Thakhek locale (4)

I believe the answer is:

laos

(Other definitions for laos that I've seen before include "Country of Indo-China, capital Vientiane" , "Country of SE Asia" , "Indo-Chinese country" , "Republic of southeast Asia" , "South-east Asian republic, capital Vientiane" .)

I've seen this clue in the LA Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.