sabaidee ສບາຍດີ

Temples in Laos

2011-09-16T19:26:00.000+10:00

Historical sites of Laos include museums, architects, forests, mountains and waterfalls. But the temple is one of the most attractive to examine about Lao culture. Those who don’t understand religions say that the temple is the place for offerings and a place for lazy people. In fact, the temple is very important for Lao people and their daily lives.
Temples have been built for monks, novices and their followers to conduct Bhuddist teachings and organise Bhuddist ceremonies. Other roles and activities that are performed in the temples are:

Library, a place to study, research Bhuddism
Museum and places to produce art
Meeting places for all
Use as visiting rooms or guest house for the poor and the orphanage

The temple is a respected and magical centre. Entering the temple, people should be respectful and dress appropriate. The temple is more beautiful than houses because the villagers offer their best items to the temple. Therefore temples are a great heritage fo the whole society and the nation. In the past, the temple acted as the centre of villages as any new village needed to have one. Some villages have more than one temple.

The more famous temples of Laos are:

Sim Wat That Luang, North Vientiane

Luang Prabang

Wat Manolom – built by Chao Samsenethai, son of FaNgum King in the 14th century (1378-1379)
Wat Visoune built by Chao Vixounenalath 1540
Wat Xiangthong built by Sayset Thathirath in 1560
Wat Sene Soukalam by Kingkitsalath in 1718
Wat Luang by Manthatoulath in 1818
Wat Mai built by Chao Souvannaphoummaram in the 15-16th century

Vientiane

Wat Phrakeo built in 1565
Wat Sisaket 1824 built by Anouvong
Wat Ong Tue in the 15th century
Want Inpeng in the 16th century
Wat ThatLuang
Wat Sokphaluang
Wat Simoung

Savaannakehet

Wat Xaignaphoum
Wat Xaignamonkhoune

Pakse

Wat Pho
Wat Prabath
Wat Phu Champassak

The temples above are the ones found in the big cities and along eh Meknong. Others in the mountainous and remote provinces like Houaphan, Xiangkhoang, Salavan, Attapue were almost deystroyed by the war. The temple or Wat is the place to organise the Bhuddist ceremonies and rites such as: Bun, Bhuddist ceremonies which is performed once every year. No one can separate the temple and the ceremonies.

Sim Wat Simuang Temple, Vientiane

The National Emblem

2011-09-16T19:20:00.001+10:00

The National Emblem

The national emblem or seal features a near-complete circle formed by curving rice stalks which enclose six component symbols of the productive proletarian stat: Vientiane's Pha That Luang (which represents religion); a checkerboard of rice fields (agriculture); gear cogs (industry); a dam ((energy); a highway (transport); and a grove of trees (forestry). At the bottom under the gear cog, there is a red ribbon with the inscription in Lao “Sathalanalat Pasathipatai Pasason Lao” meaning which is the official name of the country - Lao People's Democratic Republic.

History of Laos (Brief)

2011-09-16T19:15:00.001+10:00

History

PREHISTORIC MAN
Earliest signs of mankind was discovered in Huaphan and Luang Prabang provinces in the form of stone tools. Prehistoric man in the stages of hunter and gatherers roamed over Laos around 40,000 years ago. The mystical Plain of Jars are a testament to an agriculturist society which seemed to appear during the 4th millenia BC.

MIDDLE AGES
Between the fourth and eighth century communities along the Mekong river began to form into townships, called muang. King Fa Ngum (1353-73) was recognised to have unified Laos in 1353 establishing the capital at Luang Prabang and ruled a kingdom called Larn Xang (million elephants ) which covered much of what today is Thailand and Laos. He is also credited with the introduction of Theravada Buddhism and much of Khmer civilization into Laos. Further successors especially King Setthathirat in the 16th century helped establish Buddhism as the predominant religion of the country. The kingdom was further expanded by King Setthathirat who ruled from 1548-1571 who moved the capital to Vientiane and built That Luang Stupa, a venerated religious shrine and a temple to house the Phra Keo (the Emerald Buddha). Settathirat is revered as one of the great Lao kings because he protected the nation from foreign conquest. When he disappeared in 1574 on a military campaign, the kingdom rapidly declined and was subject to Burmese invasion. There was a quick and lackluster succession of kings after Settathirat.

