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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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…

  • Property NewsThe Phuket southern shift: More than just real estate

    The Phuket southern shift: More than just real estate

    Over the past two years, Phuket’s real estate market has experienced a remarkable surge, with rising prices and growing demand. As tropical islands evolve over time, certain areas mature and develop, and much of the recent focus has been on the northwest, particularly the Bangtao area. For property buyers, location is often influenced by proximity to key amenities such as…

  • Phuket TravelPhuket transforms into a global luxury hub for the elite

    Phuket transforms into a global luxury hub for the elite

    Phuket has changed dramatically in recent years. Fringed by the Andaman Sea, the tropical oasis has evolved from a popular beach resort destination into one of the world’s most attractive luxury residential markets, with elite luxury consumer brands, Michelin dining and international quality education and medical care fuelling the interest. The Phuket Luxury Report, unveiled at a recent event and…

  • PropertyDriving sales: Thai real estate shifts gears with fashion and wellness brands

    Driving sales: Thai real estate shifts gears with fashion and wellness brands

    Thailand’s real estate developers are expanding beyond familiar hotel brands into the realms of iconic automotive, fashion, and wellness labels, as they seek identities that resonate with luxury property buyers. Listed property group Ananda made global headlines with their ultra-luxury offering, Porsche Design Tower Bangkok, with eye-catching prices reaching 1 million Thai baht per square metre (approximately US$33,000 per square…

  • International EducationWhy Asia’s resort destinations are tapping into the growth of international schools

    Why Asia’s resort destinations are tapping into the growth of international schools

    A key indicator of Bangkok’s growing economic maturity is the rapid rise in international schools both in the city and across Thailand and the region. It’s no longer limited to wealthy local families and expatriates, these schools are now drawing in a diverse student body, fueled by the surge in global migration. Branded education is highly prioritised by Thais, contributing…

  • Thailand HotelsPHIST 2024 calls for sustainable development in Thailand

    PHIST 2024 calls for sustainable development in Thailand

    “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” Joni Mitchell once sang—a line that now eerily echoes the over-development plaguing Thailand’s top tourist hotspots. With the recent catastrophic floods in Phuket raising alarm bells, are these disasters a grim glimpse of the future? And is anyone paying attention to the growing environmental crisis? These questions took centre stage at…

  • EventsLeading international and Thai green advocates headline Asia’s leading sustainability tourism event, PHIST 2024

    Leading international and Thai green advocates headline Asia’s leading sustainability tourism event, PHIST 2024

    One of the world’s most inspirational green advocates will headline PHIST this year as Asia’s pioneering sustainability event enters its 8th year. You can register to join the event that advocates for sustainability through the Eventbrite registration website. Unsung hero of sustainability Andrew Dixon, a former banker turned green activist, owner and operator of two private island resorts in Indonesian…

  • EventsPHIST strikes again with Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainable tourism event

    PHIST strikes again with Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainable tourism event

    PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainability event for the travel and hospitality sectors, will return to spark conversation and drive the green agenda this September, with an impressive line-up of key figures and industry innovators led by Peng Sum Choe, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Organised by the Phuket Hotels Association, the non-profit organisation…

  • Property NewsMind the gap: Gender equality event returns to tackle key issues faced by women in the workplace

    Mind the gap: Gender equality event returns to tackle key issues faced by women in the workplace

    Phuket Hotels Association, the non-profit organisation of hoteliers focused on creating a positive future for Phuket, and C9 Hotelworks, the award-winning hospitality consultancy, will continue to drive the agenda for equality, diversity and inclusivity in the hospitality industry as it hosts the second annual edition of Mind the Gap: Women & Diversity in Hospitality, an important and empowering conference that…

  • Koh Samui TravelKoh Samui’s tourism renaissance: An island reawakens

    Koh Samui’s tourism renaissance: An island reawakens

    Koh Samui, Thailand’s renowned resort island, is experiencing a remarkable revival in tourism. The island has witnessed a 69% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers during the first four months of 2024, driven by an influx of domestic tourists, the opening of new international markets, and improved air connectivity. In 2023, Samui hosted 3,541,821 visitors, a balanced mix of domestic and…

  • TravelPhuket Hotels Association goes live with ‘absolutely fabulous travel sale’ to raise funds for Thai hospltality students

    Phuket Hotels Association goes live with ‘absolutely fabulous travel sale’ to raise funds for Thai hospltality students

