Champa Meuanglao: January / February 2018 by Champa Meuanglao

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Sabaidee

Message From The President

Dr. Somphone Douangdara President & CEO of Lao Airlines

Dear Passengers,

ສະບາຍດີບ�ນດາທ�ານຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານທ�ຮ�ກແ�ງ,

Welcome aboard, and thank you for choosing Lao Airlines.

ຍິນດີຕ�ອນຮ�ບບ�ນດາທ�ານເ��າສູ�ຖ�ຽວບິນຂອງສາຍການບິນລາວ ແ�ະ ຂໍສະແ�ງຄວາມ

On the occasion of the New Year, on behalf of all Lao Airlines employees, I'd like to wish our passengers happiness, health, and wealth in 2018.

ເ��ອງໃ�ໂ�ກາດຟ�າໃ��ປີໃ�� ປີ 2018 ນ�, ຂ�າພະເ��າຂໍຕາງໜ�າພະນ�ກງານການບິນລາວ

It is a particularly important year for us, as this is officially Visit Laos Year 2018. I invite you all to visit the beautiful tourism sites that Laos has to offer, including beautiful natural scenery, cultural attractions, and historical sites across the country. On behalf of the board and all employees of Lao Airlines, I would like to thank all our passengers for choosing to fly with us, and for instilling the airline with confidence in its international standards, ensuring our continued expansion into the future. Lao Airlines remains at your service, no matter if you are travelling near or far. We hope to serve you again soon, and wish you a pleasant flight.

ຂອບໃ�ເ�ັນຢ�າງຍ�ງທ�ທ�ານເ�ືອກໃ��ບໍລິການຂອງສາຍການບິນລາວ.

ທຸກຄ�ນ ຂໍອວຍພອນໃ��ຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານທຸກທ�ານພ�ບແ��ຄວາມສຸກຄວາມຈະເ�ີນ, ມີສຸຂະພາບ ເ��ມແ�ງ, ແ�ະ ສ�ມພອນປາດຖະນາທຸກປະການ.

ໃ�ປີ 2018 ນ�, ຂ�າພະເ��າຂໍຕ�ອນຮ�ບບ�ນດາທ�ານສູ�ການເ�ີດ ປີທ�ອງທ�ຽວລາວ 2018

ເ��ງບ�ນດາທ�ານສາມາດເ��າມາຊ�ມ ແ�ະ ເ��າມາທ�ຽວແ��ງທ�ອງທ�ຽວທ�ສວຍສ�ດງ�ດງາມ ໃ� ສປປ ລາວ ດິນແ�ນລ�ານຊ�າງແ��ງນ�ເ�ັມໄ�ດ�ວຍ ແ��ງທ�ອງທ�ຽວທາງທຳມະຊາດ, ວ�ດທະນະທຳ ແ�ະ ປະ��ດສາດ ທ�ລໍຖ�າໃ��ທ�ານເ��າມາຄ�ນພ�ບ.

ຂ�າພະເ��າຂໍຕາງໜ�າຄະນະນໍາ ແ�ະ ພະນ�ກງານການບິນລາວທຸກໆຄ�ນ ຂໍຂອບໃ�ນໍາບ�ນ

ດາທ�ານທ�ໃ��ຄວາມໄ��ວາງໃ�ເ�ືອກໃ��ບໍລິການຂອງພວກເ�ົາ ດ�ວຍປະສ�ບການການບິນ ທ�ມີຄຸນນະພາບສູງລະດ�ບສາກ�ນ ແ�ະ ຄວາມມຸ�ງໝ�ນຂອງການບິນລາວເ�ົາໃ�ການສືບຕ� ຂະ�າຍຈຸດໝາຍປາຍທາງ.

ສາຍການບິນລາວພ�ອມບໍລິການທ�ານທຸກເ��ອ ບ�ວ�າທ�ານຈະເ�ີນທາງໃ�� ື ໄ�, ຂ�າພະ

ເ��າຂໍໃ��ການບິນລາວເ�ັນອີກໜ�ງທາງເ�ືອກເ��ອອຳນວຍຄວາມສະດວກໃ�ການເ�ີນ

ທາງຂອງທ�ານໄ�ເ�ິງຈຸດໝາຍປາຍທາງ ແ�ະ ພວກເ�ົາ��ງຢ�າງຍ�ງວ�າຈະໄ��ມີໂ�ກາດ ຕ�ອນຮ�ບບ�ນດາທ�ານສູ�ຖ�ຽວບິນຂອງພວກເ�ົາອີກຄ�ງ. ຂໍໃ��ທ�ານເ�ີນທາງໂ�ຍສະ��ດດີພາບ. ຮຽນມາດ�ວຍຄວາມເ�ົາລ�ບ ແ�ະ ນ�ບຖືຢ�າງສູງ, ປອ. ສ�ມພອນ ດວງດາລາ

PUBLISHER PUBLISHER’S LETTER Hello readers, Welcome to the January-February edition of Champa Meuanglao, bringing in the new year and seeing you through the cooler months in Laos. Cover image: Artwork by Olé Viravong Scovill

This edition has a creative streak, with stories on several different women with an artistic mission in life.

www.champameuanglao.com

In Dreams on Canvas, established artists Olé Viravong Scovill and Souphaluck Phongsavath talk about their very different artistic trajectories, and what inspires them in a changing creative landscape.

PUBLISHING Managing Editor

Meanwhile, Tookta Heuangkhamsene is kicking goals with her high-end handicrafts label, Her Works, and Japanese ceramic artist Erika Fujiwara has bringing Vientiane diners ﬂocking to cosy Japanese café Ango.

Editors

Our travel writer Mick Shippen takes on a tour of Phnom Penh’s historic buildings, while Vincent Vichit-Vadakan explores the high-end Namkat Resort in Oudomxay Province.

Contributing Editor

Also up north, there’s the story of a dynamic Australian-American foursome with their innovative Laos Buffalo Dairy, bringing a selection of buffalo cheese, milk and heavenly desserts to Luang Prabang and beyond.

Creative Director Contributing Writers

Happy reading! The Champa Meuanglao publishing team

ADVISORY BOARD Somphone Douangdara President

Head Photographer Contributing Photographers

Sally Pryor Cameron Darke Dalaphone Pholsena Duangtavanh Oudomchith Jason Rolan Soukthida Sengthavong Jochen Moravek Francis Savanhkham Latsamy Phonevilay Mick Shippen Vincent Vichit-Vadakan Adam Chalcraft Phoonsab Thevongsa Mick Shippen Kaikeo Saiyasane

Somsamay Visounnarath Vice President �– Technical, Operation & Training Sengpraseuth Mathouchanh Vice President – Planning, Cooperation & International Relations & Legislation Leuangsamay Leuangvanxay Vice President – Administration, Finance & Accounting Rada Sunthorn Vice President – Passenger Service, Cargo & Catering Saleum Tayarath Vice President – Commercial, Tourism

ADVERTISING Director of Marketing & Sales

Marketing & Sales Executive

Aditta Kittikhoun aditta.kittikhoun@champameuanglao.com (856-20) 55555521 Duangtavanh Oudomchith duangtavanh.oudomchith@champameuanglao.com (856-20) 55474555

LAO AIRLINES STATE ENTERPRISE LIMITED

RDK GROUP

Headquarters Wattay International Airport Vientiane Capital, Laos Tel: (856-21) 513243-46, Fax: (856-21) 513247 www.laoairlines.com

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Follow our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/laoairlinesofficial to get the latest news and updates from the national carrier of Laos DISCLAIMER

Champa Meuanglao is published bi-monthly for Lao Airlines State Enterprise by RDK Group. The views and opinions expressed or implied in Champa Meuanglao do not necessarily reflect those of Lao Airlines State Enterprise or its publishing agents. All information in Champa Meuanglao is correct at time of printing. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2017 by Lao Airlines State Enterprise and RDK Group.

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CONTENTS 10

48 hours in & around Pakse Eat, Drink, See & Do

A taste of home Japanese cafĂŠ Ango

Upcountry escape A new resort in northern Laos

A cut above Giving Lao textiles the edge

COVER STORY

DREAMS ON CANVAS Two female artists are finding their voice in Vientiane

Milk and more Laos' first buffalo dairy Phnom Penh Architecture of a bygone era

63 8

On the air Airline news, timetables and contacts

& around Pakse EAT & DRINK Le Panorama, Pakse Hotel Le Panorama serves an excellent variety of Western and Lao dishes, as well as quality cocktails and wines. There is an excellent view of the city, the surrounding mountains and the Mekong River. Happy Hour is from 5pm until 6pm, which is perfect while enjoying a majestic sunset. Highly recommended are the shrimp cakes with red chutney and the beef steak with mushroom sauce.

Anjolie’s desserts and coﬀee Anjolie’s is excellent for coffee lovers and those with a sweet tooth. Their ice cream and dessert menu is exceptional quality and value. Open from 9am until 10pm, enjoy treats from the favourite mango and sweet sticky rice, the very tasty chocolate fondue set, or an excellent variety of fresh hot and iced coffees from the famous Bolaven coffee farms.

Dok Mai Lao Trattoria Italiana Dok Mai is a well-established Italian restaurant in central Pakse. It has a fantastic selection of Italian pasta dishes, cheese and cold meat platters, pizzas, and homemade ice cream. Ask the waiter to show you through to the ‘secret garden’ where you can relax in a quiet and comfortable environment with some excellent wine and starters.

Champasak Grand Hotel Champasak Grand Hotel has recently introduced a fantastic all-you-can-eat buffet lunch. From 11am until 3pm, and for as little as 70,000 kip per person, you may enjoy salmon steaks, marinated duck breast, pork ribs, thai green curry, salads, soups, tapas, and a variety of fruits and desserts.

Pizer bar Pizer is a must visit if you would like a great night in Pakse. From 8pm there's a Lao/Thai live music band that plays a great mixture of Asian and Western songs. Pizer has a great variety of beers, cocktails, wines, and spirits, and the service is excellent. Pizer also has a good variety of local dishes available from steamed ﬁsh to the very tasty BBQ beef kebabs.

Seb’s Bar Seb’s is a new bar in Pakse located in central Tha Luang. It is the ﬁrst bar to offer a variety of entertainment from live sports, music, darts, and bar games. Seb’s offers a great selection of quality burgers and international food, as well as a good variety of cocktails, beers, wines, ciders, and spirits. It's a great place to meet local expats and tourists. Open mic is also available to anyone wanting to get involved!

Chinda King Night Club Chinda King is one of the best latenight spots in the city. Located at KM4 and open late, Chinda King has a fun environment for those wanting a late drink and a dance. The Thai and Lao DJs play a great variety of Asian and Western dance music. Enjoy your own private table with a Beerlao or the ultimate Johnnie Walker whiskey sets.

SEE & DO To fully enjoy and experience the rich culture, ancient history, and natural beauty that Champasack Province has to offer in 48 hours, our team recommends the following itinerary…

DAY 1 7.30 AM Enjoy a breakfast of local noodle soups, salads, and freshly-made French pastries and baguettes.

8.30 AM Make your way by either a hired car or minivan to the magniﬁcent Bolaven Plateau, where you can witness the tallest and most spectacular waterfalls in South-East Asia. Take Route E16 to Paksong (straight on at the intersection at kilometer 21 of Route 13E when coming from Pakse).

TAD YEUANG

10 AM

11 AM

Tad Fane is the tallest waterfall in South-East Asia, and a picturesque twin set of waterfalls spilling 200 metres into a deep gorge. There are beautiful ﬂora and fauna along the paths towards an excellent view-point and café, and if you’re feeling brave you can enjoy the exciting new zip line experience over the falls. Entrance fee 10,000 kip.

Tad Yeuang is a beautiful twin waterfall where visitors can swim at the bottom pool, relax at the top, and enjoy following a natural stone path to lookouts along the middle. There is a quaint café at the entrance of the falls where you can enjoy a fresh cup of Bolaven coffee before leaving. Entrance fee 10,000 kip.

12 PM Begin making your way down the mountains along E16 back towards Pakse stopping at the local farmers markets to enjoy fresh fruits, local snacks, and cold drinks. When arriving at the intersection at 21, take the left towards Champasack village and Wat Phou.

2 PM Wat Phou (meaning ‘mountain temple’), is situated on a hillside and has stunning views over the surrounding land and Mekong River. Visitors who appreciate art and history will be amazed by the magniﬁcent workmanship in this World Heritagelisted Khmer temple complex in the

form of temple pillars, barays, lintels, pediments, terrace, courtyard, walls, doorways, sanctuary, shrine, library and palaces. There is also a natural spring at the top that is believed by locals to produce holy water. Wat Phou is considered one of the oldest archaeological sites in Laos. One temple in the site was constructed around the 5th century and most buildings found in the complex are from the 11th to 13th centuries. Among many of the outstanding carvings there are the Indra, the Hindu god of war, storms, and rainfalls, riding a three-headed elephant and Vishnu riding on a garuda. Wat Phou has been an active temple for Buddhist religious practice for quite some time as Buddhism replaced Hinduism in Laos in the mid 13th century. There is an altar at the front section of its sanctuary featuring four large Buddha images with more Buddha carvings around the ruins. Allow at least two hours to explore this magniﬁcent complex before making your way to Phou Salao temple. Entrance fee 55,000 kip per person. JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

5 PM Located high on Salao Hill, the impressive Phou Salao Golden Buddha offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Mekong River, Pakse City, the Bolaven Mountains, and Friendship Bridge. A perfect way to end a brilliant day: explore the complex, take in the incredible views, then relax in front of the Giant Golden Buddha Statue and enjoy a majestic sun set over the Mekong River. Entrance is free.

DAY 2 7.30 AM Enjoy a breakfast of local noodle soups, salads, and freshly made French pastries and baguettes.

8.30 AM Start heading south along route 13 toward the tranquil and beautiful Si Phan Don (4000 Islands) archipelago and Khone Phapheng Falls, the largest waterfall in South East Asia.

10.30 AM Arrive at Nakasang port village and arrange a boat to Hua Det (Northern tip of Don Det island. Tickets cost 15,000 kip per person). There, you can hire a bicycle (10,000 kip) or 12

motorbike (80,000 kip) for a few hours and explore the authentic and peaceful villages, the beautiful views of the Mekong river, the islands, and the Cambodian mountains. Head along the sunrise side of Don Det Island until you get to the old French bridge to Don Khone Island.

12.30 PM Li Phi Waterfall at Don Khone is a very peaceful area where you can enjoy a freshly prepared lunch of Mekong ďŹ sh, sticky rice, and salad while enjoying the gorgeous falls and countryside. Entrance fee 35,000 kip per person.

1.30 PM Head to the very southern point of Laos, Hang Khone (Southern Don Khone Island). There you can hire a boat to explore the waters between Laos and Cambodia. Take in the scenery as you try to spot the rare fresh water Irrawaddy dolphin and the local wildlife. 60,000 kip for a 1 hour boat trip.

3 PM Make your way to Don Khone village where you can organise a boat back to Nakasang port village. Once in Nakasang, travel back to route 13 and head further south about 20 minutes along to Khone Phapheng Falls.

Locals often refer to Khone Phapheng Waterfall as the “jewel” or the “pearl” of the Mekong, as it is South-East Asia’s largest waterfall. Millions of litres of water descend over sets of cascades making it one of the most spectacular sites in Southern Laos. Once you arrive at Khone Phapheng take your time to explore and read the local history about the falls and the Manikoth tree. There is a free transport service available to take you to the most magniﬁcent viewing point of Khone Phapheng. Relax, enjoy a

fresh local coffee and snacks, and listen to the awesome roar of the falls. Entrance fee 55,000 kip per person.

