Which currency is in use in Laos?
The official currency of Laos, (or the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to use the country’s full name), is the kip with, as of November 2024, approximately 22,000 of them getting you one dollar or 28,000 one pound Sterling. (A Euro is then around 23,500.) These are, of course, rounded-up figures but with exchange rates fluctuating from place to place and month to month they are as accurate as needs be for the purposes of our ‘which currency to use in Laos’ post. (Note the plural of kip is also kip.)
As you can see, that’s plenty of zeros so it certainly isn’t the simplest foreign currency for visitors to wrap their heads around. Denominations go from 500 up to 100,000, there are no coins in circulation and to our minds, the similar colour schemes of certain denominations mean you’ll need to be extra careful. (Especially in what might be the poor light of a bar or restaurant.) The 20,000 and 50,000 notes both share a common reddish brown design, the 5,000 is a reddish purple and the 10,000 is a blueish purple. All feature the head of the former president, Kaysone Phomvihane, while each note has a small and intricate drawing of a significant Lao scene or building. The 5,000 depicts a rather fetching cement factory and the 20 a hydroelectric plant.
Collecting alms in Luang Prabang Can I buy or sell kip outside of Laos?
The simple answer is no, so wait until you arrive to obtain some and try and avoid getting left with a bunch of kip when you leave. Note that if you are stuck with a wad at the end of one of our Laos tours then usually your tour leader will change them to US dollars or Thai baht for you.
Are there plenty of ATMs in Laos?
Again, the short answer is yes, especially if you arrive at one of the international airports, Luang Prabang or Wattay, (Vientiane.) Most foreign credit and debit cards should work with a small withdrawal fee payable (usually around $2) on top of whatever your own bank sees fit to charge. Most cash points allow you to withdraw between 1 and 2 million kip (yes, you’re now a millionaire), but try and avoid a round number to avoid receiving only large denomination notes as the latter can be hard to break.
They will also be in evidence at land border crossings such as Chong Mek, (Ubon to Champassak Province) and the Friendship Bridge at Huay Xai but note that elsewhere, outside of larger towns, ATMs are not so common.
Local market near the Thai border – vendors will undoubtedly accept Thai baht as well as Kip. Are other currencies in use in Laos?
Both US dollars and Thai baht are widely accepted in Laos, although bear in mind that exchange rates will be consistently rounded down each time so if you’re going to be in the country for anything more than a brief period, it is worth obtaining kip. You will, however, see many hotels and more upmarket restaurants listing prices in dollars so it is useful to have a stock of those along with your kip.
Are cards widely accepted in Laos?
Again, only hotels and pricier restaurants will accept foreign bank card payments and while many locals use local bank apps or QR codes to pay, that’s not much help unless you have a Lao bank account.
Luang Prabang, riverside cafe Which currency to use in Laos and how much to take?
If you’re arriving in Huay Xai, via the Friendship Bridge, or at Chong Mek from Ubon Ratchathani (see our Thailand and Laos tours – Golden Triangle and Emerald Triangle tours respectively), then keep your Thai baht and withdraw some Lao kip at the first convenient cashpoint. If your arrival in the country is at either Vientiane or Luang Prabang airport then make use of one of the arrival area’s ATMs. For any Laos tour, take some dollars along and if you’re joining a Laos and Cambodia tour such as the Indochina Adventure or Mekong Adventure, you’ll need those US dollars in Cambodia anyway. (Check our earlier Cambodia money post.)
How many kip you’ll need is a bit of a piece of string question but as you don’t really want to be stuck with many kip at the end of any Lao tour it is best to withdraw small amounts. (Having said that, you’ll probably have to pay a fee each time so conversely, don’t make tiny withdrawals every day either. Furthermore, as we mentioned previously, your tour leader will be able to change a reasonable quantity of kip back into dollars as well.)
Non-inclusive meals are slightly more expensive than in neighbouring Thailand, although drinks – wine and beer – are often slightly cheaper. You can contribute towards the tip kitty with any of the three currencies and after that, it’s up to you how much you spend on the tempting array of souvenirs. Note that if you do splurge on a fancy restaurant in Luang Prabang (there are some good ones), you can probably pay by card but if you’re buying handicrafts in the Luang Prabang hill-tribe market, it’ll be cash only.
