Kaysone Phomvihane
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.