4.30 PM Slowly head north straight along route 13 towards Pakse and enjoy the simply beautiful countryside of Champasack.

Text: Adam Chalcraft Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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taste of home

Ango serves traditional Japanese food with a diﬀerence By Sally Pryor

n Japanese, the word ango has more than one meaning. One is the three-month period of intense training for students of Zen Buddhism, otherwise known as Buddhist Lent. In traditional haiku poetry, however, the word refers to summer – a happy word that evokes renewal. Ango was the perfect name to give a newly opened restaurant in Vientiane, after Japanese couple Hiroshi Yoshioka and Erika Fujiwara took it over from its previous owners last year. Originally the offbeat corner café Yulala, selling homestyle Japanese food, its new incarnation is similar in atmosphere. A cosy, wood-ﬂoored space littered with homely objects and quirky art, Ango serves the same style of food – rice bowls, salads and ceremonialgrade matcha green tea – that the owners themselves love eating.

Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, Hiroshi ﬁrst arrived in Laos in 2009, as a volunteer art teacher for the Japanese aid agency JICA. Erika, a ceramic artist from the famous craft city of Kanazawa, arrived in 2013, mostly to visit Hiroshi, but also because she had recently received an arts scholarship from Japanese cosmetics house Pola, giving her the chance to travel and create a body of work. But she ended up staying, and in 2014, the owners of Yulala decided to head back to Japan. They offered the business to Hiroshi and Erika, giving them just one month to make up their minds. Although the two were happy doing their current work, and had never run a café before, they accepted the offer, and spent six months refurbishing the space and making it their own, reopening the space in mid-2015.

Although Ango’s menu is simple and streamlined – an Okinawa-style taco rice bowl, cold fried eggplant and homemade ginger ale are just some of the things on offer – and is open for lunch and dinner, the couple are now trying to work out how they simplify things further, to enable them to pursue their separate artistic careers. Erika recently exhibited her earthy ceramic bowls, created using an open-field firing technique, at Vientiane’s I-Cat Art Gallery, while Hiroshi is an illustrator. They even have plans to one day use the space as a cultural space, mixing food with art and work; its white walls, timber floors and natural light would be particularly conducive to displaying art.

It’s food for the house, for family – it’s home-style.

3 4

1. Hiroshi Yoshioka and Erika Fujiwara 2. Dinner set at Café Ango 3. Hiroshi preparing pour-over coﬀee using home-roasted coﬀee beans 4. Okinawa-style taco rice bowl Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

But in the meantime, the café has become a popular spot for diners seeking Japanese food with a difference. Hiroshi likes playing around with more Southeast Asian ingredients, and is now starting to roast coffee beans, while Erika just likes simple ingredients and tasty food. “It’s food for the house, for family – it’s home-style,” Erika says.

1. Inside Café Ango 2. Freshly ground Lao coﬀee Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa

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Eat: Set,

Kualao’s Race to the Top of the Authentic Lao Food Segment

t’s a fact that food is one of Laos’ biggest drawcards, for locals, long-term residents and visitors alike. But where to take an outof-towner craving an introduction to the best of Lao cuisine – in one meal, on one table? Of course, it would be impossible to get every single amazing Lao dish into one meal – no table in the world would be big enough – but Kualao Restaurant, housed in a gorgeous restored French colonial villa in downtown Vientiane, has one of the best set menus on offer. Set out on a traditional rattan tray, the premium set menu – designed for one person, but able to be shared by two – has a classic selection of some of the most popular Lao dishes, many eaten every day by locals.

Or lam mou

A meat and vegetable stew that uses a recipe originally devised for the Royal Family in Luang Prabang several hundred years ago. This version, using pork and mushrooms, has a smoky ﬂavour that is as close to the original as you can get.

Kang som pa

A sour ﬁsh soup, using Mekong ﬁsh sent up from Champasak in the south 3 4 3

Kao gum

Almost all food in Laos is accompanied by sticky rice, and this one is an unusual deep purple variety. Many Lao meals can consist of only Kao gum and Jeo bong!

Jeo bong

Another Luang Prabang special, this is a spicy chili sauce served with steamed greens.

Larb ped (duck larb)

No introduction to Lao cuisine is complete without larb, the national dish that is eaten at all celebratory occasions. Comprising ﬁnely minced meat and herbs, this version uses duck, a premium meat in Laos.

Kua pak luam (stir-fried vegetables in oyster sauce)

Not strictly a Lao dish but one that traditionally accompanies most Lao meals

9 8

Mok pa fork

A traditional dish of steamed ﬁsh in banana leaf, although this version uses pa fork, a type of ﬁsh not often used in this way. It is also presented in the shape of a cake, rather than wrapped completely.

7 7

Sai oua keuang

Delicious pork sausages using the traditional Luang Prabang blend of herbs and spices 6

Gai hor bai teuy

An original Lao dish of deep-fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaf 5

Yor jeun (fried spring rolls)

A unique take on a much-loved traditional regional appetiser JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

By Latsamy Phonevilay

rowing and harvesting tobacco crops can be a remarkably uncomplicated process. Once farmers plant tobacco plants they need to water them regularly, and when harvest season arrives, they start picking the ripe leaves. Starting at the bottom, where leaves mature the earliest, they work their way to the top as the season progresses, ending with the most valuable top leaves. Most tobacco farmers plant and harvest in the rainy season, when plants have the best chance of receiving enough water throughout the season. But in Laos, where the monsoons make the ground too wet for planting, planting and harvesting is carried out in the dry season. Farmers therefore have to water the plants by hand, one-by-one, a process that takes three to four days a week. This will take a back seat at harvesting time, when the farmer will focus on reaping the ripe leaves. As a result, the plant will often not get enough water after harvesting has started. By the end of the harvest, the high-value leaves at the top of the plant will see the overall quality and yield suffer.

Tobacco farmers only 2 have one chance a year to take their crop to market; if the crop is no good, a year is a long time to wait for the next chance to earn some money. It’s a singular problem for tobacco farmers, especially those still using manual watering systems like in Laos. But Lao Tobacco is piloting a new irrigation program to solve what is technically a simple problem of timing. In a pilot scheme this year, the company is providing around 30 farmers with a new automatic irrigation system, that brings water automatically to the crop via pipelines. Mark Ballance, Lao Tobacco’s Leaf Growing and Blending Manager, says the system will reduce the amount of labour required for a crop quite substantially. “It will reduce water consumption and improve yields, so from a technical point of view it’s very beneﬁcial,” he says. “But, just as important for the farmers, it will reduce the amount of time spent watering the crop from several days a week, to just half a day a week.”

This will also prevent the leaves at the top of the plant from becoming, in Ballance’s words, “droughty”, or too dry to be properly cured. The system will be trialled on just half a crop per farmer, to enable the company to collect data on the difference in water consumption, but it’s clear that the amount of labour required will be reduced to allow the farmer more time to carry out other activities, such as harvesting the crop. Ballance says the company’s intention is to demonstrate the initial success of the system, and encourage farmers over time to invest in the systems themselves, to save time, water and money in the long run.

1. A ﬁeld of produce bound for Lao Tobacco 2. Closeup of the new irrigation system 3. A farmer harvesting tobacco leaves 4. A newly installed irrigation system Photos: Courtesy of Lao Tobacco

ວິທີທີ່ແສນ

ທ�ມະດາ

ຊາວສວນຕ�ອງຫ�ດນ�າຕ�ນໃ�ຢາເ��ອລະຕ�ນ ໂ�ຍ ໃ��ບ�ວຫ�ດນ�າ, ເ��ງຕ�ອງຫ�ດອາທິດລະ 3–4 ມ�. ການຫ�ດນ�າດ�ວຍມືອາດຈະສ�າງບ�ນຫາໃ��ຊາວ ສວນພາຍ��ງໄ�� ເ��ອງຈາກວ�າການກະປະລິມານ ນ�າແ��ນຍາກ ແ�ະ ບ�ມີລະບ�ບແ�ບແ�ນ.

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ເ�ັບກ�ຽວເ��ອເ�ິງເ�ລາ. ການປູກໃ�ຢາ ກໍຄ�າຍຄືກ�ນກ�ບການປູກພືດຊະນິດອ�ນ: ກ�າເ��ຍ, ເ�ົາເ��ຍລ�ງດິນ, ໝ�ນຫ�ດນ�າ ແ�ະ ລໍຖ�າເ�ລາເ�ັບກ�ຽວ. ໃ�ທາງຄໍາເ��ານ�ນ, ການປູກໃ�ຢາແ��ນແ�ນຈະງ�າຍ ແ��ໃ� ທາງປະຕິບ�ດນ�ນບ�ແ��ນເ�ີຍ.

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ຜ�ນສຸດທ�າຍເ��ອໃ�ຢາບ�ໄ��ຮ�ບປະລິນມານນ�າ ທ�ພຽງພໍ �ື �າຍເ�ີນໄ�, ມ�ນໄ��ສງຜ� � ນໃ��ໃ�ຢາ ອອກມາບ�ໄ��ຄຸນນະພາບດີເ��າທ�ຄວນ. ເ�ົາຈະສ�ງເ�ດໄ��ທຍອດຂອງໃ�ຢາເ�� ງເ�ັນ ບ�ອນທ�ໄ��ລາຄາດີທສຸ � ດອາດບ�ໄ��ຮ�ບນ�າເ��າ ທ�ຄວນ ແ�ະ ເ�ັດໃ��ຄຸນນະພາບຂອງໃ�ຢາ ຕ�ກລ�ງ. ການປູກໃ�ຢາແ��ນສາມາດປູກໄ�� ພຽງປີລະຄ�ງ, ສະນ�ນ ຊາວສວນຈ�ງມີໂ�ກາດ ດຽວຕ�ປີໃ�ການເ�ັບກ�ຽວ ແ�ະ ຂາຍໃ�ຢາ. ຖ�າຫາກການປູກໃ�ຢາບ�ໄ��ດີ ໝາຍຄວາມວ�າ ເ�ົາເ��າຕ�ອງລ�ຖ�າອີກ 1 ປີຈ�ນກວ�າລະດູແ��ງ ຈະກ�ບມາອີກຄ�ງ. ມ�ນເ�ັນບ�ນຫາ��ກສຳລ�ບຊາວສວນເ�ີຍກໍວ�າ ໄ��, ໂ�ຍສະເ�າະບ�ນດາຊາວສວນທ�ຫ�ດນ�າ ດ�ວຍມືຢູ�. ແ��ວ�າ ບໍລິສ�ດ ຢາສູບລາວ ຈໍາກ�ດ, ເ��ງເ�ັນຜູ�ຮ�ບຊ�ໃ�ຢາຈາກຊາວສວນໂ�ຍກ�ງ ໄ��ຄໍານຶງເ�ິງບ�ນຫານ� ແ�ະ ຫາທາງແ��ໄ� ບ�ນຫາ ໃ��ຊາວສວນດ�ວຍການແ�ະນໍາການສ�າງ ລະບ�ບຊ�ນລະປະທານ. ການທ�ດລອງສ�າງ ແ�ະ ໃ��ລະບ�ບການຫ�ດ ນ�າໂ�ຍອ�ດຕະໂ�ມ�ດ ແ��ນເ��ມຕ�ນໃ�ປີ 2017 ນ� ໂ�ຍໄ��ທ�ດລອງຢູ�ສວນຂອງຊາວສວນຈໍາ ນວນ 30 ສວນ. ໃ�ຢາຈະໄ��ຮ�ບການຫ�ດນ�າໂ�ຍ

ທ�ນ�າແ�ບອ�ດຕະໂ�ມ�ດ ເ��ງຈະຊ�ວຍ��ດຜ�ອນ ເ�ລາໃ�ການເ�ັດວຽກຂອງຊາວສວນລ�ງ. ທ�ານ ມາກ ບາລລ�ນສ� ເ��ງເ�ັນຜູ�ຈ�ດການຝ�າຍ ການຄວບຄຸມການປູກ ແ�ະປະສ�ມໃ�ຢາກ�າວວ�າ ລະບ�ບຊ�ນລະປະທານຈະຊ�ວຍ��ດຈໍານວນແ�ງ ງານໄ��ຢ�າງຍືນຍ�ງ. “ມ�ນຈະຊ�ວຍ��ດການໃ��ນາ � ແ�ບຟຸມເ�ືອຍ ແ�ະ ຊ�ວຍປ�ບສະພາບສວນ. ທາງດ�ານເ�ັກນິກແ��ວ ຖືວ�ານ�ເ�ັນວິທີທມີ � ປະ ໂ�ດ�າຍ” ກ�າວໂ�ຍທ�ານມາກ. ທ�ານໄ��ເ�ີມຕ�ມວ�າ: “ແ�ະ ສຳລ�ບຊາວສວນເ�ງ, ມ�ນຈະຊ�ວຍ��ດຜ�ອນເ�ລາເ�ັດວຽກຂອງເ�ົາເ��າ ລ�ງ ຈາກ 3–4 ມ�ຕ�ອາທິດ ເ�ືອເ��ງມ�ຕ�ອາທິດ.” ມ�ນຈະຊ�ວຍປ�ອງການບ�ໃ��ຍອດຂອງໃ�ຢາຂາດ ນ�າ ຈ�ນແ��ງ. ລະບ�ບນ�ຈະເ�ັດການທ�ດລອງພຽງ ແ��ເ��ງດຽວຂອງສວນ, ເ��ອທ�ທາງບໍລິສ�ດຈະ ສາມາດເ�ັບກຳຂ�ມູນຄວາມແ�ກຕ�າງໃ�ການ ໃ��ນາລະ� � �າງສວນເ��ງທ�ໃ��ຊ�ນລະປະທານ ແ�ະ ສວນອີກເ��ງທ�ຊາວສວນຫ�ດນ�າດ�ວຍມືື. ແ��ວ�າວິທີນຈະຊ� � ວຍປະ��ດແ�ງງານຂອງ ຊາວສວນໃ�ການເ�ັບກ�ຽວຢ�າງແ��ນອນ. ທ�ານ ມາກກ�າວວ�າທາງບໍລິສ�ດຕ�ງໃ�ທ�ຈະສະ ແ�ງໃ��ຊາວສວນເ�ັນຄວາມສຳເ�ັດໃ�ການ ໃ��ລະບ�ບຊ�ນລະປະທານ ແ�ະ ກະຕຸກຊ�ກຍູ� ໃ��ຊາວສວນລ�ງທຶນໃ�ລະບ�ບຊ�ນລະປະທານ ເ��ອປະ��ດເ�ລາ, ປະ��ດນ�າ ແ�ະ ປະ��ດທຶນໃ�ຕ�ໜ�າ.

1. ສວນໃ�ຢາ 2. ທ�ສ�ງນ�າເ��ອຫ�ດນ�າແ�ບອ�ດຕະໂ�ມ�ດ 3. ຊາວສວນກຳລ�ງເ�ັບກ�ຽວໃ�ຢາ່ 4. ການວາງທ�ນ�າຊ�ນລະປະທານໃ�� ຮູບພາບຈາກ ບໍລິສ�ດ ຢາສູບລາວ ຈໍາກ�ດ JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

UPCOUNTRY

escape

A new resort with something for everybody is attracting visitors to an unspoiled corner of northern Laos, writes Vincent VichitVadakan

he first time I travelled to Namkat Yorla Pa I almost didn't make it. The day we set off, unbeknownst to us, the northern province of Oudomxay was experiencing the worst flooding it had seen in almost a decade. Landslides blocked the mountain roads and flood waters washed away a bridge we had to cross. We understood that travel in Laos could be unpredictable so we considered the options and decided that the best path was forward. We arrived after dark, wet, muddy and disgruntled. We shuffled through the dramatically designed lobby, had some dinner and called it a night.

