VIENTIANE -- It is only an ATM, but it might as well be an alien spacecraft that crash-landed in central Vientiane. People still do not know what to make of the country's first ATM, despite the fact that it was installed three months ago.
In keeping with Laos' deserved reputation as one of the friendliest countries on Earth, the machine has a sign outside saying "Welcome to BCEL's ATM." BCEL (Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao, the country's largest state bank) has even built what looks like a weatherproof telephone box to house the ATM. "We want to keep the dust and rain off," explains BCEL staff member Phetsamone Somsana.
Phetsamone's job is to issue the country's first ATM cards to customers -- but she is hardly rushed off her feet. So far, fewer than 300 customers have signed up for one; bank staff say that so far there have been 20 to 30 transactions a day. And many of those are by bank staff.