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Bhutan

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Bhutan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Thimphu

Head of State

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck

Head of Government

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay

The pause on visa processing will begin on January 21, and will continue indefinitely. Photo: Reuters

United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

16 minutes ago

Singapore

Can Bhutan’s Singapore-inspired ‘mindfulness city’ lure its youth back?

16 Nov 2025 - 5:01PM

Extreme weather

Landslides and floods kill 70 in Nepal and India after torrential rains

6 Oct 2025 - 5:25PMvideocam

Art

An artist’s dream of a cultural renaissance in remote Bhutan

Asha Kama Wangdi is embarking on an ambitious project: a high-altitude sanctuary for local and international creatives.

28 Sep 2025 - 3:15PM

Asha Kama Wangdi at home in Kabjisa, a village in Bhutan’s Punakha district. Photo: Bibek Bhandari

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: from Hong Kong farmers to ‘aura farming’

We meet farmers weathering storms in Nam Chung, explore TikTok’s viral aura-boat craze, and taste Armenia’s reimagined traditions.

6 Oct 2025 - 10:52AM

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Explainer | Hong Kong tobacco control bill: will the measures help or hurt the city?

The Post breaks down how the bill’s passage will affect smokers and gauges where city stands with regional neighbours in restrictiveness.

13 Sep 2025 - 7:00PM

Trip Inspiration

8 sustainable getaways: are these the world’s most eco-friendly destinations?

Singapore, Copenhagen, Bhutan and others put the planet and local communities first.

25 Aug 2025 - 6:00PM

Sunbathers near the Royal Library in Copenhagen, beside a harbour that is clean enough to swim in. Photo: Getty Images

Locals' Guide

Insiders’ guide to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon

The tiny Himalayan kingdom has plenty to energise visitors after any number of breathtaking hikes.

13 Aug 2025 - 4:57PM

Diplomacy

Editorial | Transparency key to easing regional concerns over Tibet mega-dam

With delicate diplomatic handling, this ‘project of the century’ can build goodwill and help South Asia’s water-dependent economies.

29 Jul 2025 - 7:15AM

Diplomacy

Opinion | Are China, Pakistan, Bangladesh quietly planting region’s new framework?

Kunming trilateral meeting comes as India-Pakistan rivalry paralyses SAARC and Pakistan is frozen out of BIMSTEC, leaving a regional void.

18 Jul 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Under leader Muhammad Yunus, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on March 28, Bangladesh may be more willing to explore a multipolar regional engagement strategy. Photo: EPA-EFE / Xinhua

Tourism

Crypto kingdom: Bhutan goes all-in on bitcoin tourism

With over 1,000 vendors now accepting crypto payments, Bhutan is wagering on rapid adoption luring tech-savvy travellers and fuelling growth.

12 Jul 2025 - 4:30PM

Bhutan is the world’s first nation to unveil a countrywide, government-backed system enabling visitors to pay for virtually every aspect of their stay using digital currencies. Photo: Marcus Westberg

India

Beyond gold: India sees America’s bitcoin reserve – and eyes its own

While a ‘measured bitcoin strategy’ could boost India’s economic resilience, the country lacks a proper framework for cryptocurrencies, analysts say.

10 Jul 2025 - 7:00PM

Poverty

Opinion | Fallen world must ensure justice for future generations

The current negative cycle can only be addressed if we direct our energies towards promoting social and planetary well-being.

5 Jul 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

United Nations

Sex education with monks in Bhutan: 5 UN projects you likely didn’t know about

Think the United Nations is just about politics? These initiatives in health, safety and human rights might change your perspective.

23 Jun 2025 - 1:43PMvideocam

Buddhist monks take a hike in Bhutan in September 2022. Photo: Tim Pile

Nepal

Swiss Birch glacier collapse is a chilling warning to Asia

At-risk regions like the Himalayas would benefit from the early-warning system which averted mass casualties in Switzerland, experts say.

31 May 2025 - 3:31PMvideocam

A helicopter flies above debris and destroyed houses of the village of Blatten now submerged after the huge Birch glacier collapsed on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

The Philippines

Philippines’ nuclear advocacy faces reality check after statement recall

As Manila’s attempt to act as a middleman in nuclear disarmament falters, analysts question its ability to influence smaller nations.

