Flag of Laos

Horizontal bands of red, blue and red, the blue twice as tall as each red band. A white disc in the centre has a diameter four-fifths the height of the blue band.

What the flag means

The 1991 constitution describes the flag in Article 77. According to its designer, Maha Sila Viravong, the white disc stands for the unity of the Lao people. The red is usually explained as the blood shed in the struggle for independence, and the blue as the Mekong River and the country's prosperity. The disc is also read as a full moon over the Mekong.

History

Maha Sila Viravong designed the flag for the Lao Issara government, which adopted it on 12 October 1945. He took inspiration from Thailand's tricolour of 1917. The Pathet Lao later used the design, and it became the national flag when they took power in 1975, replacing the royal flag.

Earlier flags of Laos

1952–1975Kingdom of Laos: red with a white three-headed elephant

Flags of Laos's neighbours

Sources

Wikipedia: Flag of Laos
Flags of the World: Laos

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Read how we research flags in our editorial policy, or report a mistake.