14 Facts About Phetsarath Ratanavongsa

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa went to study at the colonial Lycee Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon and continued on in 1905 at the Lycee Montaigne and to the Ecole coloniale in Paris.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa returned to Laos in 1912, married Princess Nhin Kham Venne in 1913, and started working as an interpreter for his father.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa established the system of ranks and titles of the civil service, promotion and pension plans, and created a Lao consultative assembly, reorganized the king's Advisory Council.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa reorganized the administrative system of the Buddhist clergy, and established a system of schools for educating monks in Pali.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa created the Institute of Law and Administration to train entry level officers who would then move up the ladder as Phouxouei, Chao Meuang, and Chao Khoueng successively.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa set up rules to reward, reassign, and promote deserving civil servants, and created the judicial system, including civil and penal codes.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa played a dominant role in Lao politics before and after the Japanese occupation.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa was the Prime Minister of Luang Phrabang, beginning in August 1941, ascending in prominence under the promises for power from Japan.

From 1941 to 1945, Phetsarath Ratanavongsa attempted to supplant officials in Laos and Vietnam, but in the regions of Vietnam, the resistance from the local proletariat was too strong.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa sent a telegram to all Laotian provincial governors notifying them that the Japanese surrender did not affect Laos' status as independent and warning them to resist any foreign intervention.

The Lao Issara provisional assembly under Phetsarath Ratanavongsa proclaimed the deposition of the King and appointed Phetsarath Ratanavongsa as "Head of State".

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa was offered an official government residence in Vientiane, but preferred to stay in his villa, Xieng Keo, in Luang Prabang with his Thai consort, Mom Aphiphorn.

On 14 October 1959 Phetsarath Ratanavongsa was taken ill to the hospital, suffering from a severe brain hemorrhage.

Phetsarath Ratanavongsa never regained consciousness and he died at the age of 69.