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

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • SponsoredHow Phuket’s once tourism-reliant Greater Bangtao is tranforming into an international ‘Gold-Coast’ community | Thaiger

    How Phuket’s once tourism-reliant Greater Bangtao is tranforming into an international ‘Gold-Coast’ community

    Phuket’s once-quiet beachside west coast community of Bangtao is experiencing an unparalleled surge in real estate development. According to new research from C9 Hotelworks, there are currently 7,842 condominium units (click to see upcoming project map). Added to the supply influx are just over 2,400 upscale and luxury homes, which equate to a pipeline of more than 10,000 residential units…

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

    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…

  • EventsFarm-to-table movement takes centre stage at PHIST 2023 | Thaiger

    Farm-to-table movement takes centre stage at PHIST 2023

    The flourishing farm-to-fork movement will take centre stage at PHIST 2023 (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), as a group of leading chefs demonstrate how Michelin ratings can raise the bar for sustainability and social responsibility in Thailand. PHIST 2023, Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainability event for the travel and hospitality sectors, returns to Phuket on 4th September with an energizing full-day…

  • TravelExploring Niseko’s outdoor adventures: A sizzling summer getaway for Thai travelers | Thaiger

    Exploring Niseko’s outdoor adventures: A sizzling summer getaway for Thai travelers

    Amidst the bustling expanse of Bangkok’s mega-malls, an ever-present trend captures the attention of passersby’s, Hokkaido culinary treats. Thais have long had an insatiable appetite for Japanese cuisine, but a closer look reveals a burgeoning fascination with Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. This growing attraction owes much to the favorable Thai baht to Japanese yen exchange rate and the increasing airlift…

  • Tourism NewsThriving start-up culture flourishes in Thailand’s surf capital: Khao Lak | Thaiger

    Thriving start-up culture flourishes in Thailand’s surf capital: Khao Lak

    As the rainy monsoon season blankets the Southern coast of Thailand’s Andaman Sea, the high-energy surf season springs to life in Khao Lak. At the heart of this burgeoning aqua sports scene is Memories Beach in Pakarang, a magnetic locale that captivates a diverse mix of enthusiastic Thai and foreign travelers. In recent years, Khao Lak’s surf scene has experienced…

  • Press RoomIndustry pioneers KP HO and Bill Bensley to headline PHIST 6, Southeast Asia’s largest sustainability event | Thaiger

    Industry pioneers KP HO and Bill Bensley to headline PHIST 6, Southeast Asia’s largest sustainability event

    Press Release PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), Southeast Asia’s biggest sustainability event for the travel and hospitality industries, is back with a bang this September with an energizing full-day forum headlined by one of the region’s most inspiring leaders: KP Ho, the founder of Banyan Tree Group and pioneer of Laguna Phuket. He will be joined in a…

  • Thailand TravelHow can Thailand’s super-aged solve the hotel staff crisis? | Thaiger

    How can Thailand’s super-aged solve the hotel staff crisis?

    While Thailand’s hotel and tourism recovery is moving forward at a faster-than-expected pace, the country’s acute hospitality staff shortage continues to worsen by the day. In what can best be termed a ‘people business’, hotel owners and operators and wondering where have all the people gone. It’s a worrisome trend and is only going to get worse as mass tourism…

  • Tourism NewsKoh Samui: The secret island gem of Southeast Asia’s hospitality scene | Thaiger

    Koh Samui: The secret island gem of Southeast Asia’s hospitality scene

    Over the past week, we have been compiling our latest hospitality, tourism, and hotel research on Thailand’s second-largest island, Koh Samui. The island remains a bit of a ‘little-big’ anomaly in Southeast Asia’s massive resort island arsenal. Despite hosting famed global hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, W, InterContinental, and Banyan Tree, its smallish private airport capacity has somehow…

  • Thailand TravelRobust Phuket tourism numbers in Q4 last year and high winter season set the stage for recovery by year-end | Thaiger

    Robust Phuket tourism numbers in Q4 last year and high winter season set the stage for recovery by year-end

    Press Release PHUKET Thailand’s leading resort island of Phuket’s post-pandemic tourism recovery has been headlined by a surge in Russian travellers in the high season. But the backstory is how a spike in regional visitors from India, Malaysia, and Singapore set the stage in Q4 of last year that pushed hotels and the service sector back into action. Data on…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket hotels association reaffirms commitment to the island’s recovery with election of senior leadership team | Thaiger

    Phuket hotels association reaffirms commitment to the island’s recovery with election of senior leadership team

    Press Release The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation representing 80 of the island’s top hotels and resorts, has reaffirmed its deep commitment to the future of Phuket’s hospitality sector by announcing the reappointment of its senior leadership team, including President Bjorn Courage who has been instrumental in the association’s success. Following a recent election, Mr. Courage, who also serves…

  • TravelCould Thailand’s Southeast Coastal Gem Khanom Be the Next Koh Samui? | Thaiger

    Could Thailand’s Southeast Coastal Gem Khanom Be the Next Koh Samui?

