The Sananikone family were a powerful conservative aristocratic family in

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, with notable members including Prime Minister

Phoui Sananikone Phoui Sananikone (, ; 6 September 1903 – 4 December 1983) locally known as Phagna Houakhong () was a Laotian politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister (1950–1951 and 1958–1959) and first President of the Lao National Assembly. ...

, General Oudone Sananikone and his brother Oudong Sananikone.

History

Based in Central Laos, particularly at

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

, the Sananikone family were often referred as the "

Rockefellers The Rockefeller family ( ) is an American industrial, political, and banking family that owns one of the world's largest fortunes. The fortune was made in the American petroleum industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by brot ...

" or the Kennedys of Laos. The Sananikones' owned an airline, Veha Akhat, which leased planes and pilots from

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

for paramilitary operations, which lend themselves easily to commerce with opium-growing tribal peoples, from which came some of their wealth. They are very private people and very little is known about them. Many members of the Sananikone clan have changed their last name to avoid being executed during the

Laotian Civil War The Laotian Civil War was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. The Kingdom of Laos was a covert Theatre (warfare), theater during the Vietnam War with both sides receiving heavy ...

References

{{reflist Laotian families Political families Business families

History

See also

References