1961, joined the People's Revolutionary Movement; 1961-64, Combatant in Northern Laos; 1964-75, Officer, Cabinet of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee (LPRP CC); 1975-82, Head of the Secretariat, Cabinet of the LPRP CC; 1982-88, Deputy Chief, Cabinet of LPRP CC and Council of Ministers; Deputy Minister; 1989-91, Ambassador of Lao PDR to Bulgaria; 1991, elected Member of LPRP CC, re-elected in 1996, 2001 and 2006; 1991-93, Chief of Cabinet, Council of Ministers and Cabinet of LPRP CC; Minister to the President's Office; 1993, Minister of Foreign Affairs; 1998 and 2002, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; 2002, elected Member of the Politburo, re-elected in 2011; 2006-11, Standing Deputy Prime Minister; President, Executive Board, Central Bank; since March 2011, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic portfolio; President, Executive Board, Bank of Lao PDR. Recipient of honorary doctorates.