Money from Lao PDR

I was attending the 1st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Women and other related meetings in Lao PDR last week. It was my first trip there and I was very much looking forward to the meetings. Obviously the Lao currency was on the top of things I wanted to get from Vientiane.

I had a number of Lao currency notes before. Actually I didn't know there were Laotian. I was thinking there were Cambodians. Anyway, I managed to get a whole set of current currency as well as a few pieces of the older Lao money. I was quite surprised when the hotel told me about a new 100,000 Kip note which just came out a few months ago. Apparently the government wanted the Laotian to use more Lao money. Actually this is true. I only brought US Dollars and easily use that. When I went shopping, the Laotian sometimes give change in Thai Baht. The Thais feature strongly in Lao's economy. I managed to get myself this almost uncirculated 100,000 Kip note: