Laos Guide
Money
Lao currency is the kip and is available in 50,000K, 20,000K, 10,000K, 5000K, 2000K, 1000K and 500K notes. There are no coins in circulation. In addition, the Thai baht and US dollar operate parallel to the kip. Although a 1990 law technically forbids the use of foreign currencies to pay for local goods and services, many hotels, restaurants and tour operators actually quote their prices in dollars, and accept payment in either baht or dollars. The government-owned airline, Lao Airlines, only accepts payment in US dollars cash.
Traveller's cheques are a safe way to carry your money, but it's a good idea to have a decent supply of US dollars or Thai baht in cash if you intend to spend time in the remoter parts of the country. Major credit cards are accepted at many hotels, upmarket restaurants and shops in Vientiane and Louang Phabang. Cash advances on Visa cards and, less frequently, MasterCard are possible in most major towns. Only recently have ATMs started to pop up around the country, many of them still only accepting MasterCard. Those with Visa cards should not rely on them. At the time of writing, there were ATMs in Louang Phabang, Vientiane, Vang Viang, Odomxai, Louang Namtha and Pakxe – more are due to open. Bear in mind that you cannot change kip back into dollars or baht when leaving the country – and that duty-free shops only accept dollars and baht.