A soak in my in-room Jacuzzi took the edge off, but it was really only the next morning, clean and well-rested, that the charm of Namkat Yorla Pa began to sink in. First, all the beautiful rooms in this brand-new resort, now only in its second season of operation, offer the blend of tradition and sleek design that are the trademark of François Greck, the French architect who has worked on some of the most prestigious projects in Laos over the past 25 years. All rooms in all categories have huge bay windows with river views, traditional wood furnishings and ultramodern bathrooms. Superior rooms offer a comfortable space,

1 2 Main Resort guests are greeted in the open-air lobby of Namkat Yorla Pa 1. The hotel's landscaping was designed to blend in seamlessly with the natural surroundings 2. The lobby makes use of local materials and designs Photos: Courtesy of Nam Kat Yorla Pa

executive deluxe rooms sport amenities like that Jacuzzi tub, while the 184 square-metre pool villas offer private outdoor space, bars inside and out, a prep kitchen, a spacious living room and of course a pool you could host your own pool party in. My personal pick would have to be the deluxe room, with a separate sitting room and balcony as well as that welcome bath. Closer to the activity areas, there are more options for travellers whatever their budget. ‘Eco’ rooms are cosy and compact but feature the same attention to design as the other rooms in the resort, including the stunning river views out ﬂoor-toceiling windows. Up to four campers

can check into the fully equipped safari tents with hot water and balconies while individual tents with shared facilities are available in the campground. I didn't go all that way just to sit in my room. Shuttles are available to whisk guests around the property, but in the main hotel area, I preferred to walk. Landscapers have struck the right balance between the wild greenery and the well-kept grounds in the common areas. The real star of the show however is the 6,000 hectares of jungle that surrounds the resort, the backdrop for the many activities on offer. JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

You can choose between a variety of treks through the jungle, up mountains and across rope bridges. I did one short trek to the Taad Huay Soum waterfall, climbed the via ferrata, zip-lined to a treehouse then back to waterfall to rappel to the ground through the refreshingly cool water. It was exhilarating.

1. Warm smiles in the Khmu village 2. Thrill-seekers can zip-line their way through lush green jungles 3. A stay in a treehouse is really a way to get away from it all 4. A visit to the Namkat Waterfall is one of the highlights of a stay here 5. Namkat Yorla Pa can also cater your own private barbecue party Photos: Courtesy of Nam Kat Yorla Pa

Another trek I did was into the forest of giant rosewood trees. Some of the path is steep and slippery, but the guide was always careful to go at my pace and help me through the more difﬁcult obstacles. The serenity of being at one with these centuries-old trees was worth every drop of sweat. You can tool around in an ATV, swim in the pools of the Namkat waterfall, ride bikes and choose from cooking classes and a tour of the resort's Khmu village, where many of the hotel's staff come from. A traditional Khmu dance performance can be arranged and there is an option to stay

in a homestay in the village. Other choices include spending the night in a treehouse, and overnight treks with camping in the mountains. The resort grows some of its own produce, like passionfruit and grapes, some of which ends up on the breakfast table as homemade jams, in signature cocktails and mocktails or in desserts, all of which are made in-house. Ask to have a look. If you need a break, a gorgeous pool overlooks the river and the therapists in the spa will provide expert treatments. The possibilities are really endless. Do you want a campﬁre in the cool winter months? Feel like having your own barbecue party? Would you like to tailor a day that you can't ﬁnd in the 42 readymade programs on offer? Just ask. namkatyorlapa.com

2 4

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

CUT

above 1

The creator of Her Works is making her mark on the handicrafts market in Laos By Sally Pryor

t’s almost a rite of passage for the homebound traveller passing through Southeast Asia – hastily amassing a collection of scarves and cloth bags with ethnic prints to distribute as gifts. You might even get one for yourself, or have been travelling with the same battered shoulder bag, bought in a street market or handicrafts shop, for months. But it might not look so appealing once you get home – backpacker-style accessories often lose their lustre after a long trip. Where, then, to ﬁnd something that will last the distance?

Something that will still be wearable on the streets of your hometown, or make the perfect gift for a discerning collector? All the better if it comes with an enigmatic label. One like Her Works, for example, that evokes a feminine attention to detail, and a feminist consideration for the majority of makers in Laos. The woman behind Her Works, Douangmany Heuangkhamsene, or Tookta, had all this and more on her mind as she struggled to think of something to ﬁll her recently empty shop in 2016. The Vientiane native had recently closed her restaurant, having spent a fortune on renovating the space on which she had signed a 15-year lease. She had run it as a bar and eaterie for six months with a friend, before realising she couldn’t compete with the established, highend restaurants in the neighbourhood. Tookta had originally studied jewellery

making in Bangkok, with the intention of joining the family business. Her parents own Bounthem Gold Jewellery, an established business with a shop and warehouse, that has long been the official maker of the crown for the winners of the Miss Grand Laos and Miss Universe Laos beauty pageants. She found herself wanting to branch out on her own, but when the restaurant failed, she struggled to find someone willing to take over the lease and cover the costs of the expensive renovation. So she began making silver necklaces decorated with the Lao flag, and selling them at her friend’s souvenir shop nearby. These sold well, so she moved onto bags, using traditional fabrics, and sold them under the label Her Works. When her friend moved away, she took another chance, and set up

1. Douangmany Heuangkhamsene in her shop 2. The interior of Her Works 3. Shoes made from traditional fabrics 4. Lao-made garments 5. Handmade accessories Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa

Many Lao people also don't know much about minority groups because in the markets there’s only Lao Loum styles, which is the majority ethnic group, using Chinese fabrics with embroidery.

an outdoor shop outside a government bookstore in downtown Vientiane.

Within a week, everything in the shop had sold out, and kept selling for months. It was time, then, to set up the restaurant as a shop. That was in October last year, and she has since spent her time roaming the country to source fabrics and textiles from ethnic communities. She uses them to make her selfdesigned bags, clothes and homewares, all with a modern twist that gives them an edge over other, more traditional fare. The shop – which still includes the street-side store on Setthathirat Road – is large enough to include some fabrics sourced from Thailand, which has similar tribes, but almost all is from Laos. She’s also spent many hours combing markets for higher-grade zippers and linings, learning more than she ever knew was possible about the sewing trade in her quest to make high-end products that stand apart from the rest. “We've had quite a good response, and everyone, when they come to my shop, says it looks very different from other handicrafts shops,” says Tookta.

Hmong and Lao Loum (the mainstream ethnic group).” And it’s not just the tourist market she’s trying to attract; many local Lao are interested in different takes on old traditions. “Many Lao people also don't know much about minority groups because in the markets there’s only Lao Loum styles, which is the majority ethnic group, using Chinese fabrics with embroidery,” she says. “But tastes are changing, and I want to revive the ethnic minority crafts .” She says the shop’s name is there to pay tribute to craftsmanship of so many women working away in remote villages around the country. “I just want to mention to every artisan and every woman involved in making our products,” she says.

“I try to focus on the works of various tribes, not just the well-known ones like JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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ສ�າງສ�ນຜ�ນງານຫ�ດຖະກຳ ຢ�າງໂ�ດເ��ນຜ�ານຈິນຕະ ນາການຂອງນາງ

ແ�ະ ສ�ງນ�ນກໍຖືກສ�າງຂ�ນພາຍໃ��ຊ� “ເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ” ຜ�ານຄວາມຄິດສ�າງສ�ນທ�ຮ�ກໃ�ຜ�ນງານຂອງ ແ��ຍິງລາວ ຜູ�ສ�າງເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ ດວງມະນີ ເ�ືອງຄໍາແ�ນ �ື ຕຸກຕາ ເ��ງມີຄວາມ ຕ�ງໃ�ທ�ຈະຍ�ກສູງ ແ�ະ ສ�ງເ�ີມຜ�ນງານຂອງ ແ��ຍິງລາວບ�ນດາເ��າ.

ກືອບຖືໄ��ວ�າການຊ�ຂອງຕ�ອນປະເ�ດ ຖ�ງຜ�າ ແ�ະ ຜ�າພ�ນຄໍລາຍຊ�ນເ��າແ��ນເ�ັນ ທ�ນິຍ�ມ ແ�ະ ຖືເ�ັນປະເ�ນີປະຕິບ�ດ ສໍາລ�ບນ�ກທ�ອງທ�ຽວທ�ເ�ີນທາງຜ�ານເ�ດອາຊີ ຕາເ�ັນອອກສຽງໃ��ກໍວ�າໄ��. ບາງຄ�ນກໍເ�ີຍ ຊ�ໃ��ຈາກຕະ�າດມືດ �ື ຮ�ານຫ�ດຖະກຳຕ�າງ ໃ��ພາຍບ�າໄ�ສະຖານທ�ຕ�າງໆ.

ຕຸກຕາເ�ີດ ແ�ະ ໃ��ຢູ�ວຽງຈ�ນ, ລາວໄ��ເ�ີດ ຮ�ານອາຫານ ເ��ງລາວໄ��ທຸ�ມເ�ແ�ງກາຍ ແ�ງໃ� ແ�ະ ທຶນຮອນໃ�ການສ�າງຮ�ານ ທ�ລາວ ໄ��ເ�ັນສ�ນຍາເ��າເ�ັນເ�ລາ 15 ປີ. ລາວດໍາເ�ີນ ທຸລະກີດຮ�ວມກ�ບໝູ�ຄ�ນໜ�ງ. ລາວເ�ີດຮ�ານມາ ໄ��ໃ�ໄ�ຍະສ�ນໆພຽງ 6 ເ�ືອນເ��ານ�ນ, ແ��ຈໍາ ເ�ັນຕ�ອງໄ��ປິດກິດຈະການລ�ງ ເ��ອຮູ�ວ�າລາວ ບ�ສາມາດແ��ງກ�ບຮ�ານອາຫານ��າໃ�ຊ�ມຊ�ນ ເ�ດນ�ນໄ��.

ເ

ໂ�ຍ ແ�ນລ� ພຣາຍເ��

ແ��ເ�ືອເ�ລາທ�ບ�ນດານ�ກທ�ອງທ�ຽວກ�ບຮອດ ບ�ານເ�ີດຂອງຕ�ນ ຈະເ�ັນວ�າ ສ�ງເ��ານ�ນອາດ ບ�ໜ�າດຶງດູດ �ື ຕ�ກຍຸກໄ�ຕາມການເ�ລາ. ຖ�າເ�ັນແ�ບນ�, ແ��ວເ�ົາຈະໄ�ຫາສ�ງໃ�ທ�ຈະ ໂ�ດເ��ນ ແ�ະ ມີເ�ກະລ�ກ ເ��ງບ�ວ�າຈະຜ�ານ ໄ�ດ�ນປານໃ�ກໍຍ�ງທ�ິເ�ັນທ�ນິຍ�ມຢູ�ຕະ�ອດ? ສ�ງໃ�ທ�ຈະສາມາດນໍາມາໝູນໃ��ຄືນ �ື ສວມໃ�� ຢູ�ປະເ�ດຂອງນ�ກທ�ອງທ�ຽວເ�ງແ��ວຈະເ��ງຄື ບ�ຕ�ກຍຸກ �ື ສ�ງໃ�ທ�ຈະເ�ັນຂອງຂວ�ນທ�ເ�າະ ສໍາລ�ບບ�ນດານ�ກສະສ�ມທ�ງ�າຍ? ມ�ນອາດຈະ ດີຂນ � ຖ�າສ�ງເ��ານ�ນມີຍຫ� � ຂ�ນມາ ແ�ະ ສ�າງ ຄວາມແ�ກຕາແ�ກໃ�ໃ��ນ�ກທ�ອງທ�ຽວ. 32

ຕຸກຕາ ຈ�ບກ�ຽວກ�ບການຜະລິດເ��ອງປະດ�ບ ຈາກ ບາງກອກ, ��ງທ�ຈະມາຊ�ວຍກິດຈະການຂອງ ຄອບຄ�ວ. ພ�ແ��ຂອງລາວເ�ັນເ��າຂອງຮ�ານ ບຸນເ�ັມວ�ດຖ�ມີຄ�າ, ຊ�ງເ�ັນທ�ຮູ�ຈ�ກມາເ�ັນເ�ລາ ດ�ນນານ ແ�ະ ເ�ັນຜູ�ຜະລິດມຸງກຸດຢ�າງເ�ັນທາງ ການໃ�� ນາງສາວລາວ ແ�ະ ນາງງາມຈ�ກກະ ວານລາວ ນ�ນເ�ງ. ລາວຕ�ອງການທ�ຈະແ�ກອອກມາເ�ັດທຸລະກິດ ເ�ັນຂອງຕ�ນເ�ງ, ແ��ໃ�ເ��ອການເ�ີດຮ�ານ ອາຫານ ໄ�ບ�ໄ��ດີ, ລາວຈ�ງຊອກຫາຄ�ນມາເ��າ

ຮ�ານຕ� ເ��ອຊອກທຶນໃ�ສ�ວນທ�ລາວບູລະນະ ຮ�ານຄືນ. ລາວໄ��ເ��ມເ�ັດສາຍແ�ນເ�ິນທ�ປະດ�ບດ�ວຍ ທຸງຊາດລາວ, ແ��ວນໍາໄ�ຝາກຂາຍທ�ຮ�ານ ຂາຍເ��ອງທ�ລະນຶກຂອງໝູ� ເ��ງກໍໄ��ຮ�ບ ການຕອບຮ�ບດີ, ຕ�ມາ ລາວຈ�ງເ��ມເ�ັດ ກະເ�ົາຜ�າຂາຍ ໂ�ຍນໍາໃ��ແ��ນແ�ລາຍ ພ�ນເ�ືອງ ແ�ະ ຜະລິດອອກຂາຍພາຍໃ��ຊ� ເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ. ແ��ເ��ອຮ�ານໝູ�ຂອງລາວປິດລ�ງ, ລາວກໍໄ��ປ�ຽນ ວິກິດເ�ັນໂ�ກາດ ໃ�ຕ�ງຮ�ານກາງແ��ງຢູ�ແ�ມ ທາງ ເ��ງຕ�ງຢູ�ຕໜ� � າຮ�ານຂາຍປ�ມແ��ງລ�ດ, ແ�ມເ��ນທາງເ�ດຖາທິລາດ. ພາຍໃ�ອາທິດດຽວ, ສິນຄ�າໃ�ຮ�ານກໍຂາຍ ອອກຈ�ນໝ�ດ, ແ�ະ ເ�ັດໃ��ລາວສືບຕ�ຂາຍຢູ�ທນ� � ນເ�ັນເ�ລາ�າຍເ�ືອນ. ��ງຈາກນ�ນ, ລາວ ຈ�ງຕ�ດສິນໃ�ແ�ງຮ�ານອາຫານຂອງລາວເ�ັນ ຮ�ານຂາຍເ��ອງເ�ັມຮູບແ�ບ. ລາວເ��ມຊອກ ຫາແ��ນແ�ຈາກບ�ນດາຊ�ນເ��າຕ�າງ ເ��ອຈະ ເ�ົາມາສ�າງສ�ນຜ�ນງານເ�� ກະເ�ົາພາຍ, ເ��ອຜ�າ ແ�ະ ອຸປະກອນຕ�ກແ��ງພາຍໃ�ເ�ືອນ, ເ��ງທ�ງໝ�ດມີການອອກແ�ບທ�ໂ�ດເ��ນ ເ�ັນ ການປະສ�ມປະສານລະ��າງຄວາມທ�ນສະໄ� ແ�ະ ຍ�ງຮ�ກສາສ�ງທ�ເ�ັນເ�ກະລ�ກພ�ນເ�ືອງໄ��. ລາວໄ��ນໍາແ��ນແ�ຈາກໄ�ມາຂາຍທ�ຮ�ານຂອງ

ລາວເ��ງຕ�ງຢູ�ແ�ມທາງດ�ວຍ, ແ��ນແ�ດ�ງ ກ�າວມີລວດລາຍຊ�ນເ��າຄ�າຍກ�ນ ແ��ແ��ນແ� ສ�ວນ�າຍກໍແ��ນມາຈາກໃ�ປະເ�ດເ�ົາເ�ືອບ ທ�ງໝ�ດ. ເ��ອເ�ັດໃ��ຜ�ນງານຂອງ ເ�ິ ເ�ີກສ ມີ ຄຸນນະພາບທ�ດີ ແ�ກຕ�າງຈາກຜ�ນງານທ�ວໄ�, ລາວໄ��ໃ��ເ�ລາໃ�ການຊອກຫາ ແ�ະ ຄ�ດສ�ນ ສ�ວນສໍາຄ�ນໃ�ການຜະລິດ ກໍຄື ຊິບຄຸນນະພາບ ສູງ ແ�ະ ການສ�າງລວດລາຍແ��ນແ�ທ�ແ�ກໃ�� ຮຽນຮູ�ການ�ິບປ�ກຖ�ກແ��ວ ເ��ອສ�າງສ�ນຜ�ນ ງານທ�ມີຄວາມຄ�ງທ�ນ ແ�ະ ໂ�ດເ��ນແ�ກຕ�າງ ຈາກເ��ອງຫ�ດຖະກຳທ�ວໄ�.

