Money Exchange from CDN

Hi all,

I know it%26#39;s quite common for folks to be exchanging USD to Kip however, would be have any problem if we arrive with Canadian dollars and need to exchange that instead?

I%26#39;m guessing it will be fine, but you never know!

Thanks!

Money Exchange from CDN

You should have no problem at banks or exchange booths. Please do this while in Vientiane or other larger cities becasue if you%26#39;re in the countryside or on an island, you might be stuck.

Money Exchange from CDN

Thank you! I will only be in Luang Prabang, but I am hoping it will be ok there.

As a Canadian who%26#39;s been there, I wouldn%26#39;t risk arriving in Luang Prabang with Canadian currency. You don%26#39;t need kip; you do need American dollars and/or a credit card. Get some USD cash and TCs before you leave home.

As someone who lives here, be aware that the Lao Govt is rightly pushing for the use of the Kip. So you DO need Kip.

All I know is that during five days in Luang Prabang, I didn%26#39;t need kip. Not for hotel, not for meals, not for souvenirs, not for tuk-tuks, not for boat hire. There wasn%26#39;t a single place that asked for kip or declined American dollars. The only time I got kip was when my change was less than a US dollar. The Lao Govt may be pushing the use of kip, but they might want to start with some pressure on their own nationals and businesses to demand it. The Govt itself requires US dollars (in cash) from the moment you enter the country and buy your visa. I should add that the exchange rate on the USD at every business I dealt with was spot on and completely fair. So, tell us, Rufuscat, when and where do you need kip?

I was with a couple canadians last time in Laos, they had no problem exchanging canadian dollars but complained about the bad exchange rate they got, don%26#39;t know why, but think C$ have devalued itself overseas lately, may get better exchange rate if you bring US dollars as it is raising against thai baht, callao

James-

I used a combination of baht, US$ and kip. Kip is much easier for locals to calculate. If you%26#39;re outside of tourist areas, they might hazard a guess at the exchange rate, leaving you short-changed. It%26#39;s much easier to deal with using kip.

If you read my post, you would have seen that I said the Lao Govt is encouraging the use of the Kip. In fact it is now illegal to advertise prices in other currencies. Obviously some still do it. Restaurants not catering exclusively tio the tourist trade will want kip. Shops will want Kip, but take Baht or USD to avoid losing a sale. as a matter of moral principal you should pay by kip -it is the OFFICIAL currency. How would you feel if I paid with pounds sterling in Canada?

Thanks all for your insight. We are in LP now (love it!) and brought USD to change. Instead though, we just used the ATM and pulled straight out of my CDN bank account. Super easy! We%26#39;re using Kip exclusively and it%26#39;s going well.