Khammouane province is situated in the central part of the Laos with an area of moderately high mountains sloping down to the Mekong valley. Fertile land here is well suited to plantation of rice, cabbage, sugar cane, bananas etc.
A total population of 258000 is made up of lowland Lao groups: Phuan, Tahoy, Kri, Maling and also Hmong.

Sikhotabong Stupa

Thakhaek is the provincial capital and is well-know to day-tripping Thais from Nakhon Phanom, just across the Mekong. It also has well-preserved French colonial architecture similar to that found in Vientiane.

At about eight kilometers to the south of the town is the That Sikhotabong or Sikhotabong Stupa, constructed around the ninth to tenth century by King Nanthasen.

Striking limestone formations in the vicinity, especially those along the Sebangfai River near Mahasay town are worth seeing.

Thakhaek is accessible by Lao Aviation flights every Friday from Vientiane. By road, it is about 354 km, and from Savannakhet to Thakhek is about 137km.

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