Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Laos that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
Hostel folks always told me to stick to BCEL or JDB ATMs for reliability. BCEL has 30,000 kip fee but 2 million kip withdrawal so that was good. JDB was also 30,000 kip for 2 million in one go. LaoViet Bank was the most expensive - like 4.5% of the transaction amount, so I avoided them altogether. Overall, never had a single issue with card compatibility but always keep a few thousand kip in cash for rural buses or food stalls, as digital’s still rare outside Vientiane.
Phongsavanh Bank charged me 20,000 kip for every 1 million withdrawn. BCEL, JDB, and BFL let me take out 2 million plus (30,000-40,000 kip fee), which is perfect for longer stays. Tipp: do your banking before weekends, as cash sometimes goes out at atms in smaller villages.
If you’re chasing the lowest possible fees, LDB has a 0 kip charge for european cards. I found BCEL super easy, especially in Vang Vieng, though each withdrawal had 30,000 kip fee and my UK Revolut worked every time. BFL was a bit steeper at 40,000 kip fee for a 2 million withdrawal. Best advice is to always max out the withdrawal limit to save on hiking back and forth.
Laos ATM fees are pretty high but there’s lots of choice-most banks like BCEL, LDB, and BFL. LDB was zero fees with my european Visa card. My friends from the US had to pay 40,000 kip at LDB. Machines always work in the main tourist zones like Vientiane and Luang Prabang. BCEL was good - like 30,000 kip fee for 2 million kip withdrawal. LaoViet had a 4.5% fee so I tried to avoid those unless I was stuck.
Indochina Bank ATM in Laos accepts only Visa and charges more than other banks. Use alternatives if possible.
High fees at Indochina ATM in Laos. Only Visa cards work - not ideal for all travelers.
Tried three different cards at LDB and none of them worked.
Flat fee of 20,000 LAK at Laoviet Bank, no matter how much you withdraw. Fair and transparent.