ທ�ຽວພຽງຢ�າງດຽວ, ເ��າໝາຍຂອງລາວຍ�ງລວມ ໄ�ເ�ິງຄ�ນທ�ອງຖ�ນນໍາ ເ�າະແ��ຍິງລາວ�າຍຄ�ນ ກ�ມ�ກສິນຄ�າປະເ�ດນ�ເ��ນກ�ນ.

ຕຸກຕາ ຍ�ງໄ��ກ�າວຕ�ມວ�າ: “ພວກເ�ົາຂ�ອນຂ�າງ ໄ��ຜ�ນຕອບຮ�ບທ�ດີຈາກລູກຄ�າ. ເ��ອເ�ົາເ��າ ເ��າມາໃ�ຮ�ານແ��ວ ຈະເ��າເ�ັນສຽງດຽວກ�ນວ�າ ເ��ອງຮ�ານເ�ົາແ��ນແ�ກຕ�າງຈາກຮ�ານຂາຍ ເ��ອງຫ�ດຖະກຳຮ�ານອ�ນອ��ີ.”

ລາວໄ��ເ��າວ�າ ຊ�ຂອງຮ�ານລາວ ແ��ນໄ��ແ�ງ ບ�ນດານໃ�ມາຈາກສີມືຜ�ນງານຂອງແ��ຍິງຈາກ ເ��າຕ�າງໆທ�ຢູ�ຫ�າງໄ�ສອກ�ີກ, ຊ� ເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ ກໍເ��ອຢາກຍ�ກຄຸນງາມຄວາມດີໃ��ແ��ແ��ຍິງ ທຸກຄ�ນທ�ໄ��ສ�າງຜ�ນງານຫ�ດຖະກຳນ�ນຂ�ນມາ.

“ຂ�ອຍພະຍາຍາມທ�ຈະຊອກຫາຜ�ນງານ ແ�ະ ແ��ນແ� ລວດລາຍຈາກ�າຍໆເ��າ, ບ�ໄ�� ເ�ົາພຽງແ��ຜ�ນງານຈາກເ��າທ�ຄ�ນຮູ�ຈ�ກ�າຍ ເ��ນເ��າມ�ງ ແ�ະ ລາວລຸ�ມ.”

ລາວຍ�ງໄ��ເ��ນຕ�ມວ�າ:“ຂ�ອຍພຽງແ��ຢາກກ�າວ ເ�ິງຊ�າງສີມື ແ�ະ ແ��ຍິງທຸກຄ�ນທ�ໄ��ປະກອບ ສ�ວນເ��າໃ�ການຜະລິດຫ�ດຖະກໍາຂອງພວກເ�ົາ ຈ�ນມາຮອດຈຸດນ�ໄ��.”

ລາວຍ�ງໄ��ກ�າວຕ�ມວ�າ: “ຄ�ນລາວສ�ວນ�າຍຍ�ງ ບ�ຮູ�ກ�ຽວກ�ບແ��ນແ�ຈາກກຸ�ມຊ�ນເ��າ, ແ�ະ ໃ� ຕະ�າດສ�ວນ�າຍກ�ມີແ��ເ��ອງນຸ�ງແ�ບລາວ ລຸ�ມທ� ໃ��ແ��ນແ�ຈີນມາຜະລິດ.” “ແ��ກະແ�ກ�ເ��ມປ�ຽນໄ�ແ��ວ, ສະນ�ນ ຂ�ອຍຈ�ງ ຢາກນໍາເ�ົາວ�ດທະນະທໍາແ�ບເ��າກ�ບມາ.”

ສິນຄ�າຂອງລາວບ�ໄ��ມຸ�ງເ��ນທ�ຕະ�າດນ�ກທ�ອງ

1. ດວງມະນີ ເ�ືອງຄໍາແ�ນ ໃ�ຮ�ານ ເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ 2. ຖ�ງຜ�າຈາກຮ�ານ ເ�ີ ເ�ີກສ ຮູບໂ�ຍ: ພູນຊ�ບ ເ�ວ�ງສາ

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BANGKOK | VIENTIANE | SINGAPORE | PHNOM PENH | YANGON JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Two female artists are ﬁnding their voice in Vientiane By Sally Pryor

lé Viravong Scovill was just seven years old when she started drawing. First, it was a comic book; she created a story about a girl who wants to become a painter, but is too poor to realise her dream. Later, growing up in Vientiane, she would buy magazines, and copy photographs of actors and singers. As soon as she ﬁnished school, she went to art school in Thailand. At just 18, it was the ﬁrst time Olé had ever left her family, much less the country.

What followed was a rigorous, fiveyear journey of discovery, in which she discovered several things. The first was that studying art, and being an artist, was truly difficult. There were weeks, months and years of perfecting one subject – the nude body, hands, flowers, sunrise and sunset – before moving onto the next. The second discovery was a complicated relationship with colour. One of her professors warned her she might be colour-blind, as her works tended to be dark – physically and thematically. For her final thesis,

she chose prostitution as her theme, and spent six months researching her subject on the streets of Bangkok, and also back in Vientiane. “After my thesis, everything was so dark and I couldn't see. My professor had suggested with the prostitution theme to try dark colours,” she says. “I did purple and blue, and I even tried red, a sad, hot colour. But they still came out brown.”

She graduated in 2000 and returned to Vientiane to live with her father and sister, bringing some acrylics and paper with her. She says it was when she met her future husband, an American translator who also liked to draw, that her sense of colour ﬁnally returned.

Two decades on, and her works – mainly painting, but also photography and installation – still focus continuously on the female form. Sometimes these forms are vivid, meticulously detailed, fantastical and disembodied, and often confronting.

Since then, especially since moving to the United States, colour, joyful and rampant, has been a mainstay throughout her works, and she often spends days at a time mixing the right shades before starting a new painting. The third revelation to arrive during her art school days was that the stubborn streak she had always shown as a child was growing, as she became an adult, into fully ﬂedged feminism.

She often describes her subject matter as “aggressive”, a word that has as much to do with the reaction she often gets as her own thought processes. Back in Laos after nine years in California, she is grappling with the reactions she gets from locals, be they government ofﬁcials concerned at her nude depictions, or timid art students, awed by the possibilities of the world she has opened up for them.

1. Olé Viravong Scovill in front of her mural 2. Olé Viravong Scovill at work 3. " SICK " ink on paper 2018 Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Meanwhile, there is another female artist hunkering down in her Vientiane workspace, also struggling to ﬁnd her voice and make it heard. Back when Olé was already a teenager, this other girl, Souphaluck Phongsavath, was also discovering her love of drawing, and a way of protecting herself against the spirits she had always been so scared of as a child. Souphaluck remembers growing up in Xayaboury province, when she would hurry past the temple on way home, afraid of what might be in there, waiting. But that changed when, one day, her mother pointed out the paintings inside. “When I ﬁrst saw paintings on the wall and inside the temple, it was amazing,” she says. “They were images of Buddhas – items I saw every day but in a different dimension – and I just thought, wow.” Her fear of temples was gone, replaced by a love of drawing that has never gone away. Watching her copying out the images she saw, her aunt realized the family had an artist on their hands, and eventually encouraged her to study art in Savannakhet as a high school student.

Souphaluck went onto the study at the National Institute of Fine Arts in Vientiane – nine years of art study in all. But she found most of her learning happened in the library of the capital’s Institute Francaise, with its library well-stocked with art books. It was there that she discovered the works of European artists like Van Gogh, and understood, truly, how many different ways there were of looking at the world. She says she learned more from looking at the works of others – fellow students, or travelling exhibitions from neighbouring countries – than she did at university. Her experience at art school in Vientiane was markedly different to Olé’s. For starters, she arrived too late to secure a spot in the painting class, and had to settle for wood-cutting instead. But despite her disappointment at the time, today her work is still informed by her earliest learned techniques; the woodcuts create the textures she uses most often in her paintings. Hearing her talk about her work, one might be forgiven for thinking it is a reﬁned version of the religious and traditional depictions commonly seen in temples.

“I love flowers, I love the lotus, and I use Lao patterns and motifs in my work,” she says. But up close, the works are startlingly original and daring. Large-scale and intricate, her paintings do, indeed, feature lotuses and traditional female forms from Buddhist teachings. But these motifs are often entwined around a naked female body, or an otherworldly figure, faceless and discomfiting, dreamlike, drifting through schools of silver fish. And while there are connections throughout her work – she has been practicing full-time since she left university – she makes a point of forgetting each work as soon as she begins the next. “The art looks like it's connecting, but something is always different and I’m always learning,” she says. “This shows through each new painting.” She has no intention of undertaking any more formal study, and prefers to learn from life, and the people around her. “Artists can understand when they look at your work,” she says. “We all speak one language, even if we're not

1. Souphaluck Phongsavath at work 2. A work by Souphaluck Phongsavath 1

Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa

talking. We know when we show work we're exchanging ideas. I love to study like that, not in university.” Despite their age difference – Olé is 41, Souphaluck 31 – and distinct artistic journeys, the two women have much in common as they work to maintain a practice in what is something of an artistic back-wood. Both are raising sons, and both rely on the help and understanding of their families to enable them to truly immerse themselves in their practice. It’s a rare sight, not least in Vientiane, where even male artists are restricted by physical resources and teaching methods. Olé is sometimes distraught, but more often optimistic, to think of the nascent artistic talent lies dormant throughout the country, and tries hard to make herself available as a mentor to artists like Souphaluck.

ຄວາມຝັນ 1

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ສິ

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ແ��ມຫ�ວຂ�ໃ�� ລາວກ�າວວ�າລາວຕ�ອງໄ�� ລືມອ�ນເ��າທ�ເ�ັດແ��ວໄ�ໃ��ໝ�ດ. ສຳລ�ບຕ�ວສຸພາລ�ກເ�ງ ກ�ສືບຕ�ຮຽນຮູ�ຢູ�ຕະ�ອດ ເ��ງເ�ັນໄ��ຜ�ານຜ�ນງານສິລະປະອ�ນໃ�� ຂອງລາວ ທ�ມີຄວາມແ�ກຕ�າງໄ�ເ��ອຍໆ. ປ�ດຈຸບ�ນ, ສຸພາລ�ກຄິດວ�າລາວຄ�ງຈະບ�ຮຽນ ຕ�ໃ�ໂ�ງຮຽນແ��ວ, ແ��ປະສ�ງທ�ຈະຮຽນ ຮູ�ຕ�ມ ຈາກປະສ�ບການຊີວິດ ແ�ະ ຖອດຖອນ ບ�ດຮຽນນຳສິລະປິນທ�ານອ�ນ. ສຸພາລ�ກກ�າວວ�າ: “ສິລະປິນສາມາດເ��າໃ�ກ�ນແ�ະກ�ນຜ�ານຜ�ນ ງານຂອງແ��ລະຄ�ນ ພວກເ�ົາເ��າພາສາດຽວກ�ນ ເ�ິງແ��ວ�າຈະບ�ມີຄໍາເ��າໃ�ອອກມາກໍຕາມ. ພວກເ�ົາເ��າໃ�ກ�ນເ��ອເ�ົາໄ��ສະແ�ງຜ�ນ ງານໃ��ອີກຝ�າຍໜ�ງເ��ງ ແ�ະ ແ�ກປ�ຽນ ຄວາມຄິດເ�ັນ, ຂ�ອຍມ�ກທ�ຈະຮຽນຮູ�ປະສ�ບ ການແ�ບນ� �າຍກວ�ານ�ງຮຽນໃ�ຫ�ອງ.” ເ�ິງແ��ນວ�າເ��ນທາງສູ�ການເ�ັນສິລະປິນຂອງ ທ�ງສອງຄ�ນຈະແ�ກຕ�າງກ�ນ ແ�ະ ອາຍຸຈະ ຫ�າງກ�ນເ�ິງ 10 ປີກຕາມ, � ແ��ທ�ງສອງກ�ລ�ວນ ແ��ວແ��ມີໃ�ມ�ກຮ�ກ ແ�ະ ຍຶດໝ�ນໃ�ວຽກ ງານສິລະປະ, ແ�ະ ທ�ງສອງຕ�າງກ�ລ�ຽງລູກ ແ�ະ ມີຄອບຄ�ວທ�ເ��າອ�ກເ��າໃ�, ສ�ງເ�ີມ ແ�ະ ໃ��ກຳລ�ງໃ�ຢ�າງສະໝ�ສະເ�ີ. ໂ��ເ��ເ��ອໝ�ນວ�າ ຢູ�ລາວເ�ົາຍ�ງມີສິລະປິນ ອີກ�າຍໆຄ�ນທ�ມີພອນສະ��ນ, ແ�ະ ລາວເ�ງກ�ພ�ອມທ�ຈະສະໜ�ບສະໜູນ ໃ�� ຄໍາປຶກສາແ��ສິນລະປິນຮຸ�ນນ�ອງຄືດງສຸ � ພາ ລ�ກ, ແ�ະ ສຸພາລ�ກເ�ງ ກ�ຕ�ອງການສິນລະປິນ ຮຸ�ນເ��ອຍຄືດງໂ�� ເ�� ມາສ�ງເ�ີມເ��ນດຽວກ�ນ, ມາແ��ງປ�ນປະສ�ບການ ແ�ະ ເ�ັນກຳລ�ງ ໃ�ໃ��ກ�ນ ແ�ະ ກ�ນ.