    Phuket Hotels Association, the non-profit organisation of hoteliers focused on creating a sustainable future for Phuket, has announced that its “Absolutely Fabulous Travel Sale” is back with an amazing array of prizes, including heavenly hotel stays and aspirational travel experiences all around the globe. The annual online auction is a charitable initiative, with all the proceeds being donated to the…

  • Phuket TravelPhuket tourism market edging towards recovery in 2024

    Phuket tourism market edging towards recovery in 2024

    Phuket’s tourism industry is undergoing an ongoing rebound, with last year’s airport passenger arrivals edging towards pre-pandemic figures according to a new report from consulting group C9 Hotelworks. While hitting 7 million, it was still short of the 9 million mark set in 2019. This year the trend is continuing with 1.62 million arrivals to date in February, compared to…

  • Property NewsUpdated trends in Phuket’s rental property market

    Updated trends in Phuket’s rental property market

    Given the backdrop of a booming Phuket real estate sector, one area that is often overlooked is the rental market. Despite a vibrant vacation short-stay segment, there remains a strong demand for extended and long-stay rentals across the island. Rental demand coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced a sustained uplift and has continued to perform well. Despite a return…

  • Property NewsInside the numbers: the potential of a Phuket property bubble

    Inside the numbers: the potential of a Phuket property bubble

    One of the most common questions I am asked these days is about a potential Phuket real estate bubble. While it’s a popular buzz term, so many who ask the question don’t understand what a bubble is. The most notable real estate bubble in recent history was the subprime housing crisis in the United States in 2007. In other sectors,…

  • Property NewsAccor partners with Tytans Properties Development to unveil world’s largest Pullman in Cebu

    Accor partners with Tytans Properties Development to unveil world’s largest Pullman in Cebu

    Accor, one of the world’s leading hospitality groups, continues its rapid expansion in the Philippines with the signing of Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences, which is set to become the world’s largest Pullman property. The signing of the beachfront destination represents a milestone for mixed-use lifestyle real estate in the Philippines, as a new generation of integrated resorts emerges…

  • Thailand HotelsBanyan Tree Founder developing USD2 billion international commmunity in Bangtao Phuket’s emerging Thonglor Lifestyle District

    Banyan Tree Founder developing USD2 billion international commmunity in Bangtao Phuket’s emerging Thonglor Lifestyle District

    The resort island of Phuket which once was highly tourism dependent, has quickly evolved into a global hotspot as an international community for a rising tide of global citizens. Taking flight is a migration megatrend that is being driven not only by geopolitical events worldwide but a series of other emerging segments. Those highlighted in C9 Hotelworks latest research include…

  • PropertyA record is set with a groundbreaking 11 billion baht investment for Gardens of Eden

    A record is set with a groundbreaking 11 billion baht investment for Gardens of Eden

    In a strategic move that underscores the burgeoning maturity of Phuket as a sought-after multicultural lifestyle destination, Amal Group of Companies has introduced Gardens of Eden on Bangtao Beach. This sprawling 73-rai luxury wellness residential and hospitality community is set to redefine large-scale developments on super prime locations on the island, with an investment capital of THB11 billion (US$315 million).…

  • EventsThailand tourism forum 2024: AI and lifestyle hotels spotlight

    Thailand tourism forum 2024: AI and lifestyle hotels spotlight

    Bangkok will once again play host to the upcoming Thailand Tourism Forum 2024. Topping the event whose theme is ‘Time for Growth’ will be Aditip Panupong from Google giving insight into how AI is changing the country’s tourism sector. Featuring the leading stakeholders and speakers from across the industry, including Patrick Both, Area General Manager, Luxury & Lifestyle Thailand, IHG…

  • Press RoomAs Phuket tourism market recovers, a potential “carmageddon” infrastructure crisis looms

    As Phuket tourism market recovers, a potential “carmageddon” infrastructure crisis looms

    Phuket hotels experienced promising momentum for the first half of 2023, which has set an optimistic path for the remainder of the year. At the mid-year juncture, international and domestic flight volume was already up 75% over total flights in 2022. Russia and China led the way as the two top tourism source markets in the first six months of…

  • Tourism NewsSouth East Asian hotels and resorts urged to grasp the “Green Premium”

    South East Asian hotels and resorts urged to grasp the “Green Premium”

    Hotels and resorts around Southeast Asia are failing to understand the “green premium” and how to leverage it to attract quality guests, according to leading figures in the region’s hospitality industry. The message that hotels and resorts are falling behind counterparts in other parts of the globe when it comes to capitalizing on the benefits associated with sustainable tourism was…

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