Where to sell Laos Kip / buy Thai Baht?

[Hal65]

I'm in Vientiane and a bank said they don't buy kip / sell Thai baht. They only sell kip. 

 

Only place I know to exchange kip back to baht is at the border for a bad rate. Is there anywhere else here in Vientiane, or in Thailand (I live in Pattaya)

 

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Try another bank!  I've changed kip back to baht in Vientiane in the past, don't remember which bank, tho.

 

Mac

[coconuthead]

difficult to change kip back into baht in thailand.......I only found one place after much searching, and the rate was so lousy I decided to hang on to it.

[KamnanT]

Almost impossible to convert LAK banknotes outside of Laos.  Thai commercial banks won't take them and AFAIK even SuperRich (which does exchange other "exotic" currencies like Burmese kyat, and Macau patacas) won't touch them.  Keep them for your next trip or donate them to any Italian restaurant in Queens that staples foreign currency notes to the wall behind the cash register.

[Briggsy]

In the Morning Market there are money changers who give decent rates. Most vendors will change also.

[rct99q]

Plenty of places in Nong Khai at reasonable rates. Porntip Exchange in Thasadet Market offers reasonable rates. Even a few hotels offer the service because of the high volume of shoppers from Laos.

[Guest Jerry787]

in vte lots of money changer.

[hawker9000]

10 hours ago, KamnanT said:

Almost impossible to convert LAK banknotes outside of Laos.  Thai commercial banks won't take them and AFAIK even SuperRich (which does exchange other "exotic" currencies like Burmese kyat, and Macau patacas) won't touch them.  Keep them for your next trip or donate them to any Italian restaurant in Queens that staples foreign currency notes to the wall behind the cash register.

Agreed.  I think kip aren't actually supposed to be taken out of the country.  If you're going to change them, you might be able to find places on the Thai side in the immediate vicinity of the border crossings, but I'd think you're better off finding some place there in Vientiane.   The morning market sounds like a good suggestion.   I've always tried to buy just the kip I think I'm actually going to use, burn through most of the last of them on my last night, and then leave the "bits and pieces" if any in the donation box at the airport.

[hgma]

Take it across the bridge to NongKhai, next to 7/11 @ the border there is an exchange station, reasonable rates.

[mrwebb8825]

Unless you've got like 1,000,000,000 kip then just wallpaper your bathroom with it in Thailand. A friend of mine in the states did that to his bathroom using Mexican Pesos. Looked great with a nice lacquer finish. :)

[Penefattore]

dreadful news as I have over 1 billion kip invested in Laos and I am not planning to spend them there 

anyway try the money changers and other banks , I suggest Phongsavanh Bank, they are famous for trading non convertible currencies , like this old spot shows (kip into dong) 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

In Thailand foreigners are millionaires, in Laos billionaires.

 

Do Lao women love you more true if you are wealthy by this magnitude?

[Penefattore]

1 minute ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

In Thailand foreigners are millionaires, in Laos billionaires.

 

Do Lao women love you more true if you are wealthy by this magnitude?

actually on my latest trip to Vientiane I even failed to seduce my guesthouse's cleaner.... she was unaware of my real economic status though

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Monthly interest in a Lao bank would be 9 million or over $1000 usd a month.

 

i think I now understand why as no one wants to exchange Lao currency.

 

Is any poster here brave enough and doing it.

[Penefattore]

no , now Lao banks have lowered interest on kip term deposits to 7%.

That's why I moved money from expired deposits to microfinance institutions , where I can get rates between 13.5% to 17% with monthly payments.

On an old deposit at Acleda I am still getting 13.75%.

Other money is on BCEL shares that are paying a 12% dividend 

[Penefattore]

about changing kip back to other currencies , in April 2016 I managed to change a rather good amount visiting various banks in various days , of course banks where I had account and deposits were easier than others.

did not try money changers but I guess for small amounts it should not be a problem.