1. ໂ��ເ�� ແ�ະ ຜ�ນງານສິລະປະເ�ິງຝາດ�ານ��ງ 2. ສຸພາລ�ກ ແ�ະ ຜ�ນງານຂອງລາວ 2

ຮູບໂ�ຍ: ພູນຊ�ບ ເ�ວ�ງສາ JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Stairway to

Heaven

A STAY AT THE KIRIDARA LUANG PRABANG Hidden away atop a Luang Prabang hillside, the Kiridara Hotel is an ideal hilltop getaway By Cameron Darke

here’s an overwhelming number of things to do in Luang Prabang – temples to visit, cooking classes to take, museums to explore, and waterfalls to climb. So much so, in fact, that sometimes the best thing to do might be nothing at all. And where better than to do just that, than the Kiridara Hotel?

character, Kiridara is instead a retreat set well away from the relative hustle and bustle of the heritage town.

The Kiridara – Sanskrit for “star upon the mountain” – has established itself as a refuge for the travel-weary in the World Heritage-listed town of Luang Prabang. The hotel is a sprawling complex of rooms featuring a central inﬁnity pool, cocktail bar, and the 'most gorgeous mountain view this side of Shangri La.

Lao architect Bounkham Chaleunphol built the hotel in 2011, seeking to maintain the natural beauty of the surrounds while highlighting the essence of Lao culture. And the hotel’s style indeed captures the spirit of Luang Prabang, seamlessly merging regal Indochina with European discernment. Cascading ceramic rooftops overhang a maze of stairwells and corridors, with cosy lounging areas set into every corner. Outside, the ivy-covered rock walls and manicured garden terraces lend a distinctly oldworld feel, creating an atmosphere not unlike an alpine chalet.

Unlike the many Luang Prabang hotels that occupy the renovated colonial buildings that give the town its

Kiridara’s spacious rooms are similarly decorated; teak wood ﬂoors match soft tones and sweeping local silks, while

a well-positioned bathroom means you can take a soak as the morning sun rises above the surrounding mountain peaks. The centrepiece of the Kiridara, however, is most certainly the pool and sundeck, which overlooks picturesque Mount Phousi. The site is perfectly positioned for sundowners while reclining by the pool, and guests can nod off to ambient music wafting across the water. And if you’ve spent the day climbing mountains, scrubbing down elephants, or wandering up and down the markets, chances are you’ll be up for a relaxing Lao massage. The talented staff of the Spa at Kiridara offer herbal treatments and oil massages, including a full 90-minute session to work out the kinks and knots in each and every muscle.

If you’re feeling hungry, head over to Chef’s Table Luang Prabang directly below the sundeck, where you’ll ﬁnd a plethora of culinary delights presided over by chef-in-residence Chef Ken. After spending his life travelling the world, Chef Ken has become a master of fusion cuisine. Working closely with Lao sous-chef Madame Wee, Chef Ken has brought the Chef’s Table Luang Prabang restaurant to new heights with dishes such as tom jaew sin khuai, tender slices of stewed buffalo in a traditional Lao sauce, and duck conﬁt with creamy mashed potato and a tart tamarind-red wine sauce.

1. Inﬁnity pool at Kiridara 2. Kiridara Mountain View Suite 3. The Spa at Kiridara 4. Duck conﬁt at Chef's Table Luang Prabang Photos: Kaikeo Saiyasane

The Kiridara oﬀers hourly shuttles to and from town, and provides free bicycles for guest use. Book directly at our hotel to get more beneﬁts. For more information visit kiridara.com JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

ປ�ບເໝືອນ

ຢ

ເທິງສະຫວັນ

ສະຖານທ�ທ�ຖືກໂ�ບກອດ ດ�ວຍທຳມະຊາດຂອງເ�ືອງ ມໍລະດ�ກໂ�ກ ໂ�ຍ ແ�ມເ�ລ�ອນ ດາຣກ

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ມື ອງ�ວງພະບາງຖືວ�າເ�ັນສະຖານທ�ທ�ນ�ກ ທ�ອງທ�ຽວທ�ວໂ�ກໄ��ຫາ, ເ�ັນເ�ືອງທ� ເ�ັມໄ�ດ�ວຍວ�ດວາອາຮາມທ�ເ��າແ��, ອາຫານທ�ອງຖ�ນທ�ເ�ັນເ�ກະລ�ກ,ພິພທ ິ ະພ�ນທາງ ວ�ດທະນະທຳທ�ໜ�າຄ�ນຫາ ແ�ະ ສະຖານທ�ທ�ອງ ທ�ຽວທາງທຳມະຊາດທ�ລໍຖ�າໃ��ທ�ານມາຊ�ນຊ�ມ. ເ��າໝາຍໃ�ການທ�ອງທ�ຽວຂອງບາງຄ�ນຄືການ ເ�ັດກິດຈະກຳຜາດໂ�ນ, �ື ທ�ຽວຊ�ມຄວາມສວຍ ງາມຂອງເ�ືອງ. ແ��ສຳລ�ບບາງຄ�ນ ຈຸດໝາຍ ຂອງການທ�ອງທ�ຽວຄືການໜີຈາກວຽກທ�ສ�ບສ�ນ ວຸ�ນວາຍ ແ�ະ ຕ�ອງການຫາສະຖານທ�ໃ�ໜ�ງ ທ�ສາມາດຜ�ກຜ�ອນສະໝອງໄ��ຢ�າງແ��ຈິງ ແ�ະ ສະຖານທ�ທ�ເ�າະສ�ມທ�ສຸດໃ�ການໜີ ຄວາມວຸ�ນວາຍຂອງເ�ືອງສູ�ສະຖານທ�ໂ�ບ ຮ�ອມດ�ວຍທຳມະຊາດນ�ນກໍຄື ໂ�ງແ�ມ ຄິຣິດາຣາ ແ��ງເ�ືອງ�ວງພະບາງນ�ນເ�ງ. ຄໍາວ�າ “ຄິຣິດາຣາ” ໃ�ພາສາສ�ນສະກິດໝາຍເ�ິງ ດວງດາວເ�ືອພູເ�ົາ, ດວງດາວແ��ງນ�ຕ�ງຢູ�ກາງ ແ�ກໄ�� ແ�ະ ຖືກອອກແ�ບໃ��ທ�ານສາມາດ ຮ�ບຊ�ມທ�ດສະນິຍະພາບຂອງເ�ືອງ�ວງພະບາງ ຢ�າງໂ�ດເ��ນ ພ�ອມດ�ວຍສະຖານທ�ອຳນວຍ ຄວາມສະດວກຕ�າງໆພາຍໃ�ໂ�ງແ�ມບ�ວ�າຈະ ເ�ັນ ຄອກເ�ວບາ, ຈຸດຊ�ມວິວເ��ງສາມາດເ�ັນ ພະທາດພູສີໄ��ຢ�າງຊ�ດເ�ນ ແ�ະ ສະລອຍ

ນ�າຕ�ງຢູ�ຈຸດໃ�ກາງຂອງໂ�ງແ�ມ. ໂ�ງແ�ມແ��ງນ�ໄ��ຖືກອອກແ�ບໂ�ຍ ສະຖາປະນິກຄ�ນລາວ ເ��ງທ�ານຕ�ອງການ ດຶງເ�ົາສະເ��ຂອງທຳມະຊາດອອກມາຮ�ວມ ກ�ບຕຶກພ�ກຜ�ອນທ�ອອກແ�ບໃ�ລ�ກສະນະ ສະໄ�ໃ�� ເ��ງເ�ັນການປະສ�ມປະສານ ລະ��າງສະຖາປ�ດຕະຍະກຳແ�ບອິນດູຈິີນ ແ�ະ ສະຖາປ�ດຕະຍະກຳແ�ບຝຣ�ງໄ��ຢ�າງ ລ�ງຕ�ວ. ສ�ງທ�ໂ�ດເ��ນກວ�າໝູ�ຄືການອອກແ�ບ ຕຶກ ແ�ະ ��ງຄາເ��ງມີການຕ�ບແ��ງແ�ບໄ�� ລະດ�ບ ອ�ອມຮອບສະລອຍນ�າທ�ຕ�ງຢູ�ກາງ ໂ�ງແ�ມ ແ�ະ ຫ�ນໜ�າຕຶກເ��າຫາທ�ດສະນິຍະ ພາບທ�ສວຍສ�ດງ�ດງາມ. ແ��ລະຫ�ອງນອນຖືກຕ�ບແ��ງດ�ວຍໄ��ສ�ກຊ�ນດີ ເ��າກ�ນກ�ບລາຍຜ�າໄ�ລາວ, ມີປະຕູແ��ວໃ� ເ��ງທ�ານສາມາດພ�ບກ�ບທ�ດສະນິຍະພາບ ອາລຸນວ�ນໃ��ໃ�ທຸກເ��າທ�ຕ�ນມາ. ບ�ນຍາກາດຕອນພະອາທິດຂ�ນວ�າງາມແ��ວ, ບ�ນຍາກາດຕອນອາທິດຄ�ອຍລ�ງທ�ຄິຣິດາຣາຍ�ງ ງາມຈ�ບຕາ. ພາບທ�ອງຟ�າທ�ຖືກທາດ�ວຍສີທອງ ຂອງແ�ງອາທິດຕ�ດກ�ບທຳມະຊາດສີຂຽວຂອງ ເ�ືອງ�ວງພະບາງ ໃ�ຂະນະທ�ທ�ານລອຍ��ນ ໃ�ສະລອຍນ�າ ປ�ອຍໃ��ຮ�າງກາຍເ�ັມອ�ມ

1. ທ�ດສະນີຍະພາບຈາກມຸມມອງຜ�ານສະລອຍນ�າ

ທ�ຄິຣິດາຣາ

2. ບ�ນຍາກາດຊ�ນດາດຟ�າ 3. ຄ�ອກເ�ວ

4. ພາຍໃ�ຫ�ອງນອນທ�ເ��ງເ�ັນທິວທ�ດທຳມະຊາດ ຮູບໂ�ຍ: ໄ��ແ��ວ ໄ�ຍະສານ 2

ໄ�ກ�ບຄວາມຜ�ອນຄາຍສະບາຍໃ� ສ�າງປະສ�ບ ການ ໃ�ການພ�ກຜ�ອນແ�ບໃ��ທທ� � ານຈະປະ ທ�ບໃ�ບ�ມີວ�ນລືມ. ຖ�າຫາກທ�ານຮູ�ສຶກເ��ອຍ��ງຈາກເ�ັດ ກິດຈະກຳ �າກ�າຍໃ��ວງພະບາງ ເ��ນ ການປີນພ�, ທ�ຽວນ�າຕ�ກຕາດ, ເ�ີດເ�ີນກິດຈະກຳຮ�ວມ ກ�ບຊ�າງ �ື ຢ�າງເ�າະຕະ�າດມືດ ທາງໂ�ງແ�ມ ກໍຍ�ງມີບໍລິການນວດສະປາ ແ�ະ ນວດສະໝ�ນ ໄ� ດ�ວຍໝໍນວດມືອາຊີບ ທ�ຈະຊ�ວຍຊໍາລະ ຄວາມອິດເ��ອຍຈາກກິດຈະກຳຕ�າງໆ ເ��ອໃ�� ທ�ານພ�ອມກ�ບກິດຈະກຳໃ�ມ�ຕ�ໄ�. ນອກຈາກນ�ນ, ຈຸດພິເ�ດອີກຢ�າງໜ�ງຂອງ ໂ�ງແ�ມ ທ�ຊາວເ�ືອງ�ວງພະບາງ ແ�ະ ນ�ກທ�ອງທ�ຽວຕິດອ�ກຕິດໃ�ກໍຄືຮ�ານອາຫານ ປະຈຳໂ�ງແ�ມນ�ນເ�ງ, ຮ�ານ ເ�ຟ ເ�ໂ� �ວງພະບາງ ສະຖານທ�ທ�ທ�ານໄ��ລມລອງ � ອາຫານຟິວຊ�ນ ເ��ງປະສ�ມປະສານລະ��າງ

ອາຫານຈາກທ�ວໂ�ກກ�ບອາຫານລາວທ�ອງ ຖ�ນຢ�າງລ�ງຕ�ວ ເ��ງຖືກຄິດຄ�ນ ແ�ະ ປຸງແ��ງ ໂ�ຍເ�ຟ ເ�ັນ,ພ�ຄ�ວປະຈໍາໂ�ງແ�ມທ�ໄ��ເ�ີນ ທາງໄ�ທ�ວໂ�ກ ເ��ອກ�ບມາສ�າງສ�ນສິລະ ປະເ�ິງຈານອາຫານໃ��ທ�ານໄ��ລມລອງ. � ຮ�ານ ເ�ຟ ເ�ໂ� �ວງພະບາງຂໍນຳສະເ�ີອາ ຫານຈານເ�ັດທ�ມີຊວ� � າຕ�ມແ��ວຊ�ນຄວາຍ, ຊ�ນຄວາຍຊອຍບາງພໍດີເ�ີບພ�ອມກ�ບສູດນ�າ ແ��ວສູດພິເ�ດປະຈໍາຮ�ານ.ນອກນ�ນ ຍ�ງມີອ�ບ ເ�ັດສູດເ�ັດພ�ອມດ�ວຍມ�ນບ�ດນຸ�ມໆກິນກ�ບຊ�ອດ ວາຍແ�ງໝາກຂາມ ທ�ພ�ອມຈະເ�ັດໃ��ທ�ານ ຮູ�ສຶກຫິວເ��າຂ�ນມາອີກຄ�ງ. ທ�ານສາມາດສຳພ�ດຄວາມຜ�ອນຄາຍ ແ�ະ ຄວາມເ�ີດເ�ີນໃ�ນ�ໄ��ທໂ�ງແ�ມຄິ � ຣິດາຣາ ເ��ງທ�ານຈະໄ��ຮ�ບການບໍລິການພ�ອມຮອຍຍ�ມ ແ�ະ ຊ�ວງເ�ລາທ�ຜ�ອນຄາຍ ປຽບເ�ືອນດ�ງ ທ�ານຢູ�ເ�ິງສະ��ນ.

ໂ�ງແ�ມ ຄິຣິດາຣາ ມີບໍລິການລ�ດຮ�ບສ�ງໄ�ກ�ບ

ຕ�ວເ�ືອງແ��ລະຊ�ວໂ�ງ ແ�ະ ໃ��ບໍລິການລ�ດຖີບ ໂ�ຍບ�ໄ��ເ�ຍຄ�າໃ�ໆ. ຈອງຫ�ອງພ�ກກ�ບທາງ ໂ�ງແ�ມໂ�ຍກ�ງເ��ອຮ�ບສິດທິພິເ�ດ�າຍ ກວ�າເ��າ.

ຂ�ມູນເ��ມເ�ີມ: kiridara.com JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

and Setting up the Laos Buﬀalo Dairy has been an adventure for four expats.

