Kaysone was born Nguyen Cai Song to a Vietnamese father named Nguyen Tri Loan, and a Lao mother named Nang Dok. He had two sisters: Nang Souvanthong, living in Thailand and Nang Kongmany in the USA. He was born in Na Seng village, Khanthabouli district, Laos. Kaysone attended law school at University of Indochina in Hanoi, Vietnam, with Nouhak Phoumsavan. He dropped out of law school to fight the French colonialists who were in Vietnam. Later, he joined the Pathet Lao movement, which was also fighting the French colonialists. He became an active revolutionary while studying in the Indochinese capital of Hanoi during the 1940s. The Lao People's Liberation Army was established by Kaysone Phomvihane on January 20, 1949. He was minister of defence of Resistance Government from 1950. In 1955 he was instrumental in setting up the LPRP at Sam Neua in northern Laos, and subsequently served as the Pathet Lao leader, with Souphanouvong as its figurehead. In the years which followed, he led communist forces against the Kingdom of Laos and U.S. forces. After their victory he served as Prime Minister from the founding of the Lao PDR in 1975 until 1991 and later President until his death in 1992. He married Thongvinh Phomvihane. Kaysone displayed expert skills in handling relations with Vietnam. The demarcation process started in 1977 and finished in 2007. According to western journalist the Lao/Viet borderline is "very close" to the 1945 border between Laos and Tonkin and Annam, respectively. According to Vatthana Pholsena, assistant professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and author of the book "Post-war Laos", Kaysone Phomvihane was the top policy maker in LPDR, and a strongman. He created Sekong Province to honour the southern minority for their support in the war effort. Kaysone died in Laos's capital, Vientiane. After Kaysone's death, the government of Laos built a museum in Kaysone's honour, in Vientiane, partially funded by Vietnam. In 2012 his cremated ashes were transferred from their original resting place to the newly built National Cemetery.
Family
His younger son, Sanyahak Phomvihane, was elected to the LPRP Central Committee at the 8th LPRP Congress and became a Major General at the age of 40 in 2008. However, he suffered an early death, at the age of 45, on 19 July 2013. His elder son, Xaysomphone Phomvihane currently serves as President of the Lao Front for National Construction. His other son, Santiphap Phomvihane currently serves as Governor of Savannakhet Province.
