The men in Western clothes here are local officials for Luang Prabang province, including the Adjouant Chao Khoueng (Deputy Governor). Halpern visited Nam Bak with them briefly in October 1957. A main reason for the trip was to see the work of the Philippine medical organization Operation Brotherhood. OB was supported by American aid funds, and was then in the process of constructing a small medical clinic. The size of this trading and administrative center is about 1,000.