In the 17 th century internal fightings for the throne took place leading to the breakup of Larn Xang into three kingdoms- Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Champassak. During the next two centuries, the kingdoms were overrun by the armies of neighbouring countires. Siam established supremacy over most of Laos whilst the Vietnamese were influencing the northwest region. In the 1820s, Vientiane’s King Anou rebelled against Siamese interference and attacked the Thais. The Thai response was to sack Vientiane in 1827, razing most of the city.
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COLONIAL AGE
After French explorations in the late 19th century Siam was displaced by the French whom incorporated Laos into the union of Indochina. The king of Siam, seeking to keep Thailand free of foreign domination, ceded a large tract of territory – equivalent of what is now Laos and Cambodia combined – to the French. However the destruction of battle was left behind in the form of a decimated Vientiane. The Siamese took the Emerald Buddha to Bangkok where it remains today at Wat Pra Keo. The Franco-Siamese treaty of 1907 defined the present Lao boundary with Thailand. To recover its full rights and its sovereignty the Lao people started fighting against the French regime.

During the colonial period, administration, health care, and education hardly made any impact or progress at all. There was little interest in developing in Laos due to the country’s geographical nature. It was too mountainous for plantations, there was little in the way of mining, and the Mekong was not suitable for commercial navigation.

After 50 years of French rule the Japanese during WW2, occupied French Indochina including Laos. King Sisavangvong of Luang Prabang was induced to declare independence from France in 1945 by the Japanese just prior to Japan's surrender, despite the King siding with the French. In September 1945 Vientiane and Champassak united with Luang Prabang to form an independent government under the Free Lao (Lao Issara) banner. However in 1946 French troops with the help of King Sisavanvong, reoccupied the country forming a Royal Lao government and the Lao Issara dissolved and a splinter group called the Pathet Lao formed a new resistance group based in the Northeast of Laos. The Pathet Lao were led by Prince Souphanouvong and backed by the Vietminh of North Vietnam who regarded the royalist government as Western-dominated . In 1954 France lost the battle at Dien Bien Phu against the Vietnamese which began the breakup of Indochina. France formally recognized the independence of Laos in 1949 but it wasn’t until 1954 at an International conference, the Geneva Agreement on Indochina was signed establishing the independence of Laos. At this point the US started supplying the Royal Lao Government with arms, seeing the threat of communism spreading.The US-backed Royal Lao Government ruled over a divided country from 1951 to 1954. The Geneva Conference of July 1954 granted full independence to Laos but did not settle the issue of who would rule. In 1957 an agreement was reached between the royal forces and the Pathet Lao, but in 1959 the coalition government collapsed and hostilities were renewed. Fighting broke out between the Royal Lao Army and the Pathet Lao in 1960; in 1961, a neutral independent government was set up under Prince Souvanna Phouma, based in Vientiane. There was a three way struggle for power among among neutralist, rightist, and Communist forces.
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VIETNAM WAR
In the same year with Pathet Lao and neutralist forces in control of about half the country, a cease-fire was arranged. A 14-nation conference convened in Geneva, producing (1962) another agreement providing for the neutrality of Laos under a unified government. An attempt to integrate the three military forces failed and the Pathet Lao began moving against neutralist troops. During the the next decade, Laos was engulfed by the actions of war. There was Chinese influence in the North, Vietnamese along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the east, the Thais and US in the west and Khmer Rouge in the south. The US, launching from Thailand, began bombing the Ho Chi Minh Trail to stop the Vietnamese transports and supplies moving. This lead to more bombs being dropped on Laos than ever and was more than the total bombs dropped over Europe by all sides during WW2. It is estimated that a bomb was dropped every 8 minutes continuously for 9 years. The campaign was shrouded in secrecy due to the Geneva Accord of 1962 stating no foreign personnel were allowed to operate on Laotian territory. So secret was the campaign that pilots were dressed in civilian clothing and were insructed to take suicide pills if they were caught.

In 1972 the Pathet Lao renamed itself the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) which went on to join a new coalition government in Laos. Nonetheless the political struggle between communists, neutralists and rightists continued. After Communist victories in Vietnam and Cambodia in 1975 the LPRP took control, abolished the monarchy established and the communist Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) was established.

