Photo of Bill Barnett

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.
  • Economy NewsPhuket’s economy is more than just tourism
    Bill BarnettSaturday, May 16, 2020
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    Phuket’s economy is more than just tourism

    by Bill Barnett While Phuket’s brand and economic reality is that nearly half of its contribution to GPP (gross provincial product) comes from tourism is true, it’s important to understand that there are other generators that will aid in the island’s post-crisis recovery. The island’s real estate sector, that currently has a market value of over 100 billion baht (according…

  • Tourism NewsThe China Bounce – are the Chinese packing their bags ready to come back to Thailand?
    Bill BarnettMonday, April 20, 2020
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    The China Bounce – are the Chinese packing their bags ready to come back to Thailand?

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The results of a comprehensive new survey of consumers in Mainland China’s first tier cities concludes that 53% of respondents would like to travel internationally sometime this year. Citing the opportunity, the most popular months for trips abroad for the remainder of the year are, specifically, August, October and December. Thailand is one of the…

  • Tourism NewsBack to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready
    Bill BarnettSunday, April 19, 2020
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    Back to business – time for Thailand’s tourist industry to get ready

    OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Tourism is a vital part of Thailand’s economy. And as the country emerges into the post-Covid world, getting tourists back to the country will be an essential springboard to the rest of the Thai economy. None of that will be automatic or easy as international travel has been severely disrupted and will take months,…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s developers struggle with ‘guaranteed returns’ in Covid-19 property crisis
    Bill BarnettMonday, April 13, 2020
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    Thailand’s developers struggle with ‘guaranteed returns’ in Covid-19 property crisis

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com There is one key underlying fundamental for hotel branded residences returns, and the truism that best sums it up is that returns are a function of hotel trading performance and marketplace. In Asia, the largest branded residences market is Thailand. According to C9 Hotelworks market research, the country represents 29% of regional supply with key…

  • Business NewsHome alone. Phuket hotels hit a speed bump.
    Bill BarnettMonday, March 16, 2020
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    Home alone. Phuket hotels hit a speed bump.

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com In the latest news, Singapore’s move to impose a stay-home policy or self-isolation for travellers within ASEAN, has hit the industry hard. Here in Phuket, hotels are winding down their traditional snowbird European business which for the most part was booked well in advance. Rates have somewhat held during this time. One key barometer of…

  • OpinionOPINION: Doomsday, the Black Swan and no fear
    Bill BarnettSaturday, February 29, 2020
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    OPINION: Doomsday, the Black Swan and no fear

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore” is how I am feeling on a Saturday afternoon. My senses are bruised and battered after a weeklong barrage of panic, blurring sensational bad news headlines and a mounting sense of fear amongst my fellow humans. What is clear in the grand scheme…

  • Tourism NewsThe Coronavirus effect – Phuket and hotel report
    Bill BarnettThursday, February 27, 2020
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    The Coronavirus effect – Phuket and hotel report

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com “Perhaps the biggest wild card is the mounting number of travel advisories across the globe based on Covid-19” In what is a continuing storyline on the global coronavirus outbreak, Bill Barnett reports on the impact on Thailand’s most popular island destination, Phuket. He says that the impact on the Phuket tourism market is creating a challenging landscape.…

  • Covid-19 NewsThe Coronavirus Effect – Phuket by numbers
    Bill BarnettFriday, January 31, 2020
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    The Coronavirus Effect – Phuket by numbers

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The impact of the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, and a limited spread to 18 other countries, will be felt in the months ahead. Whilst the headlines loom large at the moment with statistics and stories of the spread, the downstream effects on Thai tourism, and particularly the areas favoured by Chinese…

  • Phuket NewsLatest Khao Lak hotel report
    Bill BarnettSunday, January 26, 2020
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    Latest Khao Lak hotel report

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Increasing hotel supply in Khao Lak with stable tourism growth reflects a destination market entering a new cycle. Khao Lak is a beachside destination an hour and a half drive north from Phuket Airport in Phang Nga province. The upcoming second Greater Phuket airport (in Phang Nga) is expected to push the destination to diversify offerings…

  • Business NewsThree massive condo developments along Phuket’s up-market Layan Beach
    Bill BarnettSaturday, January 18, 2020
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    Three massive condo developments along Phuket’s up-market Layan Beach

    by Bill Barnett – c9hotelworks.com Two new condo developments are going ahead in the Layan Beach area of Phuket’s up-market west-coast beach strip. And there’s another one underway next to the Dream Beach Club at the northern end of the Layan beach strip. All in all, another 1,200+ keys added to the available rooms along the Bang Tao/Layan Beach area.…

