Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos
Thongloun Sisoulith is the 7th President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and — more importantly in Laos’s single-party system — the General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), the country’s supreme office. He has held both positions since January and March 2021 respectively. Previously he served as Prime Minister of Laos (2016–2021), Deputy Prime Minister (2001–2016), and Foreign Minister (2006–2016).
His tenure is dominated by a China-centred debt crisis (external debt well above 100% of GDP at its 2023 peak, most of it owed to China Exim Bank), the consequent 2022–2024 collapse of the kip, and the transformative Laos–China Railway which opened on 3 December 2021.
Early life and education
Thongloun was born on 10 November 1945 in Houaphanh Province, a Pathet Lao stronghold in northeastern Laos. He was educated at the Pedagogical College of Neo Lao Hak Sat and then in the Soviet Union at Herzen University in Leningrad, later earning a doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences. During the Laotian Civil War he supported the Pathet Lao as a teacher in Vieng Xay, where the communist leadership sheltered in caves from US bombing.
Rise in government
Thongloun joined the foreign service after 1975 and served as Deputy Foreign Minister (1987–1992), Deputy Prime Minister (2001–2016), and Foreign Minister (2006–2016). US diplomatic cables described him as a “moderate.” He led re-engagement with Washington, culminating in President Obama’s September 2016 visit — the first by a sitting US president to Laos. He became the 17th Prime Minister of Laos on 20 April 2016 and pursued a high-profile anti-corruption campaign.
Dual role since 2021
At the LPRP’s 11th Party Congress on 15 January 2021, Thongloun replaced Bounnhang Vorachit as General Secretary. On 22 March 2021 the National Assembly elected him to succeed Bounnhang as President. Phankham Viphavanh took over as Prime Minister (April 2021–December 2022), followed by Sonexay Siphandone — son of former president Khamtai Siphandone — who has served as PM since 30 December 2022.
Debt, currency, and the Laos–China Railway
Laos’s external debt is dominated by Chinese creditors, principally for the 414 km Boten–Vientiane standard-gauge railway built by China Railway at an estimated cost of USD 3.5–6 billion — roughly a third of Laotian GDP at completion. The kip fell from ~9,000 to the US dollar in 2021 to over 21,000 in late 2024 before partly stabilising. Inflation peaked at 41% in early 2023. IMF assessments since 2022 classify Laos as at “high risk of debt distress,” and the country has repeatedly deferred repayments to China via bilateral rescheduling. Laos’s “Battery of Southeast Asia” hydropower strategy continues to supply electricity exports to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia despite environmental concerns that followed the 2018 Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam collapse (71 killed).
Human rights
Freedom House rates Laos 12 out of 100 — among the lowest scores in the world. There is no legal opposition; criticism of the LPRP is criminalised under Article 117 of the penal code. Prominent civil-society activist Sombath Somphone has been missing since his 2012 abduction in Vientiane. In January 2023 the 25-year-old Lao online activist Anousa “Jack” Luangsuphom was shot in Vientiane in an unsolved attempted assassination. Labour activists and Hmong Christian groups face persistent persecution.
| Full name | Thongloun Sisoulith |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 November 1945 · Houaphanh Province, Laos (age 80) |
| Office | President of Laos (7th) & LPRP General Secretary |
| In office since | 22 March 2021 (President); 15 January 2021 (LPRP GS) |
| Predecessor | Bounnhang Vorachit |
| Prime Minister | Sonexay Siphandone (since 30 December 2022) |
| Vice President | Pany Yathotu (First VP); Bounthong Chitmany (Second VP) |
| Party | Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) |
| Spouse | Naly Sisoulith |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Herzen University, Leningrad · Russian Academy of Sciences (PhD) |
| Human rights rating | Freedom House: Not Free (12/100) |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the current President of Laos in 2026?
Thongloun Sisoulith has been President of Laos since 22 March 2021 and General Secretary of the LPRP — the single-party state’s supreme office — since 15 January 2021.
How old is Thongloun Sisoulith?
Thongloun was born on 10 November 1945 and is 80 years old as of April 2026.
Who really runs Laos?
Laos is a one-party state. The General Secretary of the LPRP is the country’s supreme authority. Since January 2021 that office and the state presidency have both been held by Thongloun Sisoulith.
Is Laos in debt to China?
Yes. China is Laos’s largest creditor, principally for the Laos–China Railway opened in December 2021 at an estimated cost of USD 3.5–6 billion. The IMF has classified Laos as at “high risk of debt distress.”
Is Laos a democracy?
No. Laos is a one-party socialist state under the LPRP. Freedom House rates the country 12 out of 100, one of the lowest scores in the world.
Who is Laos’s Prime Minister?
Sonexay Siphandone — son of former president Khamtai Siphandone — has been Prime Minister of Laos since 30 December 2022.
When is the next LPRP Congress?
The 12th LPRP National Congress is scheduled for early 2026, which will set Laos’s leadership and economic direction through 2031.
Bounnhang Vorachith, Former President of Laos (elected on Apr 19, 2016)
Bounnhang Vorachith (born August 15, 1938) is a Laotian politician who has been General Secretary (de facto leader) of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos ( de jure head of state) since 2016. Previously he served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001, as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, and as Vice President of Laos from 2006 to 2016. He became Vice President on June 8, 2006, when Bouasone Bouphavanh was appointed as Prime Minister. At the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, he was elected to succeed Choummaly Sayasone as General Secretary on 22 January 2016, effectively making him the leader of Laos. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounnhang_Vorachith
Choummaly Sayasone, Former President of Laos
Lieutenant General Choummaly Sayasone (born March 6, 1936 in Attapu) is General Secretary of the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. He was elected as General Secretary on March 21, 2006 by the party’s 8th Congress, succeeding Khamtai Siphandon, and he subsequently succeeded Siphandon as President on June 8, 2006. Sayasone joined the party’s Politburo in 1991 and served as Vice President from 2001 to 2006. He also served for a time as Minister of Defense (1991-2001).