• Travel

  • 🇱🇦 Laos: bunq Community Travel Tips

✈️ Heading to Laos? We've gathered some tips from the bunq community to make sure your trip is the smoothest it can be. 😎

Check them out below! 🌈 👇


Using your card

💳 Do I need cash in Laos, or can I use my card everywhere?

Laos is a cash driven society. Be sure to withdraw enough cash ahead of time.

💰 What currency do they use here?

The currency here is Lao kip. The symbol is ₭ or LAK.

🏧 Which ATM’s can I use for free?

The bunq community hasn't reported reported any free ATM's here yet. If you find one, help other bunqers by sharing it here!

💵 If I want cash, how much should I take out of an ATM?

1 500 000 LAK should be enough for a few days.

💳 Should I choose local currency or Euros when paying?

If you're asked to choose between local currency and Euros, always choose local currency.

That way bunq does the conversion for you, and you get to take advantage of the best rates with bunq ZeroFX.


Staying connected

📱 Can I roam, or should I get a local SIM?

Most EU mobile plans will charge you for roaming.

Wifi is readily available, especially in coffee shops.

If you want to get a local SIM card, you can learn about your options here.


Useful things to know

💁‍♀️ How does tipping work?

The service fee is usually charged to your bill at hotels and restaurants. There's no need to tip on top of that.

🍺 How much does a 0.5L beer cost?

€1,00

🍽 How much does an average meal cost?

€2,00

🚨 What’s the emergency number?

There are different numbers for the different services here.

  • 🚓 Police: 191
  • 🚑 Ambulance: 195
  • 🚒 Fire: 190

🔌 What type of plug do they use?

This one! It’s the standard European plug.

🚗 What side of the road do they drive on?

They drive on the right side of the road here.

🗺 How do I navigate my way around?

Google and Apple Maps both work well here.

Otherwise, we recommend Rome2Rio as the best way to find out how to get anywhere. It even tells you the cost of each option. 🙌

👀 Any other good tips?

Take a boat ride through the Kong Lor Cave. Lit only by headlamps!


If you've been to Laos 🇱🇦 share your experience! The following would be really useful for other bunqers to know:

  • Which ATMs are free to use?
  • What card should I use and where?
  • Any other info you think may be useful.

Share your experience with us in the comments below! 🌈 👇

    a month later

    LAO Development bank rekent tot nu toe 2 procent bij een opname van 1.500.000 en BCEL 1.5 procent

      3 years later

      Hi! I am in Laos and I have tried to withdraw cash from five different ATMs with my Bunq travel card, none of them works! I will have to find another solution like finding someone who Banks at another bank, or I will have to leave the country. Any suggestions?

        @Friso-Blue-Dragon#270993 Do these ATMs show logo's of the card types they support? Because the Travelcard is a Mastercard.

          @Friso-Blue-Dragon#270993 Suggestions:

          1. Make sure that the ATM supports Mastercard. Use their ATM location search.
          2. Check your bunq app. Is the card active? Is the limit high enough? Are there any failed payment events visible? Maybe you can get more information here about why a withdrawal might've failed.
          3. Try an ATM from one of the banks that the user above you mentioned. (LDB or BCEL)
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