The new communist government imposed centralized economic decision-making and broad security measures including control of the media and the arrest and incarceration of many members of the previous government and military in "re-education camps". These policies along with the government’s efforts to enforce political control prompted an exodus of lowland Lao and ethnic Hmong from Laos. Many crossed the Mekong into Thailand or the mountains into Burma. About 10% of the Lao population sought refugee status after 1975 and many now reside in France, the US and Australia.
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RECOVERY
Over time the Lao government closed the re-education camps and released most political prisoners. From 1975 to 1996 the U.S. resettled some 250 000 Lao refugees from Thailand including 130 000 Hmong. By the end of 1997 27 600 Hmong and lowland Lao had repatriated to Laos: 3 500 from China the rest from Thailand. Through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and non-governmental organizations the U.S. has supported a variety of reintegration assistance programs throughout Laos. UNHCR monitors returnees and reports no evidence of systemic persecution or discrimination to date. As of August 1998 there were 1 300 Hmong and lowland Lao remaining at Ban Napho camp in Thailand who were being screened by the Thai Government and UNHCR.

In the early 1990s Laos abandoned economic communism for capitalism, but the party retained tight political control, and political dissent was harshly suppressed. Meanwhile, the nation pursued improved relations with such former enemies as China, Thailand, and the United States. Kaysone became president in 1991. He died the following year and was succeeded as president by Nouhak Phoumsavan. Khamtai Siphandon became party leader and, when Nouhak retired in 1998, assumed the job of president as well. Laos was admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997.
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ປ - middle consonant

2011-09-15T17:03:00.001+10:00

Lao Alphabet - Middle Consonants
ປ
This is read in the alphabet as 'bpor bpaa'
It sounds like the letter 'p' as pronounced in the word "spot"


fish ປາ (bpaa) door ປະຕູ (bpa- dtoo)	pen ປາກກາ (bpaak - ga) book ປຶ້ມ (bpeurm)

Places of Interest

2011-09-15T11:43:00.003+10:00

Wat Phu

Wat Phu means mountain temple and is a Khmer styled temple that dates back to the 5th century. The original temple was built by the Khmer Hindus at the top of a hill at the site of a fresh water spring. The peak of the hill is said to resemble a lingum or Shiva Phallus. The exact history of Wat Phu is unclear, but was certainly the site of a temple of the Khmer empire that eventually made Ankor Wat its capital. The temple is stunning, and very remote, with superb views of the Mekong valley. At the top of the temple site are a number of carved rocks, resembling a crocodile, a naga and an elephant. It is believed that these rocks were used for human sacrifice. There is a museum at the base of Wat Phu and provides excellent insight into the museum.

Bolaven Plataeu

Situated on the north east of Champassak province, the plateau covers parts of Salavan, Attapeu and Sekong provinces although there are more options for tourists visiting the plateau in Pakse. The plateau is fertile farmland specialising in coffee, tea, cardamom and fruit. The plateau houses a dozen mainly animist ethnic minorities, including Laven, Alak, Katou, Ta-Oy, Houne, Ngai and Suk communities. Accomodation on the plateau is limited, but Tad Lo waterfalls has a number of bungalows where you can enjoy trekking and elephant rides.

That Luang

Pha That Luang in Lao means Great Sacred Reliquary or Great Stupa. Legend has it that Ashokan missionaries from India erected a reliquary stupa in its original location to hose a breastbone of the Bhudda as early as the 3rd century BC, but there has been no evidence to support this. The earliest physical remains of a religious structure on this site, however, seem to date from a Khmer monastery around the 12th century.

In the mid-16th century King Setthathirat moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and ordered construction of That Luang. Construction began in 1566 AD with four wats built around the stupa, one on each side. Today only two remain Wat That Luang Neua (which means north side Wat) and Wat That Luang Neua (south side).

The monument is a bright golden missile like cluster which presents an awe inspiring view when travelling towards it, especially on a bright sunny day against the backdrop of a blue sky. It appears to be constructed entirely of gold with its shiny surfaces extending upwards. You can walk around the structure by yourself to contemplate the Bhuddist doctrines. There are three levels, each conveying a reflection of part of the Buddhist doctrine. Visitors are supposed to contemplate the meaning of the doctrines as they walk around. The first level is a square base measuring 68m by 69m that supports 323 ordination stones called sima. The second level is 48m by 48m and is surrounded by 120 lotus peals. There are 288 simas on this level as well as 30 small stupas symbolising the 30 Bhuddist perfections, beginning with alms-giving and ending with equanimity. The stupas at one time contained smaller gold stupas and gold leaves, but these were taken by Chinese bandits while That Luang was abandoned in the 19th century.

