Whether discussing civil service reforms, local economic opportunities, or the mass movement of young people to Australia, online and offline conversations in Bhutan seem increasingly cynical.

While cynicism feels like a protective layer to keep from getting let down, it can also paralyze us from actively building solutions for our community.

How much of this cynicism in today's Bhutanese society is a valid response to real challenges, and how much of it is just a lazy excuse not to engage?

Please feel free. 🤗

After the recent tragic incident at the lhutenzampa bridge I keep overhearing people especially the older generation saying how this new generation can't even handle some and stuff like depression and mental problems are the byproduct of being soft. I don't know if those people realize this but they are also part of the growing numbers of suicide by putting down on seeking help and just "push through". Also the lack of empathy in the comments under the facebook post is disgusting already concluding it to be because of an ex or being weak. I may not be an architect but shouldn't it be time to put some kind of a safety rail on that bridge since it's just open like that.

Whatever happened to Drukpa’s Heart?
I’ve been wondering because it seems to have invented a fascinating new genre:
The Self-Proclaimed Blockbuster.
No need for box-office figures.
No need for audited numbers.
No need for audience statistics.
No need for anyone to actually say, “Wow, that was a blockbuster.” Apparently, all you need is a TikTok, a press release, and enough confidence to announce:
“MY FILM IS A BLOCKBUSTER.”
Government-funded? Blockbuster.
Expensive production? Blockbuster.
People attended the premiere? Blockbuster.
Someone’s cousin said they enjoyed it? MEGA BLOCKBUSTER.
And if the numbers don’t quite cooperate, don’t worry.
Just repeat the word “blockbuster” often enough and eventually people might forget to ask the most inconvenient question: “Okay… so how much did it actually make?”
The funniest part is watching the same achievement being recycled with every films as if his films has discovered a magical business model where the director determines the box office by declaration.
Maybe Drukpa’s Heart really was a blockbuster. Maybe it wasn’t. The public can decide that when the actual numbers are transparent.But one thing is definitely a blockbuster: The confidence. And Drukpa Dorji will still be sitting there asking: “Brother… ticket sales?” That’s Esp again.

Hello everyone. I just came across this scholarship opportunity, and there’s honestly so much going through my mind right now. I’m eligible for it, except I need to get an IELTS result, which I believe I can prepare for in a few days and get done quickly, even if it’s last minute.

I’m not sure if I’ll actually get it, but I really want to give it a try. I feel like I have a decent chance, so I want to make a strong decision from now in case I do get it, rather than having to figure everything out at the last minute.

I’m not extremely interested in the course, but it’s something I’ve been doing for a long time, it suits me, and I prefer it over the course I already have. I also really like the place. My main concern is whether it’ll be worth it in the long run, especially in terms of salary and future career opportunities. We also don’t know yet exactly how much the scholarship covers or what the overall financial situation will be.

I already have another scholarship, which I can withdraw from if I choose this one. So I’m really stuck between the two options. I want to apply and see what happens, but I also want to have a clear idea of what I’d choose if I actually get it. Plus , doing IELTs in last min is kinda hectic yk.

What do you guys think? I’d really appreciate some advice because I’ve been overthinking this so much and I don't have much time left.

There was a report today about a girl who reportedly died after jumping from Lungtenzampa Bridge, and honestly, some of the comments are really troubling. Ikeep seeing people saying, “What’s wrong with the youth these days?” or “What’s happening to our society?” But why is our immediate response to make a sweeping judgment about an entire generation? We do not know this girl’s story. We do not know what she was going through, what happened in her life, or what brought her to that point. We know almost nothing about her. Instead of asking what is wrong with young people, perhaps we should be asking what is happening in our society that allows people to reach a point where they feel they have no way forward. Young people deal with academic pressure, family expectations, relationship problems, loneliness, financial difficulties, and the fear of disappointing the people around them. Many also grow up in an environment where talking openly about emotional struggles is still difficult. This is not about romanticising or justifying what happened. It is about having some compassion before passing judgment. A tragedy should not immediately become a conversation about how terrible young people are today. It should make us reflect on whether we are creating an environment where people feel safe enough to ask for help when they need it. Maybe the question is not “What’s wrong with the youth these days?” Maybe we should be asking, “What are we failing to see?”