    The search for the next big resort destination in Thailand is an absolutely big ask. An expansive country with 77 provinces and an amazing array of diverse geographical locations, Instagram-worthy aspects, and distinctly different nuances. Out of this brazen travel chaos, the endearing term ‘same same, but different’ was born and remains highly relevant. Yet, one of the simple truths…

  • Home ServicesDigital Homecare Platform SAIJAI Unveils “Hospitality Staffing” Solution for Hotels as Industry Grapples with Severe Manpower Crisis | Thaiger

    Digital Homecare Platform SAIJAI Unveils “Hospitality Staffing” Solution for Hotels as Industry Grapples with Severe Manpower Crisis

    Thai hospitality industry struggles to find workers to fill 1.45 million jobs lost during the pandemic with many unwilling to return to the industry BANGKOK The pandemic changed everything. It has been an accelerator but also a major change-maker for Thai service workers retrenched or “paused” during the three-years Covid crippled Thailand’s hospitality industry. Many who left the sector are…

  • Thailand TravelBoho Wanderlust in Thailand’s Great Outdoors | Thaiger

    Boho Wanderlust in Thailand’s Great Outdoors

    One of the most notable transformations for both domestic and international travellers in Thailand post-pandemic has been the realization that the old-school beach holiday stereotype is out the window. Rivers, mountains, farms, or even a jungle trek are now the hot ticket. For those who went to the just-wound-up Wonderfruit, you’ve already caught the vibe, and it won’t go away.…

  • Things To DoEat, pray, sleep Bali-Style- how I escaped the box | Thaiger

    Eat, pray, sleep Bali-Style- how I escaped the box

    It’s been nearly thirty years since luxury hospitality innovator KP Ho and Banyan Tree took hotel guests out of the box and into their own private villa with a swimming pool in Phuket, Thailand. At the time, the idea was radical, captivating, and edged over the boundary of hospitality norms. Fast forward to 2022 and KP’s daughter Renyung Ho has…

  • Property NewsPhuket real estate shifts tide in wake of urban flight | Thaiger

    Phuket real estate shifts tide in wake of urban flight

    Urban flight and a continuous stream of incoming lifestyle residents to Phuket are dramatically shifting Southeast Asia’s leading resort real estate market landscape. The new island property mantra is dominated by surging demand for single-family homes and larger condominiums. Phuket has witnessed a sharp change from 2019 when over 9 million tourists sought a place in the sun, highlighted by…

  • Tourism NewsBridge over troubled waters for Thailand-bound Russian snowbird tourists | Thaiger

    Bridge over troubled waters for Thailand-bound Russian snowbird tourists

    Russian travellers have ritually sought out islands in the tropical sun since the demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Hellbent on escaping bitterly cold winters, these snowbirds in the lead-up years to the pandemic became the second largest international source market for Phuket’s mass market tourism surge. Now, coming out of the pandemic in the age of a return…

  • Tourism NewsPhuket hotels team up with HSMAI for digital tourism and travel marketing workshop | Thaiger

    Phuket hotels team up with HSMAI for digital tourism and travel marketing workshop

    Phuket’s tourism industry continues to wait and wonder when Mainland Chinese will be allowed to travel overseas, in the wake of China’s zero-Covid policy. As Thailand’s leading resort island moves towards the high season, hoteliers are looking to bridge the China gap and look to new markets to replace the expected lower volume of travel-challenged Russian tourists. Addressing these challenges is…

  • Thailand NewsBreaking the glass ceiling: Thai hotels push for gender equality at women’s hospitality event | Thaiger

    Breaking the glass ceiling: Thai hotels push for gender equality at women’s hospitality event

    As a study reveals that 90% of general managers in Thai hotels are men, an important event in Phuket aims to understand why women still encounter barriers to career progression. Gender equality is high on the agenda for Thai hotels as a hospitality event held recently in Phuket addressed the imbalance in the industry in leadership positions for highly qualified…

  • Home ServicesHow can parents keep kids busy during Bangkok summer holidays | Thaiger

