Laos forum

Yep, you will be able to exchange currency at the aiport. USD also readily accepted everywhere as an alternative so you would probably find that USD would work as well.

I've tried to pay in Kip here in the states, but even in areas with strong Lao communities, nobody seems to accept Kip. Funny that. Then again, I've never seen prices quoted in Kip here in the states either (or Euros or even pesos for that matter) and I have often seen prices quoted in dollars in Laos. Go figure.

On my first trip to Laos in the mid-90's, nobody wanted Kip except for the smallest purchases from street vendors, and there was almost no chance of exchanging Kip for anything else. That has changed over the years, as more and more prices are quoted in Kip and I even saw tourists exchanging Kip for dollars at a bank in Pakse last year. You can still pay in dollars or baht in Laos, particularly in tourist areas, but the good old Kip is much stronger and more widely accepted now than it ever was. That is probably why the Lao Government is making the effort Rufus mentioned above.

It has been a few years now, but I exchanged a travellers check at the airport in Luang Prabang after flying in from Chiang Mai. The exchange booth I used was after you cleared immigration and customs, however, so you'll still need to have some sort of cash (ironically, usually dollars) to pay for your visa on arrival if you don't have a visa yet. Regards.

Hi,

Thanks to everyone for their quick response it is really appreciated

Regards
Booboo