r/bhutan

Weirdly, several college presidents have stepped down ( or asked to step down?). I am not defending that they are excellent leaders, I dont even know if colleges in bhutan are functional tbh, courses are terminated, lecturers are recruited, courses are re-established, but to see so many college presidents go out of their position is a conundrum.

p.s: Well, not all presidents are out; we still have a few, except they wear suits.

I’m looking for recommendations for tattoo artists in Bhutan who specialize in fine-line tattoos. If you’ve had a good experience or know of any talented, reputable, and hygienic artists, I’d really appreciate your suggestions.

There is a question worth asking about Gelephu Mindfulness City that has not yet been asked seriously in Bhutanese public conversation, and it is not whether the project will succeed or whether it will fail, but whether the site itself was chosen correctly, because almost every discussion of GMC accepts the site as given and then debates the design, the financing, the tenants, the timeline, and that order of inquiry is backwards since the site determines everything else, and once the airport is built, the rail line laid, and the city poured in concrete, the site becomes the one variable that can never be revised, so it deserves to be examined now, before the foundation closes, with the kind of honesty we owe the country we will leave to our grandchildren. The official explanations for why Gelephu was chosen are several, and they are repeated often enough that most Bhutanese have absorbed them without examining them, beginning with the claim that the terrain is flat and therefore accommodates a longer runway capable of handling larger aircraft than Paro, whose 2264-meter strip at 2,235 meters of elevation, restricted to visual flight rules and daylight hours, capped at the A320Neo class, has always been the binding constraint on the country's aviation future, and this is true as a statement about Paro but entirely beside the point as a justification for Gelephu, because the relevant comparison is not Paro versus Gelephu but interior versus frontier, and the Bumthang region formed by Chumey, Jakar, and Ura, with valley elevations ranging from roughly 2,600 to 3,100 meters, offers similar wider and longer runway corridors than the Paro valley, with usable straight-line approaches available without bridging a single river, while the high-altitude concern that thinner air requires longer runways for lift is real and routinely solved at airports far higher than Bumthang would be, with Lhasa operating at 3,570 meters and handling wide-body jets, Cusco operating at 3,310 meters and serving roughly three million passengers a year on the strength of its sacred-geography brand, which is precisely the brand GMC is attempting to manufacture for itself, and El Alto in La Paz operating at 4,061 meters and Quito at 2,400 meters with full international wide-body service, which means Bumthang at the upper end of its elevation sits in the most operationally proven altitude band in global aviation, and the altitude argument is therefore not an argument against an interior site but an argument for slightly more runway. The second explanation is that proximity to India enables rail and road connectivity, since Bhutan is landlocked and dependent on its southern neighbor for the transit of goods, and this is also true and also beside the point, because a landlocked country with only two neighbors will receive its imports through one of them regardless of where it builds its cities, and the question is not whether the connectivity passes through India but whether the entire economic spine of the country is placed within easy administrative reach of Indian state governments or placed in the interior with a buffer of sovereign territory between the new economic hub and the international border, and a Bumthang-sited project would still depend on Indian transit for its inputs, because there is no alternative, but those inputs would arrive after a journey through Bhutanese roads, under Bhutanese regulatory control, with the strategic depth that any serious country builds into the placement of its critical infrastructure, which is the most basic concept in national planning and the one concept the official rationale for Gelephu does not contain. The third explanation, offered personally and publicly by His Majesty in his statement that the airport is "essential for the success of the GMC as a business hub, and it is also a critical lifeline for Bhutan's national security, especially for a landlocked country," requires more scrutiny than it has received, because a lowland airport flush against the most strategically contested border region in the eastern Himalayas, dependent on Indian air traffic control coordination for every commercial arrival, is by any standard reading of the term a strategic exposure rather than a strategic lifeline, and to call it a lifeline is to use the word in a way that only makes sense if the threat being hedged against is not primarily external, a possibility worth holding open in our minds even if we do not say it out loud, because the country deserves leaders whose strategic vocabulary survives translation into plain Dzongkha. The fourth explanation is that Gelephu relieves capacity pressure on Paro, and this is true and irrelevant, because relieving Paro requires a second airport somewhere, not a second airport specifically in the south, and the existing Bathpalathang airstrip at Bumthang already serves ATR operations and sits in terrain that could be upgraded to international standard with the same World Bank ACCESS funding of three hundred million dollars and the same ADB master-plan framework currently being directed to Gelephu, and an upgraded Bumthang would give the country what it actually needs, which is two-airport redundancy distributed across the interior rather than one fortified airport