  • Tourism NewsCrunching the numbers on Phuket’s hotels – 2020
    Bill BarnettFriday, January 10, 2020
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    Crunching the numbers on Phuket’s hotels – 2020

    PHOTO: Travel 141 Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks, crunches the numbers and reports on some challenges for Thailand’s largest island and most popular tourist destination, outside of Bangkok. Robust passenger arrivals in the second half of 2019 highlighted by growth in Indian tourists helped rebalance the island’s tourism sector, according to the C9 Hotelworks newly released Phuket Hotel Market Update (link…

  • OpinionPhuket 2020 – predictions by Bill Barnett
    Bill BarnettSunday, January 5, 2020
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    Phuket 2020 – predictions by Bill Barnett

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com In a series of articles we are pondering what may happen around Thailand over the next twelve months. Bill Barnett is in the ears of the country’s many hotel operators and chains. His consultancy, c9hotelworks.com, shares some perspectives about Thailand’s largest island. All too often I am approached and asked what’s going to happen to Phuket in the…

  • Tourism NewsMono airlift remains key barrier to Koh Samui’s tourism success
    Bill BarnettTuesday, December 24, 2019
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    Mono airlift remains key barrier to Koh Samui’s tourism success

    PHOTO: Koh Samui Sunset Bill Barnett and c9hotelworks.com analyse the current hotel and tourism challenges on Koh Samui. Bill says that in the past year the Gulf island has been shaken by declining demand and reduced airlift to the island. (graphics below) “The China slowdown is widely cited as a key factor, together with high airfares. According to Bangkok Airways, half of…

  • Tourism NewsTaiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April
    Bill BarnettFriday, November 29, 2019
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    Taiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com As the tourist demographic matures and evolves, so does the airline mix landing in Phuket. Now Phuket’s direct international airlift is set to increase again with non-stop flights from Taipei, Taiwan on Eva Air. The island’s airline traffic is already almost booked out for the next few months with Phuket International Airport officials asking airlines…

  • World NewsVietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights
    Bill BarnettSaturday, September 21, 2019
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    Vietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights

    by Bill Barnett c9hotelworks.com Vietnam Airlines will commence direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Phuket on October 27. Flights will operate three days a week, on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The airline is also launching direct Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar (Bali) service. Vietjet Air, the popular new low-coast airline out of Vietnam, is currently servicing the increasingly…

  • Business NewsLaguna Angsana Resort opens conference and exhibition venue
    Bill BarnettMonday, September 16, 2019
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    Laguna Angsana Resort opens conference and exhibition venue

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Laguna Phuket’s Angsana resort is set to debut it’s new 1,500 square metre conference and exhibition space. It’s actually a renovation and rebranding of the successful Laguna marquee space and relocated to a more permanent location within the Angsana Laguna Phuket complex. Tagged as ACES, the venue will open at the end of September. For…

  • PropertyWyndham adds two more hotels for Phuket’s south
    Bill BarnettMonday, September 9, 2019
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    Wyndham adds two more hotels for Phuket’s south

    PHOTOS: Artists impressions of the new Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket Global hotel group Wyndham has announced two more Phuket pipeline hotels. The announcement follows a long list of new developments and openings over the next few years on the island. First for Wyndham, is a 353 key property named the Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket at the popular southern west-coast…

  • Tourism NewsIndian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop
    Bill BarnettTuesday, September 3, 2019
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    Indian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period in 2018, grew 354%, amassing a total of 186,360 arrivals. Mainland Chinese arrival figures continue…

  • Tourism NewsKoh Samui is looking to the skies, an island tethered to an airline
    Bill BarnettThursday, August 29, 2019
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    Koh Samui is looking to the skies, an island tethered to an airline

    by Bill Barnett “I’m looking to the sky to save me. Looking for a sign of life” There is much to be said about the Thailand’s phenomenal rise in tourism over the past decade and that trend has eclipsed the borders of the Kingdom into other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Fueled by a rising Asian consumer…

  • PropertyNew hotel and condo developments flood Phuket’s property market
    Bill BarnettWednesday, August 28, 2019
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    New hotel and condo developments flood Phuket’s property market

    by Bill Barnett The continuing wave of developers bringing hotel investment grade real estate to the Phuket real estate market is escalating. Notable new entries include 74 units at the Melia Phuket Karon Residences that are now for sale. Pricing for one and two bedroom units starts at 8.4 million baht. A 7% three-year guarantee is offered with 30 days owner usage. Meanwhile,…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise
    Bill BarnettMonday, August 19, 2019
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    Thailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite being one of the country’s biggest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Chang has remained somewhat off the mass tourism development footprint. C9 Hotelworks has taken a look into what makes the island tick in their newly released Koh Chang Tourism Market Review. Koh Chang is off the coast of Trat in far…

