Vilasak Phongsawat

Biography

An engineer with the Vat Phou Champasak World Heritage Unit (Department of Culture and Tourism of Champasak Province), Vilasak Phongsawat has devoted his career since 2009 to the restoration, survey and documentation of the Vat Phou site. Over more than a decade, working alongside international cooperation projects and archaeologists, his work has ranged from technical drafting to applying LiDAR and GIS technology to discover and safeguard the nation’s heritage. Since 2021 he has worked with the EFEO on the LiDAR component of the Lao–French CHAMPA project within the Vat Phou World Heritage area: LiDAR data analysis, field verification, archaeological mapping, and surveys using GNSS, total station, GPR and drones, with photogrammetry supporting archaeological excavations. He serves as liaison between the Vat Phou World Heritage Office and partners including UNESCO, ICOMOS and ICCROM: preparing State of Conservation and Periodic Reports, producing a new topographic map of Vat Phou and the heritage management zoning map, and supplying GIS data to the World Heritage Centre. As a trainer, he also prepares technical documents (heritage area management plans and regulations) and teaches GNSS and total station surveying, drone flying for orthophoto and photogrammetry, GIS and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scanning.

Career

1. 2026

   France–Laos Festival — introduces the screening of “Laos: A Forgotten Treasure of the Khmer Civilization”

2. 2021

   Lao–French CHAMPA project, with the EFEO: LiDAR component in the Vat Phou World Heritage area (data analysis, field verification, archaeological mapping, GNSS, total station, GPR and drone surveys)

3. 2017

   Survey and management work at the Vat Phou archaeological site (2017–2020)

4. 2013

   Lao–French AFD PADULL project: urban plan for the town of Champasak within the World Heritage protection area, inventory of its architectural heritage (2013–2016)

5. 2010

   Lao–French FSP project: restoration of the Southern Palace of Vat Phou and rehabilitation of Champasak’s architectural heritage; archaeological surveys with the EFEO (2010–2012)

6. 2009

   Joins the Vat Phou World Heritage Office (Lao–Italian cooperation): technical drafting for the restoration of the Nandin Hall

Research

Surveying, mapping and protecting the Vat Phou site, from carved stone to the whole landscape.

Works & projects