Dollars, Kip And Baht In Laos

[altman]

in another thread the question was raised about whether to use baht, $, or kip in laos. all are accepted so it is a matter of choice.

here are 2 examples of the difference in kip and baht. i did not get the actual kip to baht exchange rate so i reference them both to the dollar exchange rates that i know were reasonably close to reality at that time.

assuming: 1 $ = 9200 kip = 32 baht

restaurant bill: 115,000 kip. asked for in baht, came back as 430 baht. so $12.50 in kip became $13.43 in baht

shop bill: 221,000 kip. asked for in baht. came back as 800 baht. so $24 in kip became $25 in baht.

neither of these will break the bank, but it does seem to indicate that if you will be spending any time or money in laos it may be worthwhile exchanging baht or dollars to kip and then re-exchanging what is left when you leave.

BTW. the embassy accepts baht for the visa.

[Guest]

You will always lose out at little by not using Kip, and for longer stays you are right in your comments. For short stays like visa runs etc then Baht is usually much easier and more convenient than $ or Kip and is accepted even in the markets. You won't end up with useless currency at the end, and you won't need a suitcase to carry the notes around while you are there.

[hansnl]

On the other hand, the differences you quoted are not really earthshattering, and the Baht probably have to be changed to Kip by the receiver, living in Lao and all. Let us talk about farangprices in Thailand?

[TopDogger]

Let us talk about farangprices in Thailand?

Always a breath of fresh air visiting laos.. Even the 5* hotels room service & Spa's are cheaper than standard issue stuff in Thailand.. I reckon the price in Thailand goes up about 15% per year, inflation? nope....

[gzu88bv]

Where it matters is regarding the Lao visa. In US $ terms a Lao visa costs you US $ 30 or THB 1500, if I remember right..........

[tropo]

On the other hand, the differences you quoted are not really earthshattering, and the Baht probably have to be changed to Kip by the receiver, living in Lao and all. Let us talk about farangprices in Thailand?

The businesses in Laos don't have to change baht to kip. They keep all 3 currrencies on hand and especially the baht.

When I was there I had all 3 currencies in my wallet and used the one that gave me the best deal.

Next time I go there for a visa run I'll change a lot of baht to kip and save losing on the change, because that's where they get you.

[sjaak327]

Kip is the way to go for sure. The only exception is the visa on arrival, which you cannot pay in kip anyway, baht is more expensive then paying in USD, but I have never bothered to exchange baht into USD just for this one time expense.

When doing tours (tourist business) it might somtimes be better to pay in USD, but for the normal expenditures (like shopping, eating drinking) the currency to use is the Kip. Baht is a good second, USD only in touristy areas, if you go off the beaten track, your USD becomes worthless.

[tropo]

Kip is the way to go for sure. The only exception is the visa on arrival, which you cannot pay in kip anyway, baht is more expensive then paying in USD, but I have never bothered to exchange baht into USD just for this one time expense.

When doing tours (tourist business) it might somtimes be better to pay in USD, but for the normal expenditures (like shopping, eating drinking) the currency to use is the Kip. Baht is a good second, USD only in touristy areas, if you go off the beaten track, your USD becomes worthless.

If you are flying to Udon Thani it's very easy to exchange baht to US dollars. Once you've checked in for the flight, you turn right and you'll run into a bank/exchange on the way to the departure area. Their rate was a very small fraction under what I got in Pattaya. It so easy I couldn't think of a reason not to get dollars even if you just wanted the $30 - $36 you need for the visa.

Getting a heap of $1 bills can be a good idea too.

Another suggestion: Take plenty of 20 and 100 baht notes to Vientiane so the amount of change you need for transactions is small.

[sutnyod]

The businesses in Laos don't have to change baht to kip. They keep all 3 currrencies on hand and especially the baht.

Says who? Sorry, but maybe there are some long-time residents of Laos here who can remember the case of Kerry and Kay Danes and their firm "Securicor". One of the first allegations against them by the Lao government was that they paid their staff NOT in Kip.

Usually everything is "allowed" in Laos until somebody decides to give you a hard time. Very often they use one of the semi-legal things people do.

Just a word of caution....

[Ozgirl]

This is a false allegation. Lao Securicor were always paying their staff in Lao Kip in accordance to Lao law. The Lao staff asked if they could be paid in US dollar but they were told that this was against the law and unless the law changed, then they had to be paid in Kip! The Lao Securicor company was thoroughly investigated at the time of Kerry Danes detainment. The company was never in violation of any laws and was found to be operating appropriately hence why the company was never closed down!

The businesses in Laos don't have to change baht to kip. They keep all 3 currrencies on hand and especially the baht.

Says who? Sorry, but maybe there are some long-time residents of Laos here who can remember the case of Kerry and Kay Danes and their firm "Securicor". One of the first allegations against them by the Lao government was that they paid their staff NOT in Kip.

Usually everything is "allowed" in Laos until somebody decides to give you a hard time. Very often they use one of the semi-legal things people do.

Just a word of caution....

[nevermore93]

Baht is widely accepted in Lao, but I prefer using Kip when I am there. I can't do the math fast enough in my head to make sure that I am not getting ripped off when getting change in Kip for goods or services paid for in Baht. I usually pay for big expenses like hotels in Baht, but then convert it all into Kip for my walking around money after that. It's always easy enough to convert it back at the border on the way out.

[Yunnie]

Its usually best to just use Kip. Baht usually best used for very expensive things. Cause it can become difficult to carry a thick amount of Kip around when large bills of Baht can do the work.

Dollars... I never use there. Although, it is true most businesses will have all 3 currencies.

I've seen my uncle whip out all 3 currencies before and use it. Once was Dollars at one restaurant, and the other was a mix of Baht and Kip at another restaurant.

Also ALWAYS know the current rate all are going for. Every place will have a slightly different number when they do conversions for you. It was so annoying.

I dont ever pay in Baht. Only Thai Embassy fees. But then again... I'm not buying anything crazy. lol

1 Dollar - Kip is around 8500 right now I believe.

32 Baht - Kip is around 8300.

So there's a difference of 200 kip.

[Ozgirl]

I'm not sure if the law has changed but it used to be that the foreign investment company had to support the local currency in all transactions (salaries/wages). But I remember going to restaurants and you could pay your bill in US dollars at most places and if you were at the market and didn't have kip then you could pay in dollars.

Its usually best to just use Kip. Baht usually best used for very expensive things. Cause it can become difficult to carry a thick amount of Kip around when large bills of Baht can do the work.

Dollars... I never use there. Although, it is true most businesses will have all 3 currencies.

I've seen my uncle whip out all 3 currencies before and use it. Once was Dollars at one restaurant, and the other was a mix of Baht and Kip at another restaurant.

Also ALWAYS know the current rate all are going for. Every place will have a slightly different number when they do conversions for you. It was so annoying.

I dont ever pay in Baht. Only Thai Embassy fees. But then again... I'm not buying anything crazy. lol

1 Dollar - Kip is around 8500 right now I believe.

32 Baht - Kip is around 8300.

So there's a difference of 200 kip.

[tropo]

I've noticed a difference over the last 2 years. It's now a lot easier to get change in Thai baht than it was 2 years ago. 2 years ago I couldn't avoid accumulating a lot of Kip. On my last visit I could always get change in Thai baht and made the entire trip without receiving a single Kip.