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Kingdom of Laos

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Kingdom of Laos
ພຣະຣາຊອານາຈັກຣ໌ລາວ  (Lao)
Royaume du Laos  (French)
1947–1975
Anthem: ເພງຊາດລາວ
Pheng Xat Lao
"Hymn of the Lao People"
Location of Kingdom of Laos
StatusFrench protectorate
(1947–1953)
Independent state
(1953–1975)
CapitalVientiane (administrative)
Luang Phabang (royal)
Largest cityVientiane
Official languagesLao
French
Spoken languages
Ethnic groups
Lao
Khmu
Hmong
Phouthai
Tai
Makong
Katang
Lue
Akha
Religion
Buddhism (official[1])
Tai folk religion
Christianity
Other/Irreligion
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
King 
• 1946–1959
Sisavang Vong
• 1959–1975
Sisavang Vatthana
Prime Minister 
• 1947–1948 (first)
Souvannarath
• 1962–1975 (last)
Souvanna Phouma[a]
LegislatureParliament
Royal Council
National Assembly
History 
11 May 1947
• Independence
22 October 1953
21 July 1954
14 December 1955
23 August 1975
2 December 1975
Area
• Total
236,800 km2 (91,400 sq mi)
Population
• 
3,100,000
CurrencyKip (₭) (LAK)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Date formatdmy
Driving sideright
Calling code+856
ISO 3166 codeLA
Preceded by
Succeeded by
French Protectorate of Laos
French Indochina
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Royal Lao Government in Exile
Today part ofLaos
  1. Held the position several times.

The Kingdom of Laos was the was the form of government in Laos from 1947 to 1975.


Located in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula, it was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. It was governed as a Constitutional monarchy, under the Khun Lo dynasty. Its last king, Sisavang Vatthana abdicated the throne in 1975 after his defeat in the Laotian civil war. he and his family were sent to a re-education camp by the new government. The Pathet Lao would eventually emerge victorious in the Laotian Civil War and establish the Lao People's Democratic Republic in 1975.


  1. "Laos Constitution 1947/1949" (PDF). Bloomsbury Professional. 11 May 1947.