By Sally Pryor

t was an innocent question about buffalo curd that started four expats on a life-changing journey to rural Luang Prabang. Australians Susie Martin and Steven McWhirter, and Americans Rachel and Matt O’Shea were living as expats in Singapore, half high-ﬂying executives, half trailing spouses. Yearning for a quieter life, Rachel and Susie came to Laos on a reconnaissance mission, taking in a cooking class in Luang Prabang with an eye to opening a hotel. Wandering through the morning markets with their instructing chef, Susie asked, casually, where they could buy buffalo curd. She was met with stares of horror. It turned out that, incredibly for them, residents of Luang Prabang had no idea, in a land full of buffalo, that the beasts could be milked. A more concrete idea began to take

shape, even as the foursome moved their lives – including four children between them – to Luang Prabang in 2014, where they rented and ran a guesthouse. After “some sleepless nights and much research”, the team decided that they could set up the country’s ﬁrst buffalo dairy themselves, and that the local community could beneﬁt in the process.

Their combined training was about as contemporary as you can get – lots of Googling and plenty of YouTube tutorials – before they negotiated to rent three buffalo from a local farmer. There followed six weeks of enthusiastic and much-talked-about daily milking – with a milling audience each day – before they ﬁnally had enough milk to bring back into town and start making some cheese. 4

And not just mozzarella and ricotta, but also yoghurt, ice-cream and cheesecake, that they shared with local food suppliers, grocery stores, restaurants and friends. Upon tasting the product, all anyone wanted to know is when the dairy would begin in earnest. Today, the Laos Buffalo Dairy is well and truly up and running, with 40 buffalo producing 40 litres of milk a day (and several more animals about to produce offspring). And while the animals don’t yield nearly as much milk as cows (less than 3 litres a day, while cows produce between 30–50 a day), the product is remarkably high in fat and proteins. The farm rents each buffalo for around six months, longer if the milk is good, and quarantine and vaccinate pregnant animals against various diseases. “We’re also working with the Lao government to implement a crossbreeding program to improve the genetic stock of local buffalo, which will mean healthier animals with higher meat and milk yield,” she says. But, walking us through the milking shed, where we are required to wear protective clothing and rubber boots, Rachel tells us it wasn’t an easy journey. “We realised what a massive undertaking it would be right from the beginning,” she says. “Laos, being a developing country, is used to NGOs coming in for a speciﬁed period of time and spending a speciﬁc amount of money. We had a very hard time explaining that we were planning to be a sustainable business that would go on and on, as long as there was demand for the products we produced and farmers to work with.” Even then, the team had to apply for nine different government licenses, interview staff and hire 25

“adventurous souls” prepared to help this team of crazy falangs realise their dream.

But they also knew from the outset the scale of the project’s potential. “When we started telling other hotel managers and people we knew around town what we wanted to do, their completely positive responses led us to believe that it would be successful,” she says. “We also started doing research about the dairy industry in neighbouring countries and how they were trending, which added to the thought that this would be very successful if done right.” Today, the four are usually too busy to reﬂect on the success of their very unusual mid-life change of scene. With suits and city clothes long packed away, they are just trying to grow the business and keep up with growing local demand for the product. Rachel – the chef of the four – is taking advantage of the low season to try out new recipes, although buffalo is a niche market, and chefs tend to be protective about their buffalo cheese recipes.

“I think I have ﬁgured out the combinations for the most part. Right now I am experimenting with blue cheese and I can’t wait to try it,” she says. “I love my job! Ten years ago, I was a stay-at-home mum. None of us, the founders of Laos Buffalo Dairy, ever thought farming would be in our future. It’s such a different lifestyle from the work suits we used to wear!” The farm offers high-end guided tours of the dairy, which includes feeding baby buffalo and watching the milking, as well as making mozzarella. There's also an ice-cream shop and a café, as well as a petting zoo, gardens and children’s play area.

Visit laosbuﬀalodairy.com for more details.

1. Buffalo lined up for a cuddle 2. Tasting plate with mozzarella, feta, ricotta and yogurt 3. Blue cheese 4. Inside the buffalo dairy farm 5. Yogurt going to market 6. A buffalo cosies up to co-founder Rachel O'Shea Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Lao Construction Bank Limited, a joint venture between private Lao and foreign investors, was officially incorporated and began operations on the 22nd of February, 2012. Over the five years since its inception, the bank has continued to expand, evidenced by the customers who have opened accounts and who regularly use the bank’s services. When compared to 2013, the total volume of transactions (valued in kip) increased by 9%. In 2014, this increased by 33.19%, and increased continuously to 27.14%. At present, fixed deposit accounts make up 60.25% of the total sum of the bank’s cash deposits, and this is increasing each year. At the end of 2012, and until the 26th of August, 2016, it has been averaging 21.47% per year, and the bank has been able to make use of this capital to issue credit to investors, businesspeople, retailers, including small-scale, medium-scale and large-scale, in order to play a part in the effective implementation of the 8th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2016-2020), as well as the bank’s business plan as endorsed by the management board.

The Lucky Draw Event for Mahasab and Mahasok Savings Account Holders

Tan Sri Yuhao Dato’ SriDr DrAixinjuelo Yuhao Aixinjuelo Chairman of the Board, Lao Construction Bank

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ລາງວັນທີ 1 ລົດ TOYOTA LANDCRUISER VX LIMITED ຜູ�ໂຊກດີແມ�ນ: ທ�ານ ນາງ ຈັນເພັງ ດວງພະຈັນ ບັນຊີເງິນຝາກເລກທີ: 0105390000125

ລາງວັນທີ 2 ລົດ TOYOTA REVO ທ�ານ ນາງ ��ສະຫວັນ ມິ່ງ��ປາບານ ບັນຊີເງິນຝາກເລກທີ: 0100380100018

ລາງວັນທີ 3 ລົດ HYUNDAI EON ທ�ານ ອາດິສອນ ພົມມະຈັນ ບັນຊີເງິນຝາກເລກທີ: 0104410200006

ເຊິ່ງການຈັບສະຫຼາກ ຜູ�ໂຊກດີໃນຄັ້ງນີ້ ໄດ��ເນີນໄປຢ�າງໂປ�ງໃສຂາວສະອາດ ແລະ ຍຸຕິ�� ໂດຍມີຄະນະ��ມະການ ແລະ ແຂກຜູ�ຊົງຄຸນວຸດທິຈາກ ກະຊວງຍຸຕິ��, ທະນາຄານ ແຫ�ງ ສປປ ລາວ, ຫ�ອງວ�າການປົກຄອງນະຄອນຫຼວງ ແລະ ພາກສ�ວນ ປກສ ເຂົ້າຮ�ວມເປັນສັກຂີພິຍານຢ�າງພ�ອມພຽງ ລວມທັງໄດ�ມີການຖ�າຍທອດ ສົດຜ�ານສະຖານີໂທລະພາບລາວຊ�ອງ 3 ໃນຄັ້ງນີ້ດ�ວຍ. ��ລັບລາຍຊື່ຜູ�ໂຊກດີລາງວັນອື່ນໆ ຕິດຕາມໄດ�ໃນໜັງສືພິມ ແລະ ໂທລະພາບ. ��ລັບສົກປີ 2016-2017 ນີ້, ເພື່ອສືບຕ�່ສົມມະນາຄຸນ ຄົບຮອບ 5 ປີ ທະນາຄານລາວກ�່ສ�າງ ຈຶ່ງໄດ�ຕົກລົງສືບຕ�່ມອບໂຊກ ຄືນ��ໄລໃຫ�ແກ�ລູກຄ�າ ດ�ວຍລາງວັນທີ່ຫຼາຍຂຶ້ນກວ�າເກົ່າ.

PHNOM PENH ភ�ំេពញ

Fueled by Chinese investment, Phnom Penh is a city on the move. But on his recent visit, writer and photographer Mick Shippen was captivated by the architecture of a bygone era.

t’s easy to believe that tourism to Cambodia is relatively new, but it’s not the case. In the 20s and 30s, Phnom Penh and the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat were attracting cultured travellers from Europe, including the likes of W. Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, and even stars of Hollywood’s silver screen such as Charlie Chaplin and his entourage. Today, they would barely recognise this burgeoning city, its streets clogged with motorcycles and SUVs, and gleaming new buildings reaching skyward, but a few architectural gems from the era of glitz and glamour do remain.

COLONIAL ERA ARCHITECTURE

Cambodia’s rich history and culture has bestowed it with a diverse collection of visually striking buildings. Like all colonisers, the French imposed their architectural style on Cambodia, and it is these villas, markets, shophouses and local administration buildings that make the biggest impression on visitors. Many have been lost or are almost beyond saving; some are simply in need of a little sympathetic restoration, while others have already been returned to their former grandeur. There are architectural gems in all states of repair in provincial towns across the country but some of the most impressive are located in the capital city, Phnom Penh. Walking tours that take in all the highlights are a great way of discovering the city and its history. JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

NATIONAL MUSEUM

There can be few sights that encapsulate the essence of Asian exoticism more than the silhouette of Phnom Penh’s National Museum at sunset. Yet this quintessentially Khmer structure was designed by the French artist, author, historian, educator and ethnologist, George Groslier (1887–1945). In addition to the art school he also proposed building a museum and the creation of an organisation dedicated to preserving craft knowledge. Groslier’s vision was soon realised, and the Musée Albert Sarraut was ofﬁcially opened on the Khmer New Year, 14th April 1920.

THE UNESCO BUILDING

The restored UNESCO building was constructed between 1910 and 1920 and was once the residential villa of a wealthy Chinese merchant. Located on Samdech Sothearos Boulevard facing Mount Meru Square in front of the National Museum, it is one of several colonial-era villas in the area and was a family home until the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh in 1975. From 1979 until 1989 it came under the control of the Vietnamese Military City Police who used it as their headquarters before eventually opening as the UNESCO ofﬁce at the end of 1991.

CENTRAL MARKET

Psar Thmei, more commonly known as the Central Market, is a city landmark and one of the finest Art Deco period buildings in Southeast Asia. At the site where the market now stands there was once a lake formed by excavations for earth to build the hill on which Wat Phnom stands. When plans for the market were drawn up by the architect Jean Desbois, the French drained and filled the lake. Construction of the market began in 1935 and was completed just two years later. Cleverly designed to be light, airy and cool, the market features four covered wings that lead to a central 26-metre high and 30-metre wide dome. The market, which houses gold traders, clothing vendors, food stalls, flower sellers and a fresh market, was renovated in 2011.

THE POST OFFICE

The Post Office in Phnom Penh dates from 1895 and is one the city’s finest surviving colonial-era buildings. Situated in the heart of a district once known as the French Quarter, it was designed by Daniel Fabre. It benefitted from extensive renovations in 2004 and still serves its original purpose as a post office. Other grand buildings in the surrounding area include the former police headquarters which is believed to have been built in 1925, and the former Bank of Indochina which has been transformed into an upscale European restaurant.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

THE ROYAL RAILWAY STATION

Built in 1932, the Art Deco architectural style of the Royal Railway Station reﬂects that of the Central Market. The station was originally built to serve passengers traveling to Battambang. Cambodia’s railway was abandoned many years ago but is currently being modernized. It is said that following the Fall of Phnom Penh in 1975 to the Khmer Rouge, the leadership held meeting here and made the decision to evacuate the city.

RAFFLES HOTEL LE ROYAL

The Rafﬂes Hotel is one of Asia’s most venerable and prestigious properties. The original plan for a hotel to be known as Le Royal was proposed in 1923 while Cambodia was under French occupation. The architect, Ernest Hébrard, who also worked on city plans for Phnom Penh, designed the 54-room Le Royal, along with a sister hotel in Siem Reap to accommodate visitors to Angkor, and another property in Vietnam’s historic town of Hué. Construction began on a small parcel of land on the corner of Avenue du Maréchal Joffre (now known as Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh or Street 92) in the then fashionable European Quarter of the city. At the time. the area was bordered by canals on three sides but these were ﬁlled in during the 1920s as part of Hébrard’s ambitious plans. The project also included the creation of the tree-lined avenue that fronts the hotel and leads to Wat Phnom, and the construction of Psah Thmei, the extraordinary Art Deco central market, both of which remain today and continue to give the city its special character. 54

Le Royal ofﬁcially opened on November 20, 1929 with a decadent party attended by His Majesty Sisiwath Monivong and leading dignitaries from the expatriate community who enjoyed a buffet, dance, and music from an orchestra brought in from Saigon to mark the occasion. Today, it is managed by AccorHotels and known as Rafﬂes Hotel Le Royal. This luxurious Phnom Penh hotel is an essential experience for visitors to the city. You don’t have to be a guest to experience it.

The nightly Happy Hour at the venue’s Elephant Bar is an institution among the expatriate community, particularly on a Friday evening. The Elephant Bar’s signature cocktail celebrates the visit of Jackie Kennedy in 1967. It is said that when the hotel was renovated, the glass from which she drank a Champagne cocktail was found, still with her lipstick on it. Hence, the Femme Fatale was created using a blend of Champagne, Crème de Fraise Sauvage, and a splash of Cognac.

MONUMENT OF INDEPENDENCE The Monument of Independence or Vimean Ekareach not only commemorates independence from the French which was granted on the 9th of November 1953, it is also a memorial to Cambodia’s war dead. The impressive 20-metre high structure stands proudly at the centre of one of Phnom Penh’s busiest intersections, the junction of Sihanouk and Norodom boulevards. It was designed by Cambodia’s most celebrated architect, Vann Molyvann and completed ﬁve years after independence in 1958. Vann drew on the heritage of Angkor to create what is surely one of the world’s most potent and assertive statements of independence. Built from red sandstone, the design is in the form of a stylized lotus bud embellished with more than one hundred heads of the mythical naga snake.

SPEAKING 1

Inside Laos’ largest contact center By Latsamy Phonevilay

y now, most people are used to the idea that when we ring a large company, the call could be answered by one of many people. Gone is the old image of a single person sitting at a flashing switchboard. Nowadays, all over the world, there are rooms filled with rows of people murmuring in various languages into headsets. And now, Laos is no exception, with the country’s first dedicated call center now in full swing. Asean Contact Center, or ACC, is the brainchild of Canadian expat Kevyn McGraw, one of the many

foreigners who fetch up in Laos and ﬁnd themselves unable to leave. Originally from Montreal, McGraw had always wanted to live and work in Asia; after studying journalism and computer science at Concordia University, he travelled to Laos. After his ﬁrst year here, he began working for Canadian software developer Aheeva, where he had family connections. “They assigned me to be their business development manager for Asia, with the plan for me to go back home in June,” he says. That was in 2013, and he is still here. “That plan didn't work,” he says, laughing. “I still really enjoyed living here, so I phoned up my boss in Montreal and said, ‘I'm not coming home’.”

He arranged a new contract that enabled him to stay in Vientiane, and in the meantime, the company’s chief executive in Canada asked him why he wasn’t selling any contracts in Laos. “I told him there were no contact centers in Laos. And he said, ‘Well, start one’,” he says. So, he did, organising a partnership with Lao IT company Datacom and Aheeva to create ACC. That was in 2014, and the company began with three staff and a handful of clients. Today, McGraw works alongside his wife Khammone; ACC employs 130 people and has more

I told him there were no contact centers in Laos. And he said, ‘Well, start one’.

than a dozen clients, including Unitel, Pizza Company, Ford, Lao Airlines and Unicef. The company also has plans to expand outside of Laos – its market encompasses all of ASEAN – but is steadily building a reputation closer to home. “We offer two main services. Either we help companies in Laos build their own contact center, or you can outsource the service completely to us,” McGraw says. When helping another business, such as Lao Airlines, build a contact center, ACC will supply and maintain Aheeva software, and train the company’s own staff. Or, as is the case with Pizza Company, all calls to the business are taken by someone in one of the many rooms in the non-descript four-storey building in suburban Vientiane. With a 24-hour service and many multi-lingual staff, it’s not surprising

that businesses that choose to outsource to ACC see an increase in sales almost immediately – up to 20% from the very first day, according to Pizza Company. But when a company is devoted to only one thing – interacting with customers – it’s much easier to do it right. “We have very strict KPIs in our contracts with our customers, and if we don't follow those KPIs we can get a penalty,” he says. “We have the team, we have people listening to phone calls, we have an IT guy who knows how to manage the software in case it breaks. Here we can get it fixed within 15 minutes.” And unlike in many western countries, where call services are outsourced to foreign countries to save on staffing costs, Lao clients have different reasons for choosing a contact center – to increase sales or improve the quality of its service.