in the heartland at Paro and one exposed airport on the southern frontier. The fifth explanation, usually whispered rather than printed in glossy documents, is that Gelephu is the natural southern gateway for visitors from India, the Gulf, and Southeast Asia, and this assumes that GMC's customers will primarily be tourists and traders flowing in from the south, which is true only if we have already conceded that the project is fundamentally an extension of the Indian hinterland rather than a hub serving global capital, because the kind of investor GMC claims to court does not connect through Bagdogra on a turboprop but flies private and direct from Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Zurich to wherever the destination is, and if the destination is the Himalayas and the spiritual landscape of Vajrayana Buddhism, they would prefer to land in the Himalayas and the spiritual landscape of Vajrayana Buddhism rather than in a malarial plain they specifically flew over Mumbai and Kolkata to escape. Each of these five official rationales fails on its own terms when examined carefully, with the flat terrain argument true of Bumthang as well, the India proximity argument confusing dependence with strategy, the national security argument inverting the meaning of security, the Paro relief argument not requiring Gelephu specifically, and the southern gateway argument assuming a customer base inconsistent with the project's own marketing, and once all five are stripped away the residual question is why this site, and the residual answer is one the official explanations are not equipped to give, which is that the site was selected to serve interests not fully aligned with the country's long-term strategic insulation, whether those interests are the throne's understandable desire to forestall future political configurations it does not trust, the institutional reflexes of a planning system that has internalized Indian preferences without being asked, or some combination of the two or simply that the southern polity can be molded easier than the hinterlands, and the result is the same, because Bhutan is building its largest single piece of strategic infrastructure on the patch of land least defensible by topography, most exposed to atmospheric degradation as the Indian northeast industrializes with Numaligarh refinery expansion and the thermal capacity additions at Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar, and most thoroughly woven into a neighbor's logistical and regulatory grid, which is not a planning conclusion arrived at through honest deliberation but a planning conclusion arrived at after the answer was already decided. The Bumthang case is not a romantic case but a practical one, because the sacred geography is already there and requires no manufacturing, with Kurjey holding the body imprint left by Guru Rinpoche when he subdued Shelging Karpo, Jambay counted among the seventh-century temples of Songtsen Gampo's geomantic mapping of the Himalayas, Tamzhing founded by Pema Lingpa in the sixteenth century, Membartsho where the same terton pulled treasures from the burning lake, and Tharpaling, Konchogsum, and Ugyen Choling completing a sacred-landscape density unmatched anywhere else in the country, while the valley is wide enough, the air is clean, the elevation insulates against the airshed that the Brahmaputra valley will become over the next generation as the Numaligarh capacity ramps and the cement, steel, and brick-kiln belt of Assam builds out, and the cold is the standard objection and the weakest one, because Davos at sixteen hundred meters convenes the most consequential gathering of global capital on earth every January without anyone proposing to relocate the Alps, and Aspen, St. Moritz, Zermatt, and Gstaad are all colder in winter than Bumthang and attract serious capital anyway, because what serious capital is buying at altitude is altitude, insulation, and credibility, and Bumthang offers all three while Gelephu offers none. A country is more than its monarch, and a citizen's first loyalty is to the country and to the generations who will inherit it, which is not a comfortable thing to say in Bhutanese public conversation without being branded a ngolop, where loyalty to the throne and loyalty to the nation are often spoken of as if they were the same loyalty, when they are not the same loyalty, and pretending they are does not serve either of them well, because a throne that chooses a site for the country's largest infrastructure project on the basis of considerations the country has not been allowed to debate is a throne that has confused its own preferences with the national interest, and it is the citizen's responsibility, gently but plainly, to point this out before the concrete sets, because there is still time to ask the question properly, since the runway at Gelephu has been broken ground but not built fully, the Kokrajhar-Gelephu rail line is not scheduled to begin construction until a bit later, and the investments from Singapore and Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora that the project courts have not yet committed at the scale that would make reversal impossible, so a serious national conversation about whether the site itself is correct is still a conversation we can have if we are willing to have it, and the alternative is to accept that the most consequential planning decision of our generation was made without our examination and to discover thirty years from now, when the foothills are choking on Assam and Bengal's exhaust and the new city is operating at the discretion of an Indian state government we did not choose, that the question we should have asked was the one we were too polite to put on the table, because the country comes first, and that is the only principle from which this question can honestly be asked, and the only principle from which it should be answered. Pelden Drukpa Gyalo!