That Luang was severely damaged in the 18th and 19th century by invading Burmese and Siamese armies. During a Siamese invasion in 1828, Vientiane was ransacked and depopulated to such an extent that That Luang remained abandoned until it was badly restored under the French rule in 1900. Between 1931 and 1935 a French university department reconstructed That Luang to its current form.
Pha That Luang is about 4km north-east of the centre of Vientiane at the en of Thanon That Luang. Facing the compound is a statue of King Setthathirat. The temple is the site of a major festival in early November. It is open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday from 8 to 11.30am and 2 to 4.30pm, closed on Monday and public holidays. Admission fee is 500kip per person.

ຕ - middle consonant

2011-09-15T11:01:00.001+10:00

ຕ middle consonant
sounds like the sound 'dt' as pronounced in the word "stop"


eye ຕາ (dtaa), nail ຕາປ (dta-bpu)	to kick ເຕະ (dtae), to hit, bump ຕຳ (dtum)

ຈ ຈືນ alphabet flash card

2011-09-14T06:59:00.000+10:00

ຈ middle consonant
sounds like the sound 'j' as pronounced in the word "jerky"


glass ຈອກ (joark), plate ຈານ (jarn)	to fry ຈືນ (jeurn), bat ເຈຍ (jia)

Lao national anthem

2011-08-25T16:04:00.002+10:00

I can't remember ever hearing the Lao national anthem as a child back in the early 80s so here it is:

Post 1947

Lao
ຊາດລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ໃດມາ
ລາວທຸກຖ້ວນຫນ້າເຊີດຊູສຸດໃຈ
ຮ່ວມແຮງຮ່ວມຈິດຮ່ວມໃຈ
ສາມັກຄີກັນເປັນກຳລັງດຽວ
ເດັດດ່ຽວພ້ອມກັນກ້າວຫນ້າ
ບູຊາຊູກຽດຂອງລາວ
ສົ່ງເສີມໃຊ້ສິດເປັນເຈົ້າ
ລາວທຸກຊົນເຜົ່າສະເໝີພາບກັນ
ບໍ່ໃຫ້ຝູງຈັກກະພັດ
ແລະພວກຂາຍຊາດເຂົ້າມາລົບກວນ
ລາວທັງມວນຊູເອກະລາດ
ອິດສະລະພາບຂອງຊາດລາວໄວ້
ຕັດສິນໃຈສູ້ຊິງເອົາໄຊ
ພາຊາດກ້າວໄປສູ່ຄວາມວັດທະນາ

English Translation

For all time the Lao people
Have glorified their Fatherland,
United in heart,
Spirit and vigour as one.
Resolutely moving forwards,
Respecting and increasing the dignity of the Lao people
And proclaiming the right to be their own masters.
The Lao people of all origins are equal
And will no longer allow imperialists
And traitors to harm them.
The entire people will safeguard the independence
And the freedom of the Lao nation.
They are resolved to struggle for victory
In order to lead the nation to prosperity.

The original lyrics prior to 1947 were

Lao
ຊາດລາວຕັ້ງແຕ່ເດີມມາ
ຂື້ນຊື່ລືຊາຢູ່ໃນອາຊີ
ຊາວລາວຜູກພັນໄມຕຼີ
ຮ່ວມສາມັກຄີຮັກຫໍ່ໂຮມກັນ
ຮັກຊາດຮັກປະເທດເຮົາ
ຮັກເຈົ້າປົກເກດເກສາ
ໂຮມຮັກຮ່ວມສາສນາ
ແຕ່ບູຮານມາຮັກສາດິນແດນ
ບໍ່ໃຫ້ຊາດໃດມາລວນ
ຮາວີຮົບກວນຍາດແຍ່ງຊີງເອົາ
ໃຜຂືນເຂົ້າມາລູ່ວຸ່ນວາຍ
ສູ້ຈົນຕົວຕາຍຕ້ານທານສັດຕຼູ
ຊ່ວຍເຊີດຊູເລືອດເນື້ອເຊື້ອເຜົ່າ
ຟື້ນຟູກູ້ເອົາບັນເທົາທຸກກັນ

English Translation

In the old days, our Lao people
Were famous all over Asia.
Because the Lao
Were united in love.
Still today, they love their people and country
And rally around their leaders.
They preserve the religion of their fathers,
And protect the soil of their ancestors.
They will never allow another nation to threaten them
Or to occupy their territory.
Every enemy who enters their country
Will find them ready to fight until death.
All together, they can restore the ancient glory of their blood,
and they will stand together in the days of danger.

