Country Money

The currency of Laos is the Kip. The Kip is not freely convertable, which means that you can't get it outside of Laos, and any you leave with can't be exchanged.

The Kip is not very stable, but fluctuates widely around the 10,000 Kip per US$1 mark. For the purposes of this guide, we've shown approximate rates using this figure.

Thai unit of currency is the baht. One hundred satang equals 1 baht. Paper money is made in amounts of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht. Coins are 1, 5 and 10 baht pieces and also 25 and 50 satang. The king's face is pictured on the front of every coin and every bill. At the moment, it's about 42 baht per 1 US. dollar.


1000 Baht (front):

The portrait of H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the reigning monarch, in the uniform of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces

Size: width 8 cm ; length 16.6 cm

The official currency in Vietnam is Dong. The Dong is non-convertible and at the time of writing trades at approximately 16,700 to USD1. The U S dollar, preferably crisp clean bills, is widely accepted among major shops and restaurants. Travelers checks can be cashed at authorized foreign exchange outlets and banks and require presentation of passport . There is normally a 2 to 5 percent transaction fee for cashing Travelers checks. Visa and Master card are becoming more accepted in many of the bigger hotels and restaurants, especially in the larger cities.

The Zloty is the currency of Poland. Notes and coins of the following denominations are in circulation:

Coins
1, 2 and 5 zloty and denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 groszy.

Notes
The PLN appears in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 zloty.

Russian Money
Rubles come in various colours and degrees of authenticity. Currently there are large green 5's, olive-green 10's, blue 50's, red-brown 100's, and pinkish 500-ruble notes. Also, there are coins of one, five, 10, and 50 kopecks (100 kopecks are equal to 1 ruble).