It has also been surprisingly easy to find willing staff to operate the phones; ACC has a staff turnover of around 5 percent, and attracts many students because it offers both full-time and part-time work. “We don't have any problems finding Lao staff. It takes more effort to find staff who speak two languages very well,” he says. “But we’re actively expanding our languages and services, and starting in 2018, we'll be doing customer service via social media, so that's huge.”

1. Kevyn McGraw and his wife Khammone Vongphakdy 2. ACC staﬀ busy taking calls Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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ວລາທ�ເ�ົາໂ�ເ��າສູນຮ�ບສາຍເ��ອ ສອບຖາມຂ�ມູນ �ື ສ�ງຊ�ບໍລິການໃ�ໜ�ງ, ພາບຂອງປາຍສາຍທ�ເ�ົາມ�ກຄິດຫາກໍຄື

ຫ�ອງການທ�ມີສຽງໂ�ລະສ�ບດ�ງຢູ�ຕະ�ອດ ແ�ະ ພະນ�ກງານທ�ໃ��ຫູຟ�ງອ�ນໃ�� ນ�ງລຽນແ�ວຢ�າງເ�ັນລະບຽບ. ແ��ໃ�ຕ�າງປະເ�ດ ສ�ວນ�າຍບ�ນດາ ບໍລິສ�ດໃ��ໆມ�ກຈະຈ�າງບໍລິສ�ດນອກ ເ��ງຈະສະໜອງໃ�ການບໍລິການ ແ�ະ ໃ��ຂມູ � ນກ�ບລູກຄ�າແ�ນທ�ການໃ�� ພະນ�ກງານໃ�ບໍລິສ�ດ.

ປະຈຸບ�ນ, ໃ�ລາວເ�ົາກໍມີບໍລິສ�ດແ�ບນ�້ແ��ວ ກໍຄື: ບໍລິສ�ດ ເ�ຊຽນຄອນແ�ັກເ�ັນເ�� ື Asean Contact Center (ACC ເ�ຊີຊີ) ເ��ງເ�ັນບໍລິສ�ດທ�ໃ��ບໍລິການດ�ານການ ຮ�ບສາຍ ແ��ງທຳອິດໃ� ສປປ ລາວ. ບໍລິສ�ດ 60

ເ�ຊີຊີ ເ�ີດມາຈາກແ�ວຄວາມຄິດຂອງທ�ານ ເ�ວິນ ແ�ັກກຣໍ, ເ��ງເ��ນເ�ີຍມາທ�ອງທ�ຽວລາວ ແ�ະ ຕິດອ�ກຕິດໃ�ໃ�ແ�ນຈໍາປາແ��ງນ� ຈ�ງ ຕ�ດສິນໃ�ທ�ຈະອາໄ�ຢູ�ໃ�ເ�ືອງລາວຕ�. ທ�ານເ�ວິນໄ��ເ��ມເ�ັດວຽກໃ�ບໍລິສ�ດ ອາຮີວາ, ເ��ງເ�ັນບໍລິສ�ດພ�ດທະນາຊອບແ�ຣ�ຈາກປະທດ ການາດາ, ເ��ງເ�ັນເ�ດບ�ານເ�ີດຂອງເ��ນ. ບໍລິສ�ດ ອາຮີວາ ແ��ນບໍລິສ�ດ ສະໜອງຊອບ ແ�ໃ��ແ��ບໍລິສ�ດຮ�ບສາຍຕ�າງໆ, ແ��ວ�າຕອນທ� ທ�ານເ�ວິນເ��ມມາເ�ັດວຽກ ແ��ນເ��ນບ�ສາມາດ ຂາຍຊອບແ�ໄ��ເ�ີຍ, ຫ�ວໜ�າເ��ນຈາກການາດາ ຈ�ງໂ�ມາຖາມວ�າຍ�ອນສາເ�ດ��ງ ແ�ະ ເ��ນກໍ ໃ��ຄໍາຕອບກ�ບໄ�ວ�າຍ�ອນວ�າໃ�ລາວບ�ມີບໍລິສ�ດ ຮ�ບສາຍ. “ຊ�ນກໍສ�າງບໍລິສ�ດຂ�ນມາຕ�ວະ” ນ�ນ ຄືຄໍາຕອບຂອງຫ�ວໜ�າຂອງທ�ານເ�ວິນ ແ�ະ ນ�ນກໍເ�ັນຈຸດເ��ມຕ�ນໃ�ການສ�າງບໍລິສ�ດ ຮ�ບສາຍແ��ງທຳອິດໃ�ລາວ. ບໍລິສ�ດ ເ�ຊີຊີ ໄ��ຖືກສ�າງຕ�ງຂ�ນໂ�ຍ ການຮ�ວມທຶນລະ��າງບໍລິສ�ດ ອາຮີວາ ແ�ະ ບໍລິສ�ດ ດາຕາຄອມ. ປະຈຸບ�ນ, ບໍລິສ�ດ ເ�ຊີຊີມີພະນ�ກງານ 130 ຄ�ນ ແ�ະ ມີລູກຄ�າທ�ໃ��ບໍລິການ�າຍກວ�າ 10 ບໍລິສ�ດ ເ��ນ: ຢູນິເ�ວ, ພິດຊ�າ ຄອມປານີ, ລ�ດຟອດ, ສາຍການບິນລາວ, ອ�ງການຢູນີເ�ບ ແ�ະ

ອ�ນໆອີກ. ແ�ະ ບໍລິສ�ດກໍມີແ�ນການໃ�ການ ຂະ�າຍການບໍລິການໄ�ທ�ວທຸກປະເ�ດໃ� ຂອບເ�ດອາຊຽນ. ບໍລິສ�ດສະໜອງບໍລິການສອງແ�ບຄື: ການ ເ�ັນສູນຮ�ບສາຍໃ��ແ��ບໍລິສ�ດຕ�າງໆ ແ�ະ ການຝຶກອ�ບຮ�ມ ແ�ະ ການສ�າງສູນຮ�ບສາຍໃ�� ບໍລິສ�ດໃ�ໜ�ງ. ຕ�ວຢ�າງໃ�ກໍລະນີຂອງພິດຊ�າ ຄອມປານີ ແ��ນບໍລິສ�ດເ�ັນສູນຮ�ບສາຍຈາກ ລູກຄ�າ ໃ�ການຮ�ບສ�ງຊ� ແ�ະ ບໍລິການຂ�ມູນ ຕ�າງໆ, ສ�ວນໃ�ກໍລະນີຂອງສາຍການບິນລາວ ແ��ນ ບໍລິສ�ດໄ�ສ�າງສູນຮ�ບສາຍ ແ�ະ ສະໜອງ ອຸປະກອນ ແ�ະ ຊອບແ�ຈາກບໍລິສ�ດ ອາຮີວາໃ��. ດ�ວຍການບໍລິການຕະ�ອດ 24 ຊ�ວໂ�ງ ແ�ະ ພະນ�ກງານຮ�ບສາຍທ�ສາມາດເ��າໄ��າຍ ພາສາ, ມ�ນໄ��ຊ�ວຍໃ��ບ�ນດາບໍລິສ�ດທ�ໃ�� ບໍລິການຂອງເ�ຊີຊີສາມາດເ��ມຍອດຂາຍ ໄ��ຢ�າງໄ�ວາ ດ�ງກໍລະນີຂອງ ພິດຊ�າ ຄອມ ປານີ ທ�ສາມາດເ��ມຍອດຂາຍເ�ິງ 20 ສ�ວນ ຮ�ອຍຕ�ງແ��ມທຳອິ � ດ. ເ��ອວຽກຂອງບໍລິສ�ດ ແ��ນ ການບໍລິການ ຂ�ມູນແ��ລູກຄ�າ, ການຄວບຄຸມຄຸນະພາບກ�ເ�ັນ ເ��ອງງ�າຍ.

“ພວກເ�ົາມີຕ�ວຊ�ວ�ດດ�ານການເ�ັດວຽກ ທ�ຮ�ດກຸມ ໃ�ສ�ນຍາຂອງເ�ົາກ�ບລູກຄ�າ, ແ�ະຖ�າເ�ົາບ�ປະຕິບ�ດ ຕາມນ�ນ ພວກເ�ົາ ສາມາດຖືກປ�ບໄ�,” ກ�າວໂ�ຍທ�ານ ເ�ວິນ. “ພວກເ�ົາມີທີມງານ, ຄ�ນຄວບຄຸມ ແ�ະ ຟ�ງການຮ�ບສາຍ, ວິຊາການໄ�ທີ ທ�ຮູ�ການ ຈ�ດການລະບ�ບໄ��ເ�ັນຢ�າງດີ ແ�ະ ສາມາດ ແ��ໄ�ບ�ນຫາໄ��ພາຍໃ� 15 ນາທີ”. ນອກນ�ນ, ທາງບໍລິສ�ດຍ�ງພ�ບວ�າ ການຊອກພະ ນ�ກງານມາຮ�ບໂ�ລະສ�ບນ�ນເ�ັນເ��ອງງ�າຍ. ອ�ດຕາການໝູນວຽນຂອງພະນ�ກງານມີພຽງ ແ��ປະມານ 5 ສ�ວນຮ�ອຍ (ເ��ງຖືວ�າຕ� �າຍໃ�ສະພາບບ�ານເ�ົາ), ແ�ະ ກ�ເ�ັນ ຈຸດດຶງດູດນ�ກສຶກສາ ເ�າະສາມາດເ�ັດວຽກ ໄ��ທ�ງເ�ັມເ�ລາ ແ�ະເ��ງເ�ລາ. “ພວກເ�ົາບ�ມີປ�ນຫາໃ�ການຫາພະນ�ກງານ. ຍາກແ��ແ��ນການຫາພະນ�ກງານທ�ເ��າໄ��ສອງ ພາສາ,” ທ�ານ ເ�ວິນໄ��ກ�າວໄ��.

ແ��ປີ 2018, ພວກເ�ົາ ຈະໃ��ການ ບໍລິການລູກຄ�າຜ�ານສ�ສ�ງຄ�ມອອນລາຍ, ເ��ງຈະເ�ັນວຽກທ�ໃ��ສ�ມຄວນ.”

1. ພະນ�ກງານຂອງເ�ຊີຊີກຳລ�ງຮ�ບສາຍລູກຄ�າ 2. ທ�ານ ເ�ວິນ ແ�ັກກຣໍ ຮູບໂ�ຍ: ພູນຊ�ບ ເ�ວ�ງສາ

“ແ��ພວກເ�ົາກຳລ�ງຂະ�າຍດ�ານພາສາ ແ�ະ ການບໍລິການຂອງເ�ົາ, ແ�ະເ��ມ

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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ການບິນລາວຮ�ບໃ��ການນຳສູງສຸດ ຂອງລາວ Lao Airlines serves the leaders of Laos Lao Airlines had the opportunity to provide services for top leaders of the Lao PDR in November, including President Bounyang Vorachith and his committee as they departed for the APEC meeting on 25 November in Danang, Vietnam. The APEC meeting was held under the theme of Creating New Dynamism and Fostering a Shared Future. We were also able to serve the nation on 12 November when Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and his entourage headed for the ASEAN Summit, marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The summit was held in Manila, Philippines. The summit was themed, Partnering for Change, Engaging the World. While in the air, Lao Airlines attendants surprised the Prime Minister with a birthday cake, to celebrate the occasion of his birthday, which fell while en route to the ASEAN summit. We held a small birthday ceremony that left a big smile on the Prime Minister’s face.

ໃ�ວ�ນທີ 10/11/2017 ການບິນລາວໄ��ມີໂ�ກາດໃ�ການຮ�ບໃ��ການ

ເ�ີນທາງຂອງ ພະນະທ�ານ ບຸນຍ�ງ ວໍລະຈິດ, ປະທານປະເ�ດແ��ງ ສປປ

ລາວ ພ�ອມດ�ວຍຄະນະ ເ��ອເ�ີນທາງໄ�ຮ�ວມກອງປະຊ�ມເ�ເ�ກ (APEC) ຄ�ງທີ 25 ທ�ນະຄອນດານ�ງ, ປະເ�ດ�ຽດນາມ. ການປະຊ�ມເ�ເ�ກ �ື

ກອງປະຊ�ມເ��ອການຮ�ວມມືທາງເ�ດຖະກິດໃ�ພາກພ�ນອາຊີ-ປາຊີຟິກ, ໂ�ຍຫ�ວຂ��ກໃ�ການປະຊ�ມຄ�ງນ�ຄື: ການສ�າງແ�ງຂ�ບເ��ອນໃ�� ແ�ະ ການສ�ງເ�ີມອານາຄ�ດຮ�ວມກ�ນ.

ຕ�ມາການບິນລາວກໍມີໂ�ກາດໄ��ຮ�ບໃ��ປະເ�ດຊາດອີກຄ�ງໃ�ວ�ນທີ

12/11/2017 ໃ�ການຮ�ບໃ��ການເ�ີນທາງຂອງ ພະນະທ�ານ ທອງລຸນ ສີສຸລິດ, ນາຍ�ກລ�ດຖະມ�ນຕີແ��ງ ສປປ ລາວ ພ�ອມດ�ວຍຄະນະ ເ��ອ

ເ��າຮ�ວມກອງປະຊ�ມສຸດຍອດອາຊຽນຄ�ງທີ 31 ແ�ະ ເ�ັນການຄ�ບຮອບ

50 ປີແ��ງການສ�າງຕ�ງອາຊຽນດ�ວຍ, ກອງປະຊ�ມໄ��ຈ�ດຂ�ນຢູ�ທ� ນະຄອນ �ວງມະນິລາ, ປະເ�ດຟິລິບປິນ. ກອງປະຊ�ມສຸດຍອດອາຊຽນຄ�ງນ�ແ��ນ ເ�ັມໄ�ດ�ວຍໝາກຜ�ນອ�ນສຳຄ�ນ ຕ�ການພ�ດທະນາການຮ�ວມມືດ�ານ

ເ�ດຖະກິດໃ�ຂ�ງເ�ດອາຊຽນ, ເ��ງຫ�ວຂ��ກໃ�ການປະຊ�ມຄ�ງນ�ແ��ນ: Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.

ໃ�ການເ�ີນທາງດ�ງກ�າວ ກ�ອນທ�ເ�ືອບິນຈະບິນຂ�ນສູ�ທ�ອງຟ�າ, ພະນ�ກງານ ຕ�ອນຮ�ບເ�ິງເ�ືອບິນຂອງການບິນລາວກໍໄ��ມີການຈ�ດເ�ີໄ�ຣ�ໃ��ກ�ບທ�ານ ນາຍ�ກ ເ��ອງຈາກວ�ນທີ 10 ພະຈິກ ທ�ຜ�ານມາແ��ນມ�ຄ�ບຮອບວ�ນ

ເ�ີດຂອງທ�ານນາຍ�ກລ�ດຖະມ�ນຕີ ເ��ງກິດຈະກຳດ�ງກ�າວໄ��ເ�ັດໃ��ການ ເ�ີນທາງໄ�ປະຊ�ມໃ�ຄ�ງນ�ເ�ັມໄ�ດ�ວຍຄວາມອ�ບອຸ�ນ ແ�ະ ປະທ�ບໃ�.

