Pakse

Pakse or Pakxe (French Paksé; Laotian ປາກເຊ [pȁːk séː] "mouth of the River Se"; Thai: ปากเซ) is the capital and most populous city in the southern province of Champasak, making it the second most populous city in Laos. Located at the confluence of the Xe Don and Mekong Rivers, it has a population of about 88,000. It also served as the capital of the Kingdom of Champasak until it was unified with the rest of Laos in 1946.

History

This city was founded by the French as an administrative outpost in 1905, and was formerly the capital of the Lao Kingdom of Champasak until 1946 when the Kingdom of Laos was formed. During the Franco-Thai war the French ceded Preah Vihear Province from Cambodia and the cis-Mekong part of Champassak Province opposite Pakse from Laos to Thailand.

The city served as the primary seat and residence to Prince Boun Oum Na Champassak, an important figure in the Laotian Civil War. He built Champasak Palace, but fled in 1974 before it was completed. In May 1975, it fell to Pathet Lao forces. Since 1975, Pakse has become an economic power and of regional importance within the region. The construction of a bridge over the Mekong, built with Japanese aid, allowing road traffic with Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand, has further integrated the city with neighbouring countries.