26 Mar 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Human rights

Bhutan’s life sentences for political prisoners is illegal, UN says

The UN report noted that it was ‘discriminatory’ to single out members of a minority group for expressing political opinions.

21 Mar 2025 - 12:44PM

Asia elections

In a world of declining freedom, 1 South Asian nation stands out: report

Only one nation in South Asia was classified as ‘free’ in US democracy watchdog Freedom House’s latest report.

3 Mar 2025 - 10:02AM

A Bhutanese voter shows an indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote at a polling station in Thimphu during general elections in January 2024. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

Will Bali adopt Bhutan-style tax to deter ‘low-class foreign tourists’?

Officials are urged to look at tougher measures to ‘select’ tourists, such as Bhutan’s requirement for most travellers to pay a fixed daily charge.

22 Feb 2025 - 3:19PMvideocam

Nepal

Bhutan’s ‘mindfulness city’ angers displaced ethnic Nepalis

Bhutan’s plan for southern farmlands has sparked outrage among forced-out ethnic Nepalis, who say the megaproject would be on stolen land.

2 Dec 2024 - 8:02AM

Music

Ed Sheeran to make history with concert in Bhutan

The Himalayan kingdom welcomes the superstar British musician to Thimphu for a concert in January 2025, with tickets starting at US$10.

29 Nov 2024 - 10:06PM

Ed Sheeran performing in Wellington, New Zealand. He will become the first Western superstar to hold a concert in Bhutan when he performs there in January 2025. Photo: handout

Investing

Bhutan aims to sell Southeast Asia on its 21-year ‘mindfulness city’ project

The tiny Himalayan kingdom is looking to raise US$100 million to get its planned special administrative region off the ground.

12 Nov 2024 - 9:39AM

A Bhutanese man looks out over mountains in the South Asian nation. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

What is Bhutan’s authentic food like? Tourists rarely taste it

The Bhutanese like lots of cheese and chillies in their food, such as in ema datshi, but many restaurants tone down flavours for tourists.

22 Sep 2024 - 6:27PMvideocam

Asian cinema

Review | The Monk and the Gun, Bhutanese political satire, is a triumph

The Monk and the Gun is a witty Bhutanese political satire about the kingdom’s move towards democracy in the wake of the king’s announcement that he is abdicating.

21 Aug 2024 - 6:15PMvideocam

Bangladesh

Opinion | Can democracy in South Asia withstand US-China rivalry?

From rising authoritarianism to political instability, unrest throughout the region has intensified alongside shifting alliances.

10 Aug 2024 - 5:59AMvideocam

Climate change

Opinion | Urgent action needed to save Hindu Kush Himalaya, world’s ‘water tower’

Low snow levels and an alarming glacial melt rate amid an Asian heatwave underline the need for countries to collaborate in climate action.

30 Jun 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

The Hindu Kush Himalaya is one of the greatest mountain systems in the world, covering 4.2 million sq km across eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Photo: EPA-EFE / ICIMOD

Asia travel

Aman, Como, Six Senses and more – the best luxury resorts in Bhutan

How many other countries have five Aman resorts but no McDonald’s? We travel around Bhutan to find the best luxury accommodation in all the main tourist centres in the Himalayan kingdom.

5 May 2024 - 11:31AM

Nepal

Ethnic Nepali prisoners in Bhutan await justice after decades behind bars

At least dozens of political prisoners are still being held in Bhutan’s jails, according to human rights organisations.

19 Apr 2024 - 1:30PM

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Bhutan

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

Can Bhutan’s Singapore-inspired ‘mindfulness city’ lure its youth back?

Landslides and floods kill 70 in Nepal and India after torrential rains

An artist’s dream of a cultural renaissance in remote Bhutan

Asha Kama Wangdi is embarking on an ambitious project: a high-altitude sanctuary for local and international creatives.

This week in PostMag: from Hong Kong farmers to ‘aura farming’

We meet farmers weathering storms in Nam Chung, explore TikTok’s viral aura-boat craze, and taste Armenia’s reimagined traditions.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | Hong Kong tobacco control bill: will the measures help or hurt the city?

The Post breaks down how the bill’s passage will affect smokers and gauges where city stands with regional neighbours in restrictiveness.