  • Tourism NewsRadisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio
    Bill BarnettMonday, August 12, 2019
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    Radisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio

    The Radisson Hotel Group has signed a deal for a 222 key mixed-use hotel on Phuket’s north west coast at Mai Khao. Set to open in early 2023, the hotel has sales and leaseback units under a hotel residences program. Radisson Phuket Mai Khao Beach is being developed by Thai-Chinese Property Holdings. Phuket’s ongoing development surge continues to attract Chinese…

  • PropertyAmnesty program for unlicensed Thai hotels finishes September 9
    Bill BarnettSaturday, August 10, 2019
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    Amnesty program for unlicensed Thai hotels finishes September 9

    PHOTO: We needed a photo of a small hotel. So this is The Small Hotel in Krabi (already licensed!!) The Thai government has issued guidelines for unlicensed hotels under their amnesty program. Hotels must submit applications and complete improvements before September 9, so time is of the essence. Baker McKenzie Thailand has outlined the process and guidelines which we are republishing…

  • ExpatsPotential for retirement properties in Thailand
    Bill BarnettTuesday, August 6, 2019
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    Potential for retirement properties in Thailand

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com While a number of property offerings in Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and more recently in Bangkok have promoted themselves as retirement-centric offerings, the jury is still out on the broad success of the sector. Despite retirement communities and assisted living being mainstays in Western countries like the US, UK and Australia, these are…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket leads the way in managed hotel residences
    Bill BarnettSaturday, July 27, 2019
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    Phuket leads the way in managed hotel residences

    by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com – Feature article “Hotel Residences – properties that sell individual units in the real estate market and operate as either hotels or else are branded by hospitality operators. Other often used terms are condotel, hotel branded residences and hospitality-led real estate.” Phuket’s love affair with hotel managed properties started in the late 1980’s with the…

  • Phuket NewsDigging into the Phuket hotel data
    Bill BarnettMonday, July 15, 2019
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    Digging into the Phuket hotel data

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks As Phuket’s hotel operators and owners face a disruptive 2019, we thought it was time to do a deep dig into the island’s accommodation performance metrics. Global hospitality data and analytics group STR was the logical resource, so we spoke to their Area Director Asia Pacific, Jesper Palmqvist. The following are key takeaways from the highly focused…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket accommodation pipeline – 55 new hotels under development
    Bill BarnettSunday, July 14, 2019
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    Phuket accommodation pipeline – 55 new hotels under development

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com PHOTO: Horizon Beach Resort Hotels Phuket One of Asia’s leading resort destinations Phuket looks set to weather a perfect storm as soaring hotel supply is forecast to be challenged by declining tourism demand. New research from consulting group C9 Hotelworks in their Phuket Hotel Market Update Mid-Year Edition has revealed an island development pipeline of…

  • Tourism NewsChiang Mai hotels battle disruptors
    Bill BarnettMonday, July 8, 2019
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    Chiang Mai hotels battle disruptors

    by Bill Barnett Thailand’s northern tourism hub of Chiang Mai has become a victim of its own volume-driven success. According to hospitality data provider STR, market-wide hotel occupancy for the first five months of the year is down 5.1%, compared to the same period in 2018. In the newly released C9 Hotelworks Chiang Mai Hotel Market Update, the comparison between…

  • Phuket NewsProgress on Phang Nga’s new international airport
    Bill BarnettThursday, June 27, 2019
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    Progress on Phang Nga’s new international airport

    by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks The AoT (Airports of Thailand) planned international airport in Phang Nga, set to be part of a triangle of international airports serving the Phuket, Phang Nga, Khao Lak and Krabi tourist zones, is poised to move past another development milestone. The mooted private airport has now been binned and the AoT-operated airport project is now forging…

  • Tourism NewsBurasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island
    Bill BarnettMonday, June 17, 2019
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    Burasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island

    PHOTO: Original Vision Island Escape by Burasari, the second Phuket hotel from the Thai-based group, will have a soft opening this September. Located on Koh Maphrao (also known as Coconut Island), the initial product will be 15 villas. By December this year, the full inventory of 180 rooms and 40 villas will be operational. With Island Escape, Burasari Group will operate eight…