Muang Soui

Muang Suoi
Town
Muang Suoi
Coordinates: 19°31′15″N 102°53′10″E / 19.52083°N 102.88611°E / 19.52083; 102.88611
Country	Laos
Province	Xiangkhouang
Elevation	1,097 m (3,599 ft)
Time zone	UTC+7 (Laos Standard Time)

^[1]Muang Soui(In Laotian: ເມືອງສຸຍ) (also called Muang Souy or Muong Soui) is a small town in Xiangkhouang Province in northeastern Laos. It is located along , northwest of Phonsavan.

History[]

Muang Soui (in Lao:ເມືອງ ສຸຍ) ^{[2] [3]} or was a small town which was located in the Xiangkhouang Province, Laos. Its population was around 10,000 in 1965. It was a small town among many like the cities of Phonsavan, Plain of Jars, Lathuang, Nong Het, Long Tieng,^[4] Samthong and many others. These towns were all located in Xiangkhouang Province. They were all well known during and before the Vietnam War 1961-1975. Muang Soui was created shortly before 1960 when Captain Kong Le overthrew the Royal Lao Government in a coup, 1960 Laotian coups, on August 10, 1960. Before this town was created and called Muang Soui, the old name of that town was Ban NongTang (in lao:ບ້ານ ໜອງຕາງ).

Muong (Muang) Soui location on Google Earth

At that time, most people chose to live in Ban NongLan (in lao:ບ້ານ ໜອງລານ) and Ban Nato (in lao:ບ້ານ ນາໂຕ) . These two neighboring villages were not very far from Muang Soui. They are located about 3 to 5 kilometers southwest of Muang Soui. Most people, The Tai Phuan, who lived there spoke a slightly different dialect from the others who came from southern and western Laos. Today, the two villages are still there, at their locations, with the exception of the town of Muang Soui.

During the 1940s, the villagers of Ban Nonglan (in lao:ບ້ານ ໜອງລານ) and Ban Nato (in lao:ບ້ານ ນາໂຕ) including those of Ban NongTang (in lao:ບ້ານ ໜອງຕາງ) were all farmers. There was a market which is opened once a week in the village of Ban Nato. Many people from neighboring villages have come to do their shopping once per week. Then there were some itinerant merchants who were Chinese coming to sell sugars, salt, clothes, fabrics, pots, dishes and more like spoons etc. These Chinese merchants used horses as their means of transporting goods when they were moved to villages. When people did not have cash to pay a merchandise, then they paid it with opium instead.

The name of Muang Soui took that of Ban NongTang,^[5] which was a small village located by the lake "NongTang". This change was due to the increasing of people arriving in this county. The name, NongTang, came from the name of the lake behind the village. The lake sits on a body of water surrounded by limestone rocks that form a wall in the background.

In the early 1960s, the part of the lake that faces Route 7, seen from the front, under the limestone rocks, looked like there was a cave. The waves moved and disappeared in the cave as the wind blew across the surface of the water. It was as if there was a hole under the limestone rocks. At that time, on the other side of the limestone rocks where the village called (Ban) NaTo is located, there was also a part of the lake which flowed below the rocks as it was part of that of NongTang. Today, the lake has become smaller than it was 70 years ago. The water level is about 80 - 100 meters lower in width and then 5-10 meters in depth compared to 1960. This must have been a problem of the planet and the drought of the earth, especially of the environment in which it is located.

Nong Tang Lake - Picture taken in December 2016

Part of Nong Tang lake - Picture taken in December 2016

According to the history of Laos, the inhabitants of Xiangkhouang Province were called Tai Phuan Phuan people because they were from the region Muang Phuan or Xiangkhouang province. Except the Khmu people, the Khmu tribe Lao Theung, who are the first inhabitants discovered in this region for centuries before the arrival of King Fa Ngum in the middle of the 14th century, this region was ruled before by the youngest son of the king of Khun Borom. Historically, the Laotian, Lao-Tai – 59.2% (including Lao, Tai people, Phu Tai, Lu, Phuan) ^[6] arrived in Muang Phuan only in the 13th century, and King Fa Ngum conquered the Muang Phuan region, XiangKhouang Province, in the middle of the 14th century.

In 1940, the first village chief in the area was called Thao Keo. He was the first “Nai Ban (chief of village)” elected in this county. After Thao keo, it was Thao Thitphone who was elected in 1949. These two village chiefs were people who lived in villages of NongLan and Nato-xiengna. When Muang Soui town was created, people elected then a Tasseng (mayor). Tasseng (Lao vocabulary) means the mayor of the city and Nai Ban (Lao vocabulary) means village chief. This is how Thao Van Dee was chosen and elected as Muang Soui's first Tassseng during this time. He was the mayor of Muang Soui from 1960 to 1968.

Muang Soui is located in the middle of Xiangkhouang Province. In this small town, there was a lot to see and do during this time. It was a city that was in the process of development. Not to mention the commerce and the population to come, social media and administrative services began to take hold. An airport has been built as well as a flea market. Along the street next to the airport, there were plenty of shops of sorts, then came the Vietnam War which rotted the whole region including the east and east-west of Xiangkhouang province. At that time the neighboring villages which were closest to Muang Soui, then considered as local villages are Ban Nato-Xiengna, Ban Nonglan, Ban Khai, Ban Phou kout, Ban Xay, Ban Lathuang, Ban PhouDouk, Ban Huei Kinine, Ban Phou Pheung Noi, Ban Keobokuang, Ban Hak, Ban Pangpang, Ban Xamkeo (Xam kiam), Ban PongTau, Phou Vieng and Phou Sse. There were others, but they were closest to Muang Soui town.

During the Laotian civil war and Operation Off Balance, between 1961 - 1969, the town of Muang Soui was partly occupied by the military of Captain Kong Le. Some of his military troops had settled in Phou Kout mountain, Phou Kout District and others in Phonsavan, and Plain of Jars. Due to its location northwest of the strategic Plain of Jars, the town with its all weather runway (designated Lima Site 108 or LS-108) was a major base area for the Forces Armées Neutralistes (FAN) a "third force" in the Laotian Civil War from 1961 until 1966. The town was overlooked by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Pathet Lao (PL) positions on the Phou Kout District (in Lao:ເມືອງ ພູກູດ), The FAN attempted unsuccessfully to take the ridgeline in Operation Triangle in July 1964^[7] Following the disintegration of the FAN into pro and anti-communist forces in 1966, the town was effectively controlled by the Royal Lao Army. Captured by units of the PAVN 312th Division supported by PT-76 light tanks during the Campaign Toan Thang in June 1969.^[8] Royalist forces supported by U.S. airpower tried unsuccessfully to recapture Muang Soui during Operation Off Balance in early July 1969.^[9] The town was recaptured by Royalist forces in late September 1969 during Operation About Face.^[10] After falling again to the Communists, it was recaptured by Royalist troops in Phou Khao Kham during August 1971.^[11]

After the Vietnam War^[12] ended in 1975, the town of Muong Soui became nowhere else. It is no longer on the map of Laos. Now, the name of this city returns to NongTang on the roads and on the map of the country.

See also[]

• Ban Phou Pheung Noi

Notes[]

References[]

• Anthony, Victor B. and Richard R. Sexton (1993). The War in Northern Laos. Command for Air Force History. OCLC 232549943.
• Conboy, Kenneth and James Morrison (1995). Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-825-0.

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