# Savannakhet

Savannakhet (Lao: ສະຫວັນນະເຂດ, RTGS: Sawannakhet, pronounced), officially named Kaysone Phomvihane (Lao: ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ); since 2005 and previously known as Khanthaboury (Lao: ຄັນທະບູລີ, RTGS: Khanthaburi), is a city in western Laos. It is the capital of Savannakhet Province. With a population of 125,760 (2018), it is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The annual per capita income of Kaysone Phomvihane City is US$2,041 (2018).
Savannakhet has a large 15th-century Buddhist temple, Wat Sainyaphum, a Chinese temple, the Catholic Co-Cathedral of St. Therese and a mosque. The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong connects to Mukdahan Province in Thailand.

## Name change

The settlement of Savannakhet was formerly called Khanthaboury. Then it became Savannakhet. Its name was changed to Kaysone Phomvihane in 2005, while retaining its status as the provincial capital of Savannakhet Province. The city is the birthplace of Kaysone Phomvihane, the first leader of Laos from 1975 to 1992 after the dissolution of the Kingdom of Laos. In 2018, its status was upgraded to that of a "city". In order to attain city status, a district or municipality must be financially self-sufficient and have a population of at least 60,000 persons.

## Transport

The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong connects to Thailand's Mukdahan Province. The two-lane, 12-metre-wide (39 ft), 1,600-metre-long (5,250 ft) bridge opened in 2007.
The city is served by Savannakhet Airport.

## Climate

Savannakhet features a tropical savanna climate (Aw) according to the Köppen climate classification.
Climate data for Savannakhet (1991-2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.5 (101.3) | 39.5 (103.1) | 42.0 (107.6) | 41.5 (106.7) | 41.2 (106.2) | 38.0 (100.4) | 38.5 (101.3) | 36.3 (97.3) | 36.3 (97.3) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.5 (97.7) | 38.0 (100.4) | 42.0 (107.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29.7 (85.5) | 31.8 (89.2) | 34.2 (93.6) | 35.1 (95.2) | 33.9 (93.0) | 32.5 (90.5) | 31.2 (88.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.2 (88.2) | 28.6 (83.5) | 31.7 (89.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 29.0 (84.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.3 (75.7) | 21.9 (71.4) | 26.2 (79.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.9 (64.2) | 21.7 (71.1) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.7 (71.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 15.0 (59.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.0 (64.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.5 (47.3) | 7.0 (44.6) | 5.8 (42.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3.3 (0.13) | 19.3 (0.76) | 40.6 (1.60) | 69.3 (2.73) | 206.2 (8.12) | 216.5 (8.52) | 307.1 (12.09) | 333.9 (13.15) | 239.3 (9.42) | 74.2 (2.92) | 7.3 (0.29) | 4.0 (0.16) | 1,521 (59.88) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 100 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69 | 68 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 78 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 76 | 72 | 70 | 73.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 246.8 | 222.4 | 225.6 | 217.4 | 191.2 | 165.0 | 142.1 | 115.9 | 154.6 | 202.8 | 225.3 | 236.9 | 2,345.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA (humidity, 1961-1990 and extremes) ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: The Yearbook of Indochina (1932-1933) ||||||||||||||
* Wat Sainyaphum
* Chinese Buddhist Temple
* Vietnamese Buddhist Temple Diệu Giác
* St. Teresa's Catholic Church