8 sustainable getaways: are these the world’s most eco-friendly destinations?

Singapore, Copenhagen, Bhutan and others put the planet and local communities first.

Insiders’ guide to Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon

The tiny Himalayan kingdom has plenty to energise visitors after any number of breathtaking hikes.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Transparency key to easing regional concerns over Tibet mega-dam

With delicate diplomatic handling, this ‘project of the century’ can build goodwill and help South Asia’s water-dependent economies.

Opinion | Are China, Pakistan, Bangladesh quietly planting region’s new framework?

Kunming trilateral meeting comes as India-Pakistan rivalry paralyses SAARC and Pakistan is frozen out of BIMSTEC, leaving a regional void.

Crypto kingdom: Bhutan goes all-in on bitcoin tourism

With over 1,000 vendors now accepting crypto payments, Bhutan is wagering on rapid adoption luring tech-savvy travellers and fuelling growth.

Beyond gold: India sees America’s bitcoin reserve – and eyes its own

While a ‘measured bitcoin strategy’ could boost India’s economic resilience, the country lacks a proper framework for cryptocurrencies, analysts say.

Opinion | Fallen world must ensure justice for future generations

The current negative cycle can only be addressed if we direct our energies towards promoting social and planetary well-being.

Sex education with monks in Bhutan: 5 UN projects you likely didn’t know about

Think the United Nations is just about politics? These initiatives in health, safety and human rights might change your perspective.

Swiss Birch glacier collapse is a chilling warning to Asia

At-risk regions like the Himalayas would benefit from the early-warning system which averted mass casualties in Switzerland, experts say.

Philippines’ nuclear advocacy faces reality check after statement recall

As Manila’s attempt to act as a middleman in nuclear disarmament falters, analysts question its ability to influence smaller nations.

Bhutan’s life sentences for political prisoners is illegal, UN says

The UN report noted that it was ‘discriminatory’ to single out members of a minority group for expressing political opinions.

In a world of declining freedom, 1 South Asian nation stands out: report

Only one nation in South Asia was classified as ‘free’ in US democracy watchdog Freedom House’s latest report.

Will Bali adopt Bhutan-style tax to deter ‘low-class foreign tourists’?

Officials are urged to look at tougher measures to ‘select’ tourists, such as Bhutan’s requirement for most travellers to pay a fixed daily charge.

Bhutan’s ‘mindfulness city’ angers displaced ethnic Nepalis

Bhutan’s plan for southern farmlands has sparked outrage among forced-out ethnic Nepalis, who say the megaproject would be on stolen land.

Ed Sheeran to make history with concert in Bhutan

The Himalayan kingdom welcomes the superstar British musician to Thimphu for a concert in January 2025, with tickets starting at US$10.

Bhutan aims to sell Southeast Asia on its 21-year ‘mindfulness city’ project

The tiny Himalayan kingdom is looking to raise US$100 million to get its planned special administrative region off the ground.

What is Bhutan’s authentic food like? Tourists rarely taste it

The Bhutanese like lots of cheese and chillies in their food, such as in ema datshi, but many restaurants tone down flavours for tourists.

Review | The Monk and the Gun, Bhutanese political satire, is a triumph

The Monk and the Gun is a witty Bhutanese political satire about the kingdom’s move towards democracy in the wake of the king’s announcement that he is abdicating.

Opinion | Can democracy in South Asia withstand US-China rivalry?

From rising authoritarianism to political instability, unrest throughout the region has intensified alongside shifting alliances.

Opinion | Urgent action needed to save Hindu Kush Himalaya, world’s ‘water tower’

Low snow levels and an alarming glacial melt rate amid an Asian heatwave underline the need for countries to collaborate in climate action.

Aman, Como, Six Senses and more – the best luxury resorts in Bhutan

How many other countries have five Aman resorts but no McDonald’s? We travel around Bhutan to find the best luxury accommodation in all the main tourist centres in the Himalayan kingdom.

Ethnic Nepali prisoners in Bhutan await justice after decades behind bars

At least dozens of political prisoners are still being held in Bhutan’s jails, according to human rights organisations.

Explainer | Hong Kong tobacco control bill: will the measures help or hurt the city?

Editorial | Transparency key to easing regional concerns over Tibet mega-dam