History of the Laos Flag: Lao Issara, Royal Flag & 1975 Adoption
Laos’s current red-blue-red flag with a white disc first appeared during the independence movement of 1945 and returned as the national flag when the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was established in 1975.
1945: a new independence flag
The present flag design emerged during the Lao Issara independence movement in 1945. It was created as a modern national alternative to the royal flag tradition.
Who designed the flag?
The design is widely credited to Lao scholar and nationalist Maha Sila Viravong, who developed the red-blue-red tricolour with a central white disc.
Why did it disappear after 1945?
French colonial authority was re-established in Laos in 1946, and the Lao Issara government did not survive. The red-blue-red flag continued as a political and revolutionary symbol rather than the official royal flag.
The royal three-headed elephant flag
The Kingdom of Laos used a red flag featuring a white three-headed elephant beneath a royal parasol. That design represented the monarchy and remained the state flag during the royal period.
1975: the current flag returns
When the monarchy ended and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was proclaimed on December 2, 1975, the former Lao Issara/Pathet Lao flag became the national flag.
What changed in the design?
The basic red-blue-red structure and white disc remained the defining elements. Today the National Assembly specifies the flag’s exact proportions: the blue stripe is twice the height of either red stripe and the overall ratio is 2:3.
Why the flag is historically distinctive
Unlike many socialist-era national flags, Laos’s flag does not use a hammer and sickle or five-pointed communist star. Its central device is the white disc.
