Thakhek is a town in south-central Laos on the Mekong River and facing Nakhon Phanom across the river in northeastern Thailand. It is the capital of Khammouan province.
The city has many French colonial style official buildings, villas and shop-houses. Western scientists first encountered the Laotian rock rat in Thakhek's market.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thakhek)