Foreign Exchange in Luang Prabang, Laos

[ceejay]

I've just returned from a trip to Luang Prabang (trip report to follow if I can get my backside into gear) having previously visited almost exactly three years ago.
There's one major change in those three years which will be of interest to anyone visiting. Three years ago, the advice was to take US dollars and use them to pay for everything. You can still do that if you want to, but now there are exchange booths, open until late and all over town. They can exchange any major currency, including Euros and GBP, as well as dollars and Thai baht.
Exchange rates were as follows (as of Jan 24th 2013):
Thai baht - use directly in a shop, restaurant etc. 250 kip/baht. At an exchange booth: around 265 kip/baht
Dollars - use directly in a shop/restaurant etc. 7500 kip/dollar. At an exchange booth: about 7900 kip/dollar.

So, you save about 4% by exchanging into kip at a bank and paying your bills in kip.

Also, now that GBP or EUR are readily exchangeable, there's no need to take two lots of exchange costs by changing into dollars before you go there.

I don't know how true this is for the rest of the country.

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[goji]

I also noticed that Dollars are now slightly less welcome than previously for direct payments in central & southern Laos.
Prices may be quoted in dollars, but they are now more likely to ask if you have Kip or Baht before accepting your dollars.

Next time I shall just change $100 or so to USD before going to Laos.

[adman5000]

As I recall, the only challenge I had several years ago was trying to avoid dirty or crumpled USD banknotes. They tried to give them to you as change and then some places did not want them, only newer, crisper, cleaner currency. Perhaps the exchange places would reduce this minor problem.