Where can I change Lao kip in to Thai Baht

[juice777]

I just found 218,000 loa Kip in my bag which is according according XE. Com is about 850THB.
 
I have no plans to go back for a while so
Would like to Change them.
 
Anyone knows a bank in Pattaya who changes them I've herd must don't.
 
Or if anyone is going soon who lives in pattaya they can have them for 700THB.
 

It's probably around about the right amount for food and a few beers in Savannakhet for one night of you are on a Visa Run.
 
 
 
 
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[GLewis]

KIp has no value at all outside of Lao would be my opinion.   Take what you can get or save them for your next trip.

[wump]

Offer them for 500 in here. Somebody doing a visa run in the future might want to take you up on it.

You'll have no chance with the banks. Just as worthless as Cambodian riels.

[jerry921]

Maybe by asking around you could find someone from Laos working in one of the bars.

[punchjudy]

I tried to exchange lao kip about a year ago......nobody wants those ragged bits of paper.

 

I finally found one place on soi buakow but the exchange rate was 50% of it's value.

 

as others have said try and find someone that is going there and sell to them instead.

[juice777]

Maybe by asking around you could find someone from Laos working in one of the bars.

Yeah I do meet them occasionally but not that often.

 

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[juice777]

KIp has no value at all outside of Lao would be my opinion.   Take what you can get or save them for your next trip.

Unfortunately I plan to do a Border crossing then get my next 2 visas in Cambodia after I get a new passport. And by then I probably will have to return home.

So I can't see me going to laos for a few years at least and by then I probably would have forgotten about them.

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[juice777]

I tried to exchange lao kip about a year ago......nobody wants those ragged bits of paper.
 
I finally found one place on soi buakow but the exchange rate was 50% of it's value.
 
as others have said try and find someone that is going there and sell to them instead.

Where was it that just in case?

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[Colabamumbai]

Give it to some Thai students as a souvenir.

[gk10002000]

On my last trip I swear 8/10 of the traditional foot, oil Thai massage places were staffed by Lao ladies.  So I would suggest trying there instead of bar searching.  But frankly if a place will give you 50% take it and save yourself the trouble, and take the convenience.  Nobody is going to give you full price even if you find some people.  And the total involved is only 850 Baht.  Measurable but I would take the 50%, say 425 baht and go have a beer and an oil massage and then a dip in the pool and call it a day

[juice777]

On my last trip I swear 8/10 of the traditional foot, oil Thai massage places were staffed by Lao ladies.  So I would suggest trying there instead of bar searching.  But frankly if a place will give you 50% take it and save yourself the trouble, and take the convenience.  Nobody is going to give you full price even if you find some people.  And the total involved is only 850 Baht.  Measurable but I would take the 50%, say 425 baht and go have a beer and an oil massage and then a dip in the pool and call it a day

Yes thats the way I see it to but for a small amount of money I can't be bothered to walk about asking so that's why I started this thread to find a place which definitely takes them.

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[gk10002000]

When I first saw the topic, I was thinking "go to anyplace where you can fit your wheel barrow".  As I have seen some people exchange USD for a large back pack full of kip!

[smotherb]

Holding a soft currency in any soft currency country leaves you holding a fairly empty bag. No one wants the soft currency, with the possible exception of someone going there, and no one is willing to give you a fair shake on the conversion rate. I face the same issue with Thai Baht and Philippine Pesos--not worth it to try to exchange either soft currency in the other country, so an exchange to a hard currency in each country, even with the exchange fees, is best. However, since I travel frequently between the two, I simply hold onto the soft currency until in its country. Now, I have added a third country, Vietnam, so a pocket full of softies seems my future.

[wump]

I don't know if you take ladies of the night or have extra services when having massages but you could just give the money to a nice Lao lady.

 

Alternatively, you could also ask a visa run company (not a reseller). I know 1st Class Visa Runs go to Laos (they are based in Queen Vic in soi 6) as does Cambodia Inter (100 metres past Pattaya City Hospital when coming from Pattaya Klang, same side).

[midas]

8 hours ago, GLewis said:

KIp has no value at all outside of Lao would be my opinion.   Take what you can get or save them for your next trip.

10 to 12 years ago Kip didn't even have value inside Lao everybody only wanted US dollars.

Now at the National Museum in Luan Prabang they even reject dollars and tell you to go to a bank and come back with kip 
it's like people have been brainwashed into believing their own currency is preferable and yet the only thing that changed is that these economies have gone deeper and deeper into debt.
The same thing has happened in Vietnam, Cambodia and even Myanmar.

[wump]

2 minutes ago, midas said:

Then suddenly people were brainwashed into believing their own currency was preferable.
The same thing has happened in Vietnam, Cambodia and even Myanmar.

 

"Brainwashed"

The Cambodian Riel gained some 20% on the euro in the past few years. How is this brainwash?

 

The USD is worthless bits of paper just like any other fiat currency in the world.

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, smotherb said:

Holding a soft currency in any soft currency country leaves you holding a fairly empty bag. No one wants the soft currency, with the possible exception of someone going there, and no one is willing to give you a fair shake on the conversion rate. I face the same issue with Thai Baht and Philippine Pesos--not worth it to try to exchange either soft currency in the other country, so an exchange to a hard currency in each country, even with the exchange fees, is best. However, since I travel frequently between the two, I simply hold onto the soft currency until in its country. Now, I have added a third country, Vietnam, so a pocket full of softies seems my future.

I tried to change some Thai currency in Germany but they couldn't confirm where the money came from because everything on the banknotes was in Thai and as far as they were concerned it could have been from anywhere. They couldn't read Thai or recognise the King's portrait. How would you ever convince a Thai of that.

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, wump said:

The USD is worthless bits of paper just like any other fiat currency in the world.

The USD is clearly more useful than the Lao kip, as the OP has been finding out.

[smotherb]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I tried to change some Thai currency in Germany but they couldn't confirm where the money came from because everything on the banknotes was in Thai and as far as they were concerned it could have been from anywhere. They couldn't read Thai or recognise the King's portrait. How would you ever convince a Thai of that.

Well, that seems to be a bit of ignorance on the Germans part, but that happens. I deposited a 20GBP travelers check into a US bank and got credit for 20USD, and it was written in English. So, ignorance is bliss only for the ignorant.

[juice777]

I tried to exchange lao kip about a year ago......nobody wants those ragged bits of paper.
 
I finally found one place on soi buakow but the exchange rate was 50% of it's value.
 
as others have said try and find someone that is going there and sell to them instead.

Can you remember what shop it was or roughly where about there it was. I can't be bothered to ask about and don't mind taking half the value but I ant going to walk around in the sun asking in all of them so it would be a great help.

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[juice777]

Ok I was out for Breakfast in the soi buakow area so thought I would try all the independent money changers I walked past. The first one opposite soi Honey and just 2 the right snapned them up. I got 457THB for 218000 kip so about half price. He didn't ask for my passport so I imagine it's of the books. So if he happens to be loas that's not a bad way 2 start the day for him lol. I even got a wai so he must have been happy.

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[Colabamumbai]

1 hour ago, juice777 said:

Ok I was out for Breakfast in the soi buakow area so thought I would try all the independent money changers I walked past. The first one opposite soi Honey and just 2 the right snapned them up. I got 457THB for 218000 kip so about half price. He didn't ask for my passport so I imagine it's of the books. So if he happens to be loas that's not a bad way 2 start the day for him lol. I even got a wai so he must have been happy.

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How much was breakfast?

[juice777]

How much was breakfast?

100THB in retox or 52000 kip at half the exchange rate.

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