ບ ແບ້ alphabet flash card

2011-08-25T13:26:00.000+10:00

ບ - middle consonant
sounds like the sound 'b' as pronounced in the word "bag"


goat ແບ້ (bae), leaf ໃບໄມ (bai mai)	house ບ້ານ (baarn), to fly ບິນ (bin)

ດ ເດັກ (alphabet flash card)

2011-08-25T06:06:00.002+10:00

ດ - middle consonant
sounds like the letter 'd' as pronounced in the word "dog"


child ເດັກ (dek) star ດາວ (dao)	to pull ດຶງ (deurng) nose ດັງ (nose)

Installing Lao font for Windows (Word)

2011-08-04T06:37:00.004+10:00

There's a free download from
http://sites.google.com/site/eng2lao/home/lao-font-and-windows-xp/configure-lao-unicode-keyboard-and-font-on-windows-xp

There is one installation file, and the other is a pdf manual on how to install which provides excellent instructions. The files are:

Configure Lao UNICODE Keyboard and Fonts on WINDOWS XP.pdf - on Jun 18, 2011 12:44 AM by Luan Vannithone (version 1)
1432k View Download
Lao_Unicode_keyboard (from Anousak).zip - on Jun 17, 2011 2:34 AM by Luan Vannithone (version 2 / earlier versions)
1425k Download

The keyboard layout for Lao font is:

ກ ໄກ່ (alphabet flash card)

2011-07-27T22:50:00.056+10:00

ກ middle consonant
sounds like the letter 'g' as pronounced in the word "goat"


chicken ໄກ່ (gai), key ກາແຈ (ga-jaer) listen:	bone ກະດູກ (ga-doog), banana ກວ້ຍ (guay) listen:

*You may need to be patient to wait for the audio to load (up to 5secs).

Lao food and drinks

2010-07-28T07:07:00.002+10:00

Food

The staple of Lao food is sticky rice which is best eaten with the fingers. It is the foundation of all Lao meals, and most Lao prefer the glutinous sticky rice to the ordinary steamed white rice. Almost all of Lao dishes are cooked with fresh ingredients whether they are vegetables, chicken, duck, pork, fish, beef. The food in general is based on strong spices and herbs for flavour and can be strong at times. The herbs used have been credited with preventative and curative properties, such as lemon grass, galanga, and basil leaves are very rich in vitamin C. Especially hot and spicy food can be beneficial in cleaning the body. In the countryside, it is traditional to eat with the family sitting on the floor sharing the meals. Food in the city, like Vientiane have a French and Vietnamese influence, for example steaks, baguettes, and noodle soup called Pho (pronounced Fer).

Drinks

Beer Lao is also a government owned product and is the only beer sold in Laos and luckily it tastes very good. Other unique drinks are Lao coffee and the potent rice wines.

For a good choice of hotels with discount prices, visit Where to stay in Luang Prabang for more information.

Sticky Rice

Sticky rice is called khao niaw in Lao and differs to the traditional long grain and jasmine rice that Vietnamese, Thai and Westerners are used to. Sticky rice in its raw form is harder and whiter than other rice, which have an opaqueness appearance. To cook the rice, it is first saturated in water overnight in a bowl, although a few hours is sufficient, and by morning the rice will have absorbed some of the water. Now it is ready to be steamed. The rice is drained in a basket and the left over rice is cooked in a cauldron like pot, that has some boiling water at its base producing steam to rise. The steaming continues until the rice softens, whereby you need to "flip" the rice, which has now begun to clump together, upside down so the steaming process occurs evenly. A few minutes later, ball of rice begins to curl up at its end due to the steam and this signifies that it is ready to be served. The rice is then placed in a small woven bamboo basket and kept warm until ready to be eaten by hand. The great thing about sticky rice is that you can never throw it away. When the rice cools down it begins to harden and after 24 hours it loses its moisture and hardens to a point where it is inedible. The solution is to resteam the rice and mix it with a new raw batch.

