Card payments are not widely accepted in Laos. In Vientiane and Luang Prabang you may find a number of international hotels and larger stores that take card payments.

Almost without exception, local vendors in Laos will not be able to accept international card payments by credit or debit card, especially in places outside Vientiane and Prabang.

If you are going to pay by card in Laos: Be aware of significant card fees and currency conversion fees for card payments in Lao Kip: Your bank’s LAK to GBP exchange rate may be dramatically bad. This is how banks make money.

Before using your bank card for payments in Laos, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Cash is by far the most popular method of payment in Laos and often the only one that vendors will accept.

Examples of vendors that only accept cash for payment are smaller local shops, traditional markets, local eateries, road side stalls and tour guides.

Almost all vendors will accept Thai Baht for payments. In Vientiane and Luang Prabang some vendors will also accept US Dollars and (to a lesser extent) Euros.

The overall cost of living in Laos is around 13% cheaper than the cost of living in the UK.

A coffee in a cafe in Laos will cost around 30,000 kip. For a three-course meal in a restaurant the average cost will be around 300,000 to 400,000 kip.

Tipping in Laos is only done in the tourist areas. If a service charge is added to the restaurant bill, no tip is expected but it’s still a good idea to leave 5,000 to 20,000 kip as a tip.