Located in Ban Nyai Simueangngam, about five kilometers from the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, the airport is the first privately financed international airport in Laos, developed under a Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) agreement in which the company finances, constructs, and operates the facility.
The airport operates under a 50-year concession granted by the Lao government to Greater Bay Area Investment and Development (Hong Kong), an affiliate of the Dok Ngiew Kham Group, the concessionaire of the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
The project covers an area of approximately 300 hectares and carries an estimated construction cost of USD 175 million.
The company is also planning to open international routes to connect Bokeo with major regional destinations including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kunming, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap.
Officials say the project will play an important role in supporting tourism, trade, and investment in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, one of Laos’ fastest-growing economic areas.
See also: ‘Las Vegas in Laos’ – the riverside city awash with crime
Ostensibly an urban development project to attract tourists with casinos and resorts, away from official oversight international authorities, analysts say it quickly became a centre for money laundering and trafficking.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/las-velas-in-laos-the-riverside-city-awash-with-crime