Pakse Airport to reopen in two months

KPL) Champassak re-improves its Pakse airport and hopes it will be ready for use in May, according to an official.
Head of the Civil Aviation Department, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Yakoua Lorpangkao, said that the improvement of Pakse Airport began in March 2008 and would take 20 months.
Although the improvement was over the airport could not be used after a test run in November last year. The improvement had been conducted with inappropriate techniques so the airport is being re-improved now, according to Mr. Yakoua.
The improvement includes the expansion of its runway from 1,625 m long and 36 m wide to 2,400 m long and 45 m wide in order to enable the airport in this southernmost province to support large aircrafts such as Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s.

Bokeo: Stupa aged 500-600 in Mekong River emerges

(KPL) A big stupa dating back to the era of Souvannakhomkham ancient town some 500-600 years ago, has come into view in the middle of the Mekong River, Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, following the unprecedentedly low level of the water level.

Located on an island opposite Done Savanh village, the stupa is assumed to be part of a Buddhist monastery because traces of an ordination hall were also found nearby. The discoveries also include 26 old Buddha images.

Among the 26 Buddha images include nine made of copper, 16 small images of Bho leave-like structure, and a lion Buddha image. A few Buddha images are still in a good state.

Mr Khanthong Keopaseuth, a specialist of the Tonpheung Information and Culture office, said last week that the big stupa was first visible in the middle of the Mekong River last November after the river started to recede. Later, the authorities of Tonpheung district in cooperation with the Dork Ngioukham company pulled the three-metre tall stupa up by using an excavator.

Now all the Buddha images have been kept in a safe place at the Vat Done Savanh temple.

The discoveries prove the existence of the cradle of civilisation of the ancient Souvannakhomkham township in the area of Tonpheung district. So far artefacts have been found widely in the district.

According to the archaeological research, the Souvannakhomkham ancient town is estimated to date back to 500-600 years ago.