Ko Pha-ngan Airport

The project was abandoned primarily due to the financial collapse of its developer, Kan Air. The airline faced severe financial difficulties and ultimately ceased all operations in 2017. Contributing factors to the project's failure included significant cost overruns (the budget reportedly ballooned from an initial ~฿900 million to over ฿2 billion), construction delays, and legal challenges, including allegations of illegal encroachment on protected forest land which complicated regulatory approvals.

The site is an abandoned construction zone. Satellite imagery and local reports show a partially graded, unfinished runway that is now largely overgrown with vegetation. There are remnants of earthworks and foundational structures, but no completed tarmac, taxiways, or terminal buildings. The area is inaccessible to the public but has become a point of interest for urban explorers and drone photographers, often referred to as the 'ghost airport' of Ko Pha-ngan.

The airport has no operational history as it was never completed. Its significance lies in its ambition as a major private infrastructure project. Developed by Kan Air, it was intended to provide direct air access to the popular tourist destination of Ko Pha-ngan, which is currently only accessible by ferry. The plan was to construct a 1,100-meter runway and a terminal capable of handling up to 600,000 passengers annually, primarily serving turboprop aircraft like the ATR 72 from destinations such as Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport (DMK). Its failure is a significant event in the island's modern development history, highlighting the financial and regulatory risks of large-scale private projects in Thailand.

There are currently no concrete or funded plans to complete and open the airport. Following Kan Air's collapse, there was reported interest around 2018 from another company, Global Budget Airlines (GBA), to potentially take over and finish the project on a smaller scale. However, these plans did not materialize. The immense cost required to clear legal hurdles, address environmental concerns, and complete construction, combined with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism and aviation, makes any prospect of reopening highly uncertain and speculative. Reviving the project would require a new, well-funded investor and a complete re-evaluation by Thai aviation and environmental authorities.