In the urban areas, such as Vientiane and Luang Prabang, the long grain and jasmine rice is served at all restaurants but not really found in the rural areas. Whilst sticky rice is eaten by hand, long grain rice is always eaten with a spoon and fork. Chopsticks are reserved for Chinese-style noodle dishes or for use in Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants.

Baguette

One lasting effects from the colonial rule of France is their bakeries. The Indochina states are all adept at producing freshly baked breads and baguettes and this skill has seen many Vietnamese bakeries being opened in many Western countires. In Laos baguettes can be found selling in the town centers and served for breakfast with jam or filled as a sandwich with pate, pork, pickled vegetables, and chilli sauce.

Laap

Laap is made from minced meat, fish or vegetables which are tossed with lime juice, garlic, grounded rice, green onions, mint leaves and chilies. It is a cold salad served with fresh cucumbers salad and sticky rice.

Pho

Pho is a noodle soup using white rice noodles. It's similar to Pho found in China and Vietnam. The noodle soup is cooked in a meaty broth that has been boiled for hours. Tender meat and bean shoots are added into the soup and is served with fresh vegetables.

Bping (grilled) Gai (chicken)

Bping Gai is a marinated chicken on a stick that is cooked over a coal fire. The coal creates a sensual charcoal flavour and coupled with the marinade this is a very popular food. It is eaten with sticky rice, a dipping sauce and nearly always combined with a Som Taam, a spicy papaya salad.

Som Taam

Som Taam is a green papaya salad that is concocted by mixing the ingredients in a Lao version of a mortar and pestle, which is called a khok. It is a fresh cold dish using green papaya with a lot of lemon juice, chilli, fish sauce, msg, and plaa laard (fermented fish). It goes excellently with a bping gai (grilled chicken). The secret ingredient lies in the plaa laard, however this fermented fish is sometimes very poorly fermented especially in impoverished regions of Laos, and if not fermented properly can contain flukes which causes serious digestive problems. Aside from that you can have the Som Taam without the plaa laard which I personally find just as tasty.

Lao Language 00_Introduction

2010-07-27T23:22:00.002+10:00

Introduction

The Lao language is a member of the Tai language group, sometimes known as Tai-Kadai or Kadai. Thai is well understood in Laos, since Lao people will watch Thai television and listen to Thai radio. Many of the goods that you will see in Laos are imported from Thailand. The north eastern part of Thailand, known as Issan has in fact more Lao speakers than Laos itself.

Lao is a tonal language, with six tones, some linguists have defined it as five. The difficulty lies in each word which contains a tone for each syllable and these tones vary in many circumstances. For example people from Vientiane will change a middle consonant word from low tone to rising tone when it is placed at the end of a sentence or when it stands by itself whilst there is no change in tone when it is placed in the middle of a sentence. Additionally tones vary in different regions of the country. People in the north tend to speak more slowly than others in the country leading to their words being drawn out.

The good news is that Lao is easily understood since there is so much individual and regional variations people are accustomed to hearing the words pronounced in different ways. You will be understood even if the tones and vowel lengths are not perfect, as long as the words are in context you will win instant friends.

Alphabet

The Lao alphabet is made up of 33 consonants representing 21 sounds. Consonants are divided into 3 groups according to the tone in which they are spoken.

middle consonants class

low consonant class

high consonant class

The consonants are classed as this forms the base tone for each consonant. Often you will see the consonants charts sold at the markets looking like this:

consonants chart

Those learning Lao learn each consonant which corresponds to a word. This helps the student identify the consonant class and the consonant much easier.

Vowels are grouped into two main groups, short and long vowel sounds. Sometimes you will see dipthongs which are two vowel sounds combined together.

Long Vowels

Short Vowels

Other Vowels

Lao flags

2010-07-27T22:59:00.001+10:00

Official Flag
This official Lao flag came into effect on 4 December 1975 just after the changeover of government. White symbolizes justice and the promise of the future. Blue stands for prosperity and red represents unity and purpose and the blood shed during the struggle for freedom.

Royal Lao Flag
The old flag was used during the monarchial times. The image was the three headed elephant on top of a stand with an umbrella (or parasol) on top. The three headed elephant image is Buddhist/Hindu in origin - its called Airavata (or Erawan in Thai & Cambodia).