The provincial capital of Pakse is one of the most Thai-like towns in all of Laos, and one that, up until recently, most travellers and backpackers tended to use as a transit point and little else. The tourism infrastructure is less developed than the more popular north, making it a bit harder to explore, but Champasak Province has much to offer -- and Pakse is an ideal base to explore much of it from.
(http://www.travelfish.org/location/laos/southern_laos/champasak/pakse)