Hongsa
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Hongsa
ຫົງສາ | |
|---|---|
  Hongsa | |
| Coordinates: 19°42′14″N 101°20′14″E / 19.70389°N 101.33722°E | |
| Country | Laos |
| Province | Sainyabuli |
| District | Hongsa |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Area code | 074 |
Hongsa (Lao: ຫົງສາ, pronounced [hǒŋ.sǎː]) is a town in northwestern Laos. It is in Hongsa District in Sainyabuli Province. The town is 81 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of the provincial capital Sainyabuli. Nearby Ban Viengkeo is a rotating host to a major elephant festival.[1] The district is the site of the Hongsa coal-fired power plant that began operation in 2015.[2]
The economy is dominated by the 1,878 MW Hongsa lignite-fired power plant adjacent to Thailand's Nan Province. The Hongsa plant accounts for around a third of Lao energy production. Almost all of its power is exported to Thailand. The plant is 80% Thai-owned, backed by nine Thai banks. Thai residents have seen negative impacts on their farms, watershed, and environment from pollution that may originate at the Hongsa plant. The plant has been at the centre of land grab controversies, with thousands of residents reportedly losing land and receiving little compensation.[3] The economy of Hongsa is being transformed by the Hongsa power plant. Plant construction is provided about 3,000 jobs and average local incomes have already risen sharply. Once the plant goes online, local officials anticipate further employment growth with the creation of factories to export to Thailand and other ASEAN nations.[2]