Kaysone Phomvihane (city)

Kaysone Phomvihane City
ເມືອງໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ
Meuong Kaison Phomvihan
city and municipality
Kaysone Phomvihane City
The commercial centre of Kaysone Phomvihane, Savannakhet Province
The commercial centre of Kaysone Phomvihane, Savannakhet Province
Kaysone Phomvihane City is located in Laos
Kaysone Phomvihane City
Kaysone Phomvihane City
Location within Laos
Coordinates: 16°33′N 104°45′E / 16.550°N 104.750°E / 16.550; 104.750
Country Laos
ProvinceSavannakhet Province
Population
 (2018)
 • Total
125,760
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)

Kaysone Phomvihane (Lao: ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ), previously known as Savannakhet (Lao: ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ, pronounced [sā.wǎn.nā(ʔ).kʰȅːt]) and Khanthaboury (Lao: ຄັນທະບູລີ), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The annual per capita income of Kaysone Phomvihane City is US$2,041 (2018).

Kaysone Phomvihane has a large 15th-century Buddhist temple, Wat Sainyaphum, a Chinese temple, the Catholic Co-Cathedral of St. Therese and a mosque. The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong connects to Mukdahan Province in Thailand.

Economy

Kaysone Phomvihane is an important commercial center in southern Laos. The Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone (SASEZ) has attracted investment in manufacturing, trade and logistics. The city is home to a branch of the Lao Development Bank (LDB) on Oudomsin Road in Sounantha Village.

Name change

The settlement was formerly called Khanthaboury. Then it became Savannakhet. Its name was changed to Kaysone Phomvihane in 2005, while retaining its status as the provincial capital of Savannakhet Province. The city is the birthplace of Kaysone Phomvihane, the first leader of Laos from 1975 to 1992 after the dissolution of the Kingdom of Laos. In 2018, its status was upgraded to that of a "city". In order to attain city status, a district or municipality must be financially self-sufficient and have a population of at least 60,000 people.

Transport

The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong connects to Thailand's Mukdahan Province. The two-lane, 12-metre-wide (39 ft), 1,600-metre-long (5,250 ft) bridge opened in 2007.

The city is served by Savannakhet Airport.

Climate

Savannakhet features a tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification.

Climate data for Savannakhet (1991-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 38.5
(101.3)		 39.5
(103.1)		 42.0
(107.6)		 41.5
(106.7)		 41.2
(106.2)		 38.0
(100.4)		 38.5
(101.3)		 36.3
(97.3)		 36.3
(97.3)		 36.0
(96.8)		 36.5
(97.7)		 38.0
(100.4)		 42.0
(107.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29.7
(85.5)		 31.8
(89.2)		 34.2
(93.6)		 35.1
(95.2)		 33.9
(93.0)		 32.5
(90.5)		 31.2
(88.2)		 30.9
(87.6)		 31.4
(88.5)		 31.1
(88.0)		 31.2
(88.2)		 28.6
(83.5)		 31.7
(89.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 22.2
(72.0)		 24.4
(75.9)		 27.4
(81.3)		 29.0
(84.2)		 28.8
(83.8)		 28.4
(83.1)		 27.4
(81.3)		 27.2
(81.0)		 27.3
(81.1)		 26.1
(79.0)		 24.3
(75.7)		 21.9
(71.4)		 26.2
(79.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 15.8
(60.4)		 17.9
(64.2)		 21.7
(71.1)		 24.1
(75.4)		 25.0
(77.0)		 25.3
(77.5)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.5
(76.1)		 24.2
(75.6)		 22.0
(71.6)		 19.2
(66.6)		 16.2
(61.2)		 21.7
(71.1)
Record low °C (°F) 5.8
(42.4)		 9.0
(48.2)		 10.0
(50.0)		 15.0
(59.0)		 17.5
(63.5)		 19.0
(66.2)		 18.2
(64.8)		 18.0
(64.4)		 18.0
(64.4)		 12.0
(53.6)		 8.5
(47.3)		 7.0
(44.6)		 5.8
(42.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 3.3
(0.13)		 19.3
(0.76)		 40.6
(1.60)		 69.3
(2.73)		 206.2
(8.12)		 216.5
(8.52)		 307.1
(12.09)		 333.9
(13.15)		 239.3
(9.42)		 74.2
(2.92)		 7.3
(0.29)		 4.0
(0.16)		 1,521
(59.88)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 1 2 4 6 13 14 18 19 15 7 2 1 100
Average relative humidity (%) 69 68 65 67 75 78 80 83 81 76 72 70 73.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 246.8 222.4 225.6 217.4 191.2 165.0 142.1 115.9 154.6 202.8 225.3 236.9 2,345.9
Source 1: NOAA (humidity, 1961-1990 and extremes)
Source 2: The Yearbook of Indochina (1932-1933)

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yap, Jasmina (28 May 2018). "Town of Kaysone Phomvihane Officially Declared a City". The Laotian Times. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "LDB SANVANNAKHET BRANCH – Savannakhet, Savannakhet | Address, Hours & Phone". NearMe Stores. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  3. ↑ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Savannakhet". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Savannakhet Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Global Surface Summary of the Day - GSOD". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  6. ↑ The Yearbook of Indochina (1932-1933)