Calculating Meet the man in charge of weight and balance at Lao Airlines By Latsamy Phonevilay

ost young people, when they dream of working for an airline, imagine themselves airborne. Whether as a pilot or among the cabin crew, airline work usually involves ﬂying, right?

trained to join Lao Airlines’ Weight Balance Division. That was 14 years ago, and he hasn’t looked back.

Not for Sisavath Southammavong, who spends his days in an ofﬁce poring over complicated mathematical formulas, all related to the weight and balance of everything that goes into an aeroplane before takeoff.

But even though he enjoys coming into work every day, the job isn’t always easy.

From fuel to pantry, baggage to passengers, staff to cargo, Sisavath and his team are across it, in numerical terms, making precise calculations to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Sisavath loves his work, but it wasn’t always a dream job for him. When he ﬁnished college and graduated at the age of 23, he, like everyone else, had plans to be a pilot. But health problems forced him to choose a different tack, and he eventually

Now the manager of his division, he oversees a staff of 11 and plans to stay in the job until he retires.

“A lot of people would like to come and work for this division, but they don’t realise that it's actually quite difﬁcult work,” he says. “This job is quite strict with calculations, you have to be exact and precise and sure, and if you’re not that kind of person and don't like learning formulas, it’s not for you,” he says. And the training required to do the work is equally rigorous, with four mandatory technical courses, and re-training every two years.

But while the training is world-class and Sisavath has international-grade skills, he has no plans to leave the airline, or his home country. Instead, he encourages as many people as possible to join him in his ﬁeld of work, from friends and family to neighbours and their families. “One of my nephews has already said he wants to be like me,” says Sisavath, with pride.

“But it is important to do it properly and remember safety at all times.”

A lot of people would like to come and work for this division, but they don’t realise that it's 1. Fuel truck at Wattay Airport 2. Mr. Sisavath Southammavong (centre) with his members of his team 3. Refuelling an aeroplane

actually quite di�cult work.

Photos: Phoonsab Thevongsa JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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ເ�າະເ�ິກວຽກຂອງຊາຍທ� ຢູ�ເ��ອງ��ງການຄິດໄ��ນ� ໜ�ກ ແ�ະ ຄວາມດຸ�ນດ�ຽງ ຂອງເ�ືອບິນ ໂ�ຍ ລ�ດສະໝີ ພອນວິໄ�

ຖ

າຫາກເ��າເ�ິງຄ�ນທ�ເ�ັດວຽກກ�ບ ສາຍການບິນ, ເ��ອວ�າທຸກຄ�ນຄ�ງ ຈະຄິດພາບເ�ິງກ�ບຕ�ນຂ�ບເ�ືອບິນ �ື ນາງຟ�າທ�ບໍລິການຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານ ດ�ວຍຮອຍຍ�ມ ແ��ນບ�?ແ��ວ�າວຽກຢູ�ສາຍການ ບິນແ��ນ�າຍກວ�ານ�ນ. ກ�ອນທ�ເ�ືອບິນຈະອອກ ບິນຮ�ບໃ��ຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານ, ພະນ�ກງານຝ�າຍຕ�າງໆ ຕ�ອງໄ��ກວດກາ ແ�ະ ກຽມພ�ອມໃ�ດ�ານຕ�າງໆ ໂ�ຍມີຄະຕິປະຈໍາໃ�ຄື ປອດໄ�ໄ��ກ�ອນ. ໜ�ງໜ�າທ�ທ�ສຳຄ�ນຄືໜ�າທ�ການຄິດໄ��ນາໜ� � ກ ແ�ະ ຄວາມດຸ�ນດ�ຽງຂອງເ�ືອບິນກ�ອນທ�ຈະອອກ ບິນຮ�ບໃ��ຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານ ເ��ງຜູ�ທຢູ � �ເ��ອງ��ງໜ�າທ� ນ�ຄື ອ�າຍ ສີສະ�າດ ສຸທຳມະວ�ງ. ການຄິດໄ��ນາໜ� � ກແ��ນເ�ັນວຽກທ�ທ�າທາຍ�າຍ ເ��ງບ�ແ��ນໃ�ກໍສາມາດເ�ັດໄ��, ມ�ນຕ�ອງອາ ໄ�ປະສ�ບການ ແ�ະ ຄວາມຮອບຄອບໃ�ການ ຄິດໄ��ສູດຄະນິດສາດທ�ສ�ບສ�ນ ແ�ະ ຊ�ບຊ�ອນ ຕ�ອງມີການຄໍານວນຕ�ງແ��ພາກສ�ວນເ�ົາທ�ສຸດ ຈ�ນເ�ິງພາກສ�ວນທ�ໜ�ກທ�ສຸດ: ຕ�ງແ��ນາໜ� � ກ ເ�ືອບິນ,ນ�າມ�ນຈ�ນເ�ິງອາຫານ, ຕ�ງແ��ຜູ�ໂ�ຍ ສານຈ�ນເ�ິງກະເ��າ, ຕ�ງແ��ສິນຄ�າໄ�ຈ�ນຮອດ ຂອງພະນ�ກງານເ�ິງເ�ືອບິນທຸກຄ�ນ ເ��ງພະນ�ກ ງານຝ�າຍຄວາມປອດໄ�ພາກພ�ນດິນທຸກຄ�ນໄ�� ເ�ົາໃ�ໃ��ໃ�ການຄໍານວນທຸກຢ�າງເ��ອໃ��ການ ເ�ີນທາງເ�ັນໄ�ຢ�າງປອດໄ� ແ�ະ ຮ�ດກຸມທ�ສຸດ.

ອ�າຍສີສະ�າດຮ�ກ ແ�ະ ພູມໃ�ໃ�ອາຊີບຂອງ ເ��ນ ແ��ວ�າອາຊີບນ�ກໍບແ�� ນຄວາມຝ�ນທຳອິດ ຂອງເ��ນ. ເ��ນກໍເ�ີຍມີຄວາມຝ�ນຄືຄ�ນທ�ວໆໄ� ທ�ຢາກເ�ັນກ�ບຕ�ນຂ�ບເ�ືອບິນ ແ��ວ�າຍ�ອນປ�ດໄ� ດ�ານສຸຂະພາບຕອນນ�ນ ເ�ັດໃ��ເ��ນໄ��ຖືກຊ�ບ ຊ�ອນມາຢູ�ພະແ�ກຄວາມປອດໄ�ພາກພ�ນດິນ ຂອງສາຍການບິນລາວ. ຕ�ງແ��ມນ� � ນຈ�ນຮອດມ�ນ�ກໍເ�ັນເ�ລາ 14 ປີ ແ��ວ ທ�ອ�າຍສີສະ�າດເ�ັດວຽກໃ�ພະແ�ກນ�. ປະຈຸບ�ນ ເ��ນດຳລ�ງຕໍາແ��ງຜູ�ຈ�ດການຂອງ ຂະແ�ງຄິດໄ��ນ�ໜ�ກ ແ�ະ ຄວາມດຸ�ນດ�ຽງ ເ��ງເ��ນຍ�ງມີໜ�າທ�ຮ�ບຜິດຊອບໃ�ການອ�ບເ�ດ ຖານຂ�ມູນກ�ຽວກ�ບນ�າໜ�ກ ແ�ະ ຄວາມສ�ມດູນ, ກ�ດລະບຽບໃ��ໆໃ��ທຸກໆສາຂາຂອງການບິນ ລາວ ທ�ງສາຂາພາຍໃ� ແ�ະ ຕ�າງປະເ�ດ. ເ��ນໄ��ຕງເ�� າໄ��ວ�າເ��ນຈະເ�ັດວຽກຢູ�ທແ�� ງ ນ�ຈ�ນຮອດມ�ກະສຽນ. ເ��ນມີຄວາມສຸກໃ�ການ ມາເ�ັດວຽກທຸກມ�, ແ��ວຽກກໍບແ�� ນງ�າຍເ�ີຍ. “�າຍໆຄ�ນຢາກມາເ�ັດວຽກທ�ພະແ�ກເ�ົາ, ເ��ງມ�ນຄ�ອນຂ�າງຈະຍາກ ແ�ະ ກ�ດດ�ນ.”

“ວຽກນ�ຕ�ອງອາໄ�ການຄິດໄ�� ແ�ະ ຄໍານວນທ� ຖືກຕ�ອງ ແ�ະ ແ��ນອນ, ແ�ະ ຖ�າຫາກເ��າບ�ມ�ກ ຄິດໄ�� ື ສູດຄະນິດສາດ ວຽກນ�ກໍບເ�າະ � ກ�ບເ��າ.” ກ�າວໂ�ຍອ�າຍ ສີສະ�າດ. “ສ�ງທ�ສຳຄ�ນທ�ສຸດ ແ�ະ ພະນ�ກງານທຸກຄ�ນ ຕ�ອງຈ�ໃ��ຂນໃ�ຄື � ຄວາມປອດໄ�ຕ�ອງການມາ ກ�ອນສະເ�ີ.” ການເ�ັດໜ�າທ�ນ�ຕ�ອງຜ�ານການຝຶກດ�ານເ�ັກນິກ ສະເ�າະທ�ງໝ�ດ 4 ��ກສູດ ແ�ະ ຕ�ອງມີການ ຝຶກອ�ບຮ�ມຄືນທຸກໆ 2 ປີ. ອ�າຍສີສະ�າດຜ�ານ ການຝຶກອ�ບຮ�ມລະດ�ບສາກ�ນ ແ�ະ ມີທ�ກສະການ ເ�ັດວຽກທ�ສ�າງສ�ມມາດ�ວຍປະສ�ບການ�າຍປີ, ແ��ວ�າເ��ນກໍບມີ � ແ�ນທ�ຈະຍ�າຍໄ�ບ�ອນອ�ນ, �ືຍ�າຍອອກຈາກປະເ�ດລາວ. ໃ�ທາງກ�ງກ�ນຂ�າມ, ເ��ນຍ�ງຕ�ອງການຢາກ ຊ�ກຊວນໃ��ມີຄ�ນມາເ�ັດວຽກໃ�ພະແ�ກຂອງ ເ��ນເ��ມ. “�າຍຊາຍຂອງຂ�ອຍບອກວ�າຕ�ອງການມາ ເ�ັດວຽກແ�ບຂ�ອຍ.” ເ��ນກ�າວອອກມາພ�ອມ ດ�ວຍຮອຍຍ�ມແ��ງຄວາມພາກພູມໃ�.

ສງທສ�ຄ�ນທສຸດ ແ�ະ ພະນ�ກງານທຸກຄ�ນຕອງຈໃ�ຂນ  ໃ�ຄື ຄວາມປອດໄ�ຕອງການມາ ກອນສະເ�ີ.

1. ພະນ�ກງານກຳລ�ງກຽມເ�ືອບິນ

ເ��ອຮ�ບໃ��ຜູ�ໂ�ຍສານ

2. ພາບລວມການກຽມເ�ືອບິນກ�ອນໃ��ບໍລິການ 3. ທ�ານ ສີສະ�າດກຳລ�ງແ�ະນໍາພະນ�ກງານ ຮູບໂ�ຍ: ພູນຊ�ບ ເ�ວ�ງສາ

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

ກບ ີ

3,100,000 3ມ້ື 2ຄນ ື

ກບ ີ ລາຄາລວມ: - ປຍ ້ີ ນ ົ ໄປ-ກບ ັ ວຽງຈນ ັ -ຫວ ຼ ງພະບາງ - ໂຮງແຮມເມອ ື ງທອງ 4* 2 ຄນ ື - ລດ ົ ຮັບສງ່ົສະໜາມບນ ິ ແລະ ອາຫານເຊາ້ົ

HOT LINE

LAO AIRLINES PARTNERS

WINTER TIMETABLE 2017 INTERNATIONAL ROUTE / ເສັ້ນທາງລະຫວ�າງປະເທດ DAY

DEP.

ARR.

FLIGHT NO.

A/C

12:30

QV811

AT7

ຊຽງຮຸ�ງ

LUANGPRABANG > JINGHONG Th Su

10:30

ສິງກະໂປ

> SINGAPORE W F Su

07:40

Transit (VTE) Arr. 08:25

PAKSE

13:25

QV535

A320

09:25

09:45

ບາງກອກ -

10:55

QV223

AT7

11:20

QV515

AT7

ໂຮຈີມິນ 0

ສຽມຣຽບ

> SIEMREAP

SAVANNAKHET

DEP.

ARR.

FLIGHT NO.

13:10

QV812

ຊຽງຮຸ�ງ Th Su

ສິງກະໂປ W F Su

AT7

14:15

17:45

QV536

A320

> 1

BANGKOK > 11:50

13:20

QV224

AT7

12:00

13:35

QV516

HO CHI MINH > AT7

ສຽມຣຽບ

SIEMREAP >

13:00

14:00

QV513

AT7

Daily

14:40

15:40

QV514

AT7

T Th

08:55

09:55

QV511

AT7

T Th

10:30

11:30

QV512

AT7

10:55

QV223

AT7

11:50 -

14:30

QV224

AT7

ARR.

FLIGHT NO.

A/C

QV112

AT7

M W F S Su

08:25

ບາງກອກ

Transit (PKZ) Arr. 08:55

Dep. 09:25

ບາງກອກ M W F S Su

PAKSE

Daily

> BANGKOK

LUANGPRABANG

Dep. 17:00

ໂຮຈີມິນ T Th S

SINGAPORE

ບາງກອກ M W F S Su

A/C

JINGHONG > 13:10

Transit (VTE) Arr. 16:10

> HO CHI MINH T Th S

Dep. 09:30

> BANGKOK M W F S Su

DAY

BANGKOK >

Transit (PKZ) Arr. 13:20

SAVANNAKHET

Dep. 14:00

DOMESTIC ROUTE / ເສັ້ນທາງພາຍໃນປະເທດ DAY

VIENTIANE

DEP.

ARR.

FLIGHT NO.

A/C

ຫຼວງພະບາງ

> LUANGPRABANG

DAY

DEP.

ຫຼວງພະບາງ

LUANGPRABANG >

Daily

09:10

10:00

QV111

AT7

M T Th S

07:40

08:30

Daily

11:30

12:15

QV101

A320

W F Su

07:40

08:25

QV535

A320

Daily

13:05

13:50

QV102

A320

T W Th S Su

14:35

15:20

QV106

A320

M W F Su

18:45

19:35

QV104

A320

T Th S

18:45

19:35

QV104

AT7

T W Th S Su 13:00

13:45

QV105

A320

M T Th S

17:00

17:45

QV103

A320

W F Su

17:00

17:45

QV536

A320

ຫຼວງນ�້າທາ

> LUANGNAMTHA Daily

11:50

13:05

QV601

AT7

Daily

12:20

12:50

QV401

AT7

> OUDOMXAY Daily

ຊຽງຂວາງ

> XIENGKHUANG

Daily

ອຸດົມໄຊ

15:20

QV501

AT7

T Th

07:00

08:15

QV511

AT7

T Th S

07:50

09:05

QV515

AT7

08:00