Growing up, I always believed that if you worked hard, stayed honest, and did your job well, you’d eventually be recognized. Then I watched my mom work at BDBL. For years, she’d come home exhausted, not because the work itself was difficult, but because she was constantly cleaning up after other people. Projects would land on her desk because she was known as someone who could actually get them done. She’d spend days or weeks making sure everything was completed properly.
Then, when it was time to present the work…
Suddenly it became, “I did this.” Funny how the “we” disappears when the credit arrives. Under the previous CEO, one incident still sticks with me. My mom and several others were on probation, meaning no salary increment and no promotion. Those were the rules. Except… apparently rules aren’t really rules when you know the right people. One employee, despite reportedly still having years left under the same probation, was promoted anyway.
So I guess probation is less of a policy and more of a suggestion. Fast forward to today. There’s a new CEO, and while things may be different, many employees still feel the culture hasn’t changed enough. Instead of fixing systemic problems, some of the most capable staff seem to end up carrying the heaviest workloads. My mom is now juggling multiple major projects at the same time. Maybe it’s poor planning. Maybe it’s simply the expectation that the reliable people will always pick up the slack.
Either way, when one person is expected to do the work of several, failure becomes much easier to manufacture than success. The saddest part is watching someone who has dedicated years of honest work slowly lose faith in the institution they serve. And before anyone says, “That’s just how offices work,” let’s stop normalizing it. Favoritism isn’t leadership. Taking credit for your team’s work isn’t leadership. Rewarding connections over competence isn’t leadership. Burning out your most dependable employees isn’t leadership. BDBL is an institution that many Bhutanese depend on. The people working there deserve a culture where integrity isn’t just a word in the mission statement.
Maybe my mom’s experience is an exception.
Or maybe there are many other families in Bhutan having the exact same conversations over dinner.
The part that saddens me the most is that my mom never had to sit me down and explain any of this.
I picked up on it as a kid. I saw the stress in her face when she came home. I saw the late nights. I heard the phone calls. I watched her spend weekends working because someone else’s responsibility had somehow become hers. Children notice more than adults think. I didn’t learn about office politics from the news or social media. I learned it by watching my own mother slowly become exhausted by a system that seemed to reward connections more readily than contribution. No child should grow up thinking that’s just how the working world is supposed to be.

How hard is it to really get into universities abroad? I'm taking bio and I want to go aboard for universities. Recommend me some universities where the fees is doable, instances where scholarship is given(not by Bhutan government), and a place where basically you can balance studies with self-improvement like gym and hobbies. Any kind of insights related to this would be highly helpful and appreciated. Thank you!

Hello fellow chharos and those with experience , could you plss advise me...am a recent graduate nurse in BSc nursing and after graduating am confused and stuck.. whether I shoukd work here in Bhutana s nurse or go overseas to pursue higher studies..which would be better la🥺?

Would highly recommend you guys checking out the comments twisting the Bhutanese history on this subreddit. I expected people who were speaking about the Ethnic cleaning to be actually knowledgeable but I assumed wrong

The increasing number of talented young Bhutanese leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad is a matter of serious national concern. Given Bhutan’s already small population, a declining birth rate coupled with the continued outmigration of our youth poses significant long-term challenges to our economic growth, social development, and national resilience.

To address this issue effectively, the government must look beyond the symptoms and examine the underlying reasons why so many young people are choosing to leave. Even children from wealthy families are joining the exodus. While economic opportunities are undoubtedly an important factor, they are not the only one. The quality of governance including fairness, accountability, the efficiency of public institutions, and public confidence in the system also plays a crucial role in shaping whether people believe they have a future in Bhutan.

I would like to focus on one of these underlying issues: the need for fairness and accountability in the relationship between government institutions and citizens.

Accountability Must Be Mutual

The Ministry of Labour requires Bhutanese building owners to hire Bhutanese plumbers and electricians. Those who employ Indian plumbers or electricians are subject to substantial fines.

The objective of this policy to create employment opportunities for Bhutanese workers is understandable and commendable. However, its implementation has created significant difficulties for some property owners.

In one case, a person constructing a building in Thimphu complained to the Ministry that the Bhutanese plumber recommended under the policy had damaged the building’s plumbing system due to a lack of competence. The Ministry responded by recommending another plumber, but the replacement reportedly caused even greater damage.

Despite these losses, the Ministry neither accepted responsibility nor provided compensation. Consequently, the entire financial burden fell on the building owner.

If the government mandates the use of specific workers and penalizes citizens for seeking alternatives, it also has a responsibility to ensure that those workers meet acceptable professional standards. There must be mechanisms for accountability and compensation when negligence or incompetence causes financial loss. Otherwise, it is ordinary citizens who bear the consequences of government policy.

Accountability Should Apply to Government Agencies

A similar issue arises in the delivery of public services.

Recently, an individual visited the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority (BCTA) to renew a vehicle registration. Because the renewal was overdue, the person was required to pay a penalty. After making the payment, however, BCTA’s computer system failed, and all applicants were instructed to return another day when the system became operational.

