Phuket is rewriting its story as it rises to become 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 one of the world’s most recognized resort destinations.
According to C9 Hotel works managing director Bill Barnett: “Phuket is moving beyond tourism toward becoming a world community. What’s happening here illustrates how the convergence of real estate and hotels is reshaping resort economies across Asia. The next growth story will be written at this intersection.”
This intersection is the primary focus of the upcoming Phuket Real Estate Forum 2025 hosted by C9 Hotelworks in collaboration with Delivering Asia and the FazWaz/Dot Property Group.
Centred on the theme Inside the Rise: The Forces Driving Phuket’s New Real Estate Development, the forum will convene many of the industry’s leading figures to explore the economic and social dynamics powering Phuket’s evolution.
Who's who at the forum
Among the headline speakers are Proudputh Liptapanlop of Proud Real Estate, Titiwat Kuviitsuwan of Capstone Asset, Boon Yongsakul of Boat Pattana, Omar Romero of Minor Hotels, and Poomchai Mattayompoppinyo of Sansiri Plc, who will discuss capital flows and confidence in the island’s fundamentals.
Their conversation will be complemented by creative voices such as Martin Palleros of Tierra Design, the architects of Gardens of Eden, and Clint Nagata of BLINK Design Group, exploring how sustainability and place-making are influencing tomorrow’s development blueprint.
Other topics will dive into the surge of co-living and serviced apartments, including Adeline Phua of The Ascott Limited, the rise of vacation homeshare platforms like ThirdHome, featuring CEO Wade Shealy, and alternative finance models such as rent-to-own and crypto transactions that are redefining property ownership.
Each reflects a broader truth: the resort real estate market is no longer built on short-term speculation, but on integrated ecosystems that blend residence, investment, and experience.
The Phuket Real Estate Forum 2025 is part of The C9 Sessions, an ongoing initiative designed to educate the industry, inspire innovation, and encourage entrepreneurial collaboration.
For real estate developers, hotel owners, investors, and consultants, it promises not just another panel discussion but a front-row view of how Asia’s resort economies are being redefined from the ground up.
The Phuket advantage
Phuket’s transformation is part of a wider pattern emerging across Asia’s resort markets, where destinations such as Bali, Da Nang, and Samui are also seeing renewed investor interest tied to long-stay migration and remote work.
Yet Phuket’s advantage lies in its scale, infrastructure, and brand recognition: qualities that continue to attract capital even amid global uncertainty.
For Barnett, understanding this next chapter requires new thinking.
He opines: “The property sector here is no longer just about selling a view of the beach,” he says. “It’s about creating community, long-term yield, and sustainable value. That’s why we’re bringing together voices from real estate, finance, and hospitality because these worlds can no longer operate in silos.”
Points to ponder
Bangkok and international developers are earmarking billions of dollars for Phuket, with recent entries including Bangkok’s Proud Real Estate, whose The Residences at InterContinental Phuket Resort project is valued at approximately US$70 million; Capstone Asset who are launching Peylaa Phuket, Autograph Collection Residences US$120.5 million (3.9 billion THB); and Phuket-based Boat Pattana have multiple new projects.
International developers include Dubai-Thai Amal Group of Companies’ Gardens of Eden project, with an investment value of US$315 million, and Hong Kong’s LFK Group’s third Phuket project, Sudara.
The shift is not lost also on international new-economy players such as ThirdHome, the world’s largest luxury home exchange platform, launching in the region this month and eyeing Phuket as central to their expansion.
Harbinger of change
Experts claim that the evolution is not just a market trend but it’s a reflection of a deeper structural change.
As travel demand diversifies and new resident communities take root, Phuket is moving beyond its identity as a short-stay destination to become a year-round global hub.
Developers and investors are responding by blending hotel-grade services with residential projects, creating a new class of “ownable hospitality” that merges lifestyle, flexibil
ity, and long-term value.