    How can parents keep kids busy during Bangkok summer holidays

    Summer holidays for Bangkok international schools are nearly here. For working parents who are trying to balance work, and family, and will be spending at least some of the summer in the city, the question is how to keep their children busy and engaged? One of the best online resources for expat parents looking for activities is BKK Kids. With…

  • Home ServicesHow Thailand is shifting to aged care in the home | Thaiger

    How Thailand is shifting to aged care in the home

    Thailand’s ageing society is growing rapidly, with a quarter of Thais who are 60 years and older forecasted to account for one-third of the population by 2040. Despite expectations that the country would see a rapid escalation of assisted living and nursing homes being developed, COVID-19 became a game-changer. While traditionally many Thais have lived and grown up in multigenerational…

  • Thailand NewsSAIJAI homecare launch English language online bookings in Bangkok and Phuket | Thaiger

    SAIJAI homecare launch English language online bookings in Bangkok and Phuket

    Thailand’s fast-growing online homecare marketplace SAIJAI has added an English language, on-demand booking option. Greater Bangkok and Phuket are the first two areas in the country now where customers can tap into a wide selection of caregivers. Services provided by SAIJAI include maids, babysitters, elderly care, tutors, drivers, and home beauty. The pandemic resulted in high unemployment in Thailand’s service…

  • Ask an AgentTop 10 Best Ways To Avoid Condo Hotel Property Rip-Offs | Thaiger

    Top 10 Best Ways To Avoid Condo Hotel Property Rip-Offs

    One recent topic of discussion in Thailand’s real estate circles has been about how possible defaults in the condo hotel or investment sector can have a negative impact on the industry. Based on my own two decades of experience with C9 Hotelworks in branded residences in Thailand and throughout Asia Pacific, I thought it might be helpful to give some…

  • Property NewsHow living the dream became a nightmare for Phuket property buyers | Thaiger

    How living the dream became a nightmare for Phuket property buyers

    Dreams die hard, even in a pandemic. But for thousands of Phuket property buyers who invested in the promise of a tropical dream with endless sunsets, the stone-cold reality of failure is just starting to hit home. Amidst a backdrop of rusting steel, decaying concrete, and empty construction sites lays the dark side of the island’s real estate trade. To…

  • Property NewsRental demand soars, as Phuket real estate returns to fundamentals | Thaiger

    Rental demand soars, as Phuket real estate returns to fundamentals

    Urban flight has driven Phuket’s once investment-focused property market in an entirely new direction. This seismic shift has resulted in a dramatic return to real estate basics. Focusing on the pandemic era of the past two years, a constant flow of new incoming residents from both abroad and Bangkok has seen the scales tip, as rental demand has vastly exceeded…

  • EventsPhuket hotels association launches “Absolutely fabulous online travel sale” to fund scholarships for talented local youngsters | Thaiger

    Phuket hotels association launches “Absolutely fabulous online travel sale” to fund scholarships for talented local youngsters

    Phuket Hotels Association, the nonprofit organisation of hoteliers focused on promoting a positive image of Phuket, is inviting members of the public to take part in its “Absolutely Fabulous Online Travel Sale” – an online silent auction with great prizes that will fund scholarships for talented young people in Phuket. This forms part of the Phuket Hotels Association Benefit (PHAB)…

  • Thailand NewsPandemic economic impact hits Phuket hotels as 73% of new projects put on hold | Thaiger

    Pandemic economic impact hits Phuket hotels as 73% of new projects put on hold

    Island’s transaction market heats up as owners face liquidity issues, while broad tourism sentiment wanes PHUKET, THAILAND: Thailand’s battered hotel sector is showing increased signs of fatigue as the global pandemic enters its third year. Nowhere is this more apparent than the resort island of Phuket, where over 73% per cent of new hotel developments either lay dormant or have…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok is back – Thailand’s capital roars back into gear | Thaiger

    Bangkok is back – Thailand’s capital roars back into gear

    OPINION Before the pandemic, Bangkok was the most-visited city on the planet – a thriving hive of energy and activity which attracted over 22 million international visitors per year. Then, without warning, it all went quiet. Now, following the long-awaited reopening of Thailand’s borders on November 1, 2021, Bangkok is back. The city is welcoming the world’s travellers once again,…

  • Property NewsDid the Sandbox impact on Phuket’s property market? | Thaiger

    Did the Sandbox impact on Phuket’s property market?

    property newOver 42,000 travellers, in the months from July 1 to September 30, used the Phuket Sandbox as an international gateway to enter Thailand. For the island’s broad real estate sector, which has been challenged by the drawn-out, 18 months of the pandemic there have been a series of notable pivots within the residential property sector. With investment-oriented, yield-focused hotel…