with demand and diversification | Thaiger

    Phuket property market in 2025: Evolving with demand and diversification

    Phuket’s real estate market is undergoing a significant transformation in 2025, marked by growing inventory, shifting buyer preferences, and intensifying competition. The latest Phuket Property Market Update by C9 Hotelworks reveals a dynamic landscape shaped by lifestyle migration, maturing development ecosystems, and rising price premiums, particularly in branded and well-located properties. Performance in early 2024 and emerging trends The first…

  • Phuket TravelPhuket’s new lifestyle communities: Embracing nature and wellness | Thaiger

    Phuket’s new lifestyle communities: Embracing nature and wellness

    Phuket is known for its beautiful landscapes and stunning beaches, making it a popular spot for tourists and people looking for tropical living. Recently, though, there’s been a shift in the type of communities in Phuket that is quickly gaining traction. More and more, people are looking for homes that are connected to nature, sustainable, and focused on wellness and…

  • EventsBEING Thailand 2025: An event for connection and collaboration in wellness | Thaiger

    BEING Thailand 2025: An event for connection and collaboration in wellness

    Thailand’s wellness industry will take centre-stage this May in Phuket with BEING Thailand 2025, a new B2B event designed to unite professionals across the wellness, hospitality, and tourism sectors. The inaugural gathering, expected to draw 400 industry leaders, aims to drive key conversations and innovation, bringing together a traditionally fragmented sector for an exchange of ideas and strategies. As travel…

  • Phuket TravelTourism boom drives residential-led hospitality investments in Phuket | Thaiger

    Tourism boom drives residential-led hospitality investments in Phuket

    Thailand’s tourism boom is driving lifestyle investments as traveller traffic morphs into a desire to stay longer in the country. The number one beneficiary is Phuket, where arrivals continue to soar with a 23% increase in 2024 compared to the previous year for a total of 8.65 million arrivals registered at Phuket International Airport. The key trend emerging, according to…

  • Property NewsThailand’s new luxury lies in wellbeing, culinary tourism, and brands | Thaiger

    Thailand’s new luxury lies in wellbeing, culinary tourism, and brands

    For Thailand to seize the potential of luxury tourism and hospitality in 2025, the country needs to go deeper with high-equity branded residences, regenerative wellness and culinary tourism set to determine the destiny of the country becoming Asia’s luxury tourism hub. The importance of brands in Thailand is turning Bangkok into a global playground city while the shift in values…

  • Property NewsSome like it hot: Phuket property market in 2024 | Thaiger

    Some like it hot: Phuket property market in 2024

    As we stepped into 2025, it’s the perfect time to take a closer look at the hottest property trends in Thailand’s largest leisure destination—Phuket. One of the most notable developments is the increasing presence of major Thai-listed property groups on the island, following an oversupply of properties in Bangkok. At the same time, banks are tightening credit to domestic real…