Bill Barnett
- Press Room
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…
- Press Room
Family and folklore define pioneering hotel design at South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery
With craft, community and a deeply held intrinsic value for the cultural mores and history of the island, South Palms Resort Panglao Bohol – MGallery is shaping up to be anything but a cookie-cutter hotel. Six world-class innovation and sustainability leaders in architecture, interior design and green development have gathered to create a hotel like no other – weaving the…
- Thailand Travel
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 News
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 Travel
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 News
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…
- Thailand Hotels
Thailand tourism forum pushes innovation centerstage as industry leaders debate the future of hospitality
Press Release Thailand’s largest annual tourism and hospitality event brings 800 delegates together for a fast-paced single-day show at Conrad Bangkok BANGKOK, THAILAND: As Thailand’s tourism industry powers its way into an accelerated period of recovery, with international arrivals pouring in and China poised to create the next big wave, what’s the ensuing step for the Kingdom? The world has…
- Travel
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 Services
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 Travel
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 Do
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 News
Thailand’s monsoon baht debacle lights fire to Phuket real estate sector
As Thailand’s monsoon season continues with what seems to be an endless line-up of thunderstorms and massive rain showers, the real story in Thai real estate is the baht. The Thai currency is precariously sitting at a 16-year low against the US dollar and has depreciated by nearly twelve per cent this year. As the exchange rate hovers near the…
- Property News
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 News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Visa Information
The Zoom Boom. Work from anywhere culture lures expats to Thailand
Over the past two years, the impact of lockdowns across the globe propelled a massive influx of incoming expatriates to Thailand. The reality of COVID-19 is that it has become an accelerator of trends that had been long in the works over the past decade. With advancements in technology, cross-border trade, and the sharing economy, a new zoom workforce generation…
- Home Services
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 Services
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…
- Home Services
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 Agent
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…
- Thailand News
Phuket’s THB4.5 Billion Andamanda Project Set to Open
Thailand’s newest integrated resort, the Andamanda Phuket will soft open next week on 21st May 2022. Styled as a leisure and entertainment offering, a water park debut will be the first phase of a larger development by Thailand’s Proud Group with a total investment of THB4.5 billion (USD134 million). Andamanda will bring a world-class attraction to the resort island featuring…
- Property News
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 News
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…
- Events
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 News
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…
- Travel
Bangkok is back – Thailand’s capital roars back to life
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 reboot of the Test & Go re-entry into Thailand on February 1, 2022, Bangkok is back. The city is welcoming the…
- Bangkok News
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 News
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…
- Tourism News
Phuket hoteliers looking to winter wonderland to bolster the Sandbox
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com As the Phuket Sandbox program continues to be the international gateway for overseas travellers to Thailand, island hoteliers are looking at what the winter season could look like. Traditionally a legacy market, many visitors during this period are called ‘snowbirds’ and are from Northern and Eastern Europe. Snowbird travellers are long-stay visitors, with a key…
- Business News
What is so important about the Sandbox?
OPINION by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Being on the ground in Phuket over the past sixteen months of the pandemic I have experienced the up’s and downs of pandemic tourism firsthand. Over the past month with the Sandbox program coming into place, we have seen over 13,000 travellers arrive at the Phuket International Airport. “What is so important about the…
- Business News
Inside story behind the Thailand property seachange
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com For Thailand’s real estate market, Covid-19 has brought massive changes in lifestyle and ongoing pandemic fatigue is pushing many domestic buyers to shift property investment preferences in favour of resort or countryside destinations. Whether you call it Plan B, a sea change or an escape plan, one thing for certain is that change is in the…
- Tourism News
Koh Samui’s tourism hopes pinned on international travellers
by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com It’s baby steps at the moment as Thailand’s Robinson Crusoe-inspired, island-focused, international travel reopening plan rolls out in Koh Samui from July 15. Unlike the Phuket Sandbox program for vaccinated travellers, the Samui Plus sealed-route will test the water with a hybrid approach of 3 days in a hotel quarantine scenario and then allows visitor’s island-wide free…
- Tourism News
Welcome back home: Phuket’s message to the world, echoes its X-Factor, its people
“As the countdown to the Sandbox hits seven days, resort island pays tribute to its real-life tourism attraction.” OPINION by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Tourism eyes around the world are focused on a resort island in Thailand this week for the reopening of international, vaccinated travel to the Phuket Sandbox. A key emerging storyline from the island’s frenzied runaway to July…
- Krabi News
Krabi tourism playing the sandbox waiting game
Press Release Over one million passengers went through Krabi Airport in 2020, despite the pandemic. One of Thailand’s most idyllic and naturally blessed resort destinations, Krabi, is quietly waiting in the wings to follow Phuket into the tourism sandbox. As the Thai resort island set’s its sights on the first of July reopening to international travelers, its Andaman neighbor is…
- Phuket News
Can Phuket survive? Interview with Bill Barnett | VIDEO
Interview with Bill Barnett from c9Hotelworks. Phuket has now been hit with a 3rd major crisis, each one more profound than the long-term effects from the 2004 tsunami. Now the island has new restrictions imposed on arrivals on the southern island, imposed by the Phuket Provincial Authority.
- Opinion
Like a rolling stone (2 decades and counting). My home, Phuket.
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com Driving down a seemingly endless winding road on the warm tropical island of Phuket, I glance up and see a sign indicating a left turn, shouting out in big bold letters ‘Welcome to Days of Future Past.’ Reading between the lines, let me state that we have landed headfirst like crash test dummies into the…