The irony is striking. Citizens are penalized when they fail to renew their registrations on time, yet when the government’s own system fails, there are no consequences for the agency responsible. Instead, members of the public must make repeated trips, losing valuable time and incurring additional travel expenses. Once again, it is ordinary citizens who pay the price for administrative failures.

Fairness Must Be a Two-Way Street

The same imbalance can be seen in the actions of Thimphu Thromde.

Property owners are regularly warned or fined for failing to comply with municipal regulations. In one instance, a building owner received a warning threatening financial penalties if drainage water from the property was not properly connected to the main drainage system.

However, when a sewer line maintained by Thimphu Thromde overflowed and flooded private property, the affected owners reported the problem to the authorities. They were informed that Thromde did not have the budget to maintain sewer line.

This raises an important question of fairness.

When citizens fail to meet their obligations, they are fined. When a government agency fails to maintain public infrastructure and causes damage to private property, the explanation is simply that there is no budget. While budget constraints are a genuine challenge, they should not exempt public institutions from responsibility for the consequences of their failures.

Government agencies should be held to standards of accountability comparable to those expected of citizens. If individuals are required to comply with the law and bear the consequences of non-compliance, public institutions should likewise accept responsibility when their actions or inaction cause harm.

Building Trust to Retain Our Youth

A troubling pattern has emerged in our system. Individuals are penalized when they fail to meet their obligations, while government agencies often face little or no accountability when they fail to fulfill theirs. This imbalance is fundamentally unfair and gradually erodes public trust.

If the government is genuinely committed to reversing the migration of young and talented Bhutanese, it must address these systemic issues with urgency. People do not leave their country solely in search of higher incomes. Many leave because they become discouraged by a system in which accountability appears one-sided and ordinary citizens feel they are expected to shoulder the consequences of institutional failures.

Retaining our young people requires more than creating jobs or increasing salaries. It also requires building confidence in our institutions. Young Bhutanese need to believe that they will be treated fairly, that government agencies are accountable for their actions, and that the rule of law applies equally to everyone.

A nation that is fair and accountable inspires confidence. A nation that inspires confidence gives its young people a reason to stay, contribute, and build their future at home. If Bhutan is serious about reversing the outmigration of its youth, strengthening fairness and accountability within our public institutions must be an essential part of the solution.

When citizens see that both individuals and government institutions are held to the same standards of responsibility, confidence in the system grows. That confidence is essential if Bhutan is to persuade its young people that their future lies at home.

hello all , I am trying to cook ema datshi today and I am confused about which kind of cheese to buy ? currently based in europe

We often hear that children owe their parents for all the sacrifices they made. But that idea raises a deeper question, can someone owe a debt for a life they never chose? No child asks to be born. The decision to bring a child into the world belongs to the parents, and with that choice comes the responsibility to nurture, love, and care for them. Gratitude may grow naturally, but it loses its meaning when it is demanded as repayment for a choice the child never made. Share your thoughts please.

I am pretty sure everyone saw the oro betting/prediction app by now. Kind of crazy how since it's ROM and DK bank they can even do a betting app when it explicitly states in our constitution that gambling is not allowed. and they wonder why the youth are leaving for Australia. If it was a young person who started it, they probably woculdn’t have allowed lol. anyway gg. we can talk about it for a week and forget it like all our social issues(:

I am an ex-student of the institute. I am willing to share my experiences, doubts and debunk myths ( as far as I know and experienced during my 6 years). If you have questions feel free to ask.

hi everyone! i live in gelephu and i’ve been exploring the area for a while now but I feel like I’m running out of places to visit.
If you know any underrated spots, hidden gems, restaurants,cafés or just anywhere nice to spend please let me know la

So I'm a Bhutanese citizen in the UK. I've already turned 18 however I'm a student in year 12 (class11 equivalent). Ive registered for gyalsung and I'm aware that I gotta defer it.

I know that the deferment window only opens after July 30 and that it'll state all the necessary information and documents I need from my school in order to request deferment. However, it'll be the summer holidays (about a month long) before then and no one's gonna be at my school and be able to provide me with those stuff. So I need the necessary stuff before my schools adminstration closes.

I've searched it up and looked at websites but I can't find anything on what exactly I need from my current school in order to defer. I asked AI different times, and I'm still unclear on what exact content should be included on the concern letter I need from my school.

I've texted the gyalsung WhatsApp help line explaining my situation and they've replied saying 'get a concern letter' 😭😭💔 SIGH not very helpful

Can anyone help me with this

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I've heard that Bhutanese physiotherapy students studying in India are no longer being allowed to complete their compulsory internship in Bhutanese hospitals.

Can anyone confirm if this is true? Has there been an official notification or policy change? If so, where can I find it, and what are students expected to do instead?

If you're currently affected or have reliable information, I'd really appreciate it if you could share your experience. Thanks!