I'm heading up there for 5 days and want to know what currency is best to use for paying for hotels, food and beers. Do hotels take baht, USD or local currency or all 3. What is the best bet to bring for top value?

I'm heading up there for 5 days and want to know what currency is best to use for paying for hotels, food and beers. Do hotels take baht, USD or local currency or all 3. What is the best bet to bring for top value?

Lao Kip, Thai Baht and USD are all accepted, but expect to get any change in Lao Kip, not matter what currency is used.

If you are staying for a short time and want to use Thai Baht or USD, it's probably best to take small value notes to avoid getting lumbered with large amounts of Lao Kip.

Totster

I'm heading up there for 5 days and want to know what currency is best to use for paying for hotels, food and beers. Do hotels take baht, USD or local currency or all 3. What is the best bet to bring for top value?

Lao Kip, Thai Baht and USD are all accepted, but expect to get any change in Lao Kip, not matter what currency is used.

If you are staying for a short time and want to use Thai Baht or USD, it's probably best to take small value notes to avoid getting lumbered with large amounts of Lao Kip.

Totster

I think that many hotels/guest houses now price their rooms in baht not dollars, so to reduce the number of arguments over dollar exchange rates best to take baht. However I believe that visa-on-entry may still be cheaper if you pay in dollars.

Ok the low down is:

Have $35 at the ready for your visa - if you have baht it'll cost you 1500 aka $45.

Personally my opinion is get Kip when you arrive. If you pay restaurants etc with baht you'll end up being done on the higher exchange rate they use.

I would avoid dollars - most places don't care to much about dollar these days due to it's freefall and weakness again pretty much all currency! Baht people will always do you on the exchange rate - never the same as the bank pretty much alway higher.

But as has been said they'll accept any of them, but kip is the one used for all small transactions i.e. restaurants, bars, minimarts etc. If you intend buy large expensive stuff then pretty much everywhere these days quote baht.

The Lao government are starting to enforce the kip more there is a law that states that ANY sales made the Lao kip must be accepted - even cars now are showing prices in kip which they didn't do before.

So there you go!