LAK black market rate on Oct 18, 2026: 22,556 per USD
On Sunday, October 18, 2026, the US dollar traded at about 22,556 LAK on Laos's parallel (black) market at the close of observations. The day opened at 22,547 LAK, reached a high of 22,656 and a low of 22,410, a trading range of 246 LAK (1.10%).
Across 288 observations, the average price to buy dollars was 22,558 LAK and the average price received when selling dollars was 22,844 LAK. Over the session the Lao Kip was broadly flat against the dollar (+0.04% from open to close).
Official rate vs black market rate on Oct 18, 2026
The official exchange rate published for Laos on this date was 22,314 LAK per USD. The parallel-market close of 22,556 LAK therefore implied a premium of +1.08% over the official rate — a narrow gap, indicating the two markets were close to converged.
How Oct 18, 2026 compares
Compared with the previous observed day (Oct 17, 2026, close 22,547 LAK), the rate moved +0.04%.
One week earlier (Oct 11, 2026) the close was 22,466 LAK, so the weekly change was +0.40%.
Thirty days earlier (Sep 18, 2026) the close was 22,420 LAK, a +0.61% move over the month.
How this daily figure is produced
ETCurrency samples Laos's USD/LAK parallel market throughout the day from peer-to-peer stablecoin order books and, where available, community submissions. Each sample is filtered for outliers and aggregated into a single buy and sell quote; the figures above are the first, highest, lowest and last of those aggregated quotes for Oct 18, 2026 (UTC).
USDT peer-to-peer prices closely track cash dollar prices in most parallel markets but are not identical to them: payment-method fees, merchant margins and local demand for stablecoins can all add a few tenths of a percent.
Frequently asked questions
- What was the dollar to Lao Kip black market rate on Oct 18, 2026?
- The USD to LAK parallel market rate closed at approximately 22,556 LAK per US dollar on Sunday, October 18, 2026, after trading between 22,410 and 22,656 LAK.
- How much did the LAK move against the dollar that day?
- From an open of 22,547 to a close of 22,556 LAK, the parallel rate moved +0.04% on Oct 18, 2026.
- What was the gap between the official and black market LAK rate on that date?
- The official rate was 22,314 LAK per USD versus a parallel close of 22,556 LAK, a premium of +1.08%.
- Was the LAK black market rate higher or lower than the day before?
- Higher: the previous observed close was 22,547 LAK on Oct 17, 2026, a change of +0.04%.
Figures are aggregated parallel-market observations for Laos in UTC and are indicative only; they are not a quote to trade. See the full USD → Lao Kip history or today's live rate.