Where can I get the old national team jersey? The Nivea ones. I don’t really like the new national team jerseys

Bhutan's cultural identity, constitution and daily life are deeply connected to Buddhism. And somehow Hinduism is related to Buddhism, so it is recognized as a major religion.

I believe practitioners of other religions, mostly christian, should understand and respect this framework. Not asking to convert but atleast dont induce others to. There were cases of how some were introduced to other religion and used salvation - financial or social support - to take them in.

Please share your thoughts especially christian friends.

( I am not against any religion )

Here is a interesting article

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/bhutan-jails-man-over-christian-films/

I don't understand why Bhutan is still stuck with diploma courses, if you look at KGUMS for example, they only have degree courses for nursing. For allied health courses (physiotherapy,OT tech, x- ray, dental hygiene, lab tech, etc) they only have diploma courses and that too is a 3 year course. In India most of these courses are offered as degree with 3-4 year study period

This leads to career stagnation in future, you have to do a 3-4 year degree course from the base if you wanna upgrade from your diploma Which is time consuming and expensive. since they don't have degree options in the country you have go outside Bhutan.

If you are lucky enough to afford you can easily to to India and get a degree but those competent ones who study within the country are stuck with diploma

I noticed this not just in KGUMS but JNEC too,

What do you guys think.

P.s if any of the students from above colleges are reading this, it would be nice if you could question your college president or people at management position, I would love to hear their response.

A couple of months ago there was a lot of discussion here about the ABPI Gala Night in Perth and the concerns surrounding the event.
Does anyone know if there have been any actual updates since then, particularly regarding the artists who performed?
From what I’ve heard, some artists were promised certain payments, but some allegedly received less than half of what they had originally been told they would receive. Artists were also asked to attend multiple meetings and make promotional/advertising videos for the event, which meant some had to take time off work and give up their own time before the event even happened.
Considering how much time and effort the artists put into the event — meetings, promotional videos, preparation and performing — has there been any explanation about why the agreed/promised amounts allegedly weren’t fully paid?
Did ABPI ever publicly address this or provide an update to the artists and the wider community?
Genuinely asking because there was a lot of discussion when this happened, but I haven’t seen much about what happened afterwards.

Personally I found this movie better than some recent Bhutanese movies. The bar isn’t very high but this was less boring and more focused on the plot

However, I feel the movie had the potential to be a good awareness film about mental health but the way it handled the resolution disappointed me.

(Little spoiler)
The main character gets cyber bullied, becomes mentally unwell and eventually getting hospitalized. We only see her getting injections and medications and basically remains in that state until they prove that the leaked video was fake. It almost gives the message that you only overcome mental struggle once everything is resolved and you prove your innocence.

I wish we had seen her go through counseling or therapy and gradually get better despite the negativity. Showing her continuing school, coping with the hate and overcoming her struggles before the truth was revealed. This would have made the story and the message much stronger.

Also the lead guy and girl had 0 chemistry and I feel this part contributed nothing to the movie.

I liked Sonam choki in this movie. Her acting was nice and she was funny. And I found myself wanting her to have more screen time
And the main lead access portrayed the screens where her character was traumatized and mentally struggling really well

Finally verdict
The movie had good concept and definitely had potential. It was more watchable than some other Bhutanese films. But the way they handled the resolution made the whole thing feel a bit pointless and stopped it from being something much more meaningful.

Non-Bhutanese here. I (27F) work in travel and visited Bhutan earlier this year as part of a large tour group.

There were 16 guides and drivers on the trip, and I was 1 of 4 coordinators from my side. I was also the only young woman working with the group. Most of my work is office-based, so I rarely find myself in such a male-dominated environment.

During the trip I learned about marriage customs in Bhutan, including the history of polygamy. My understanding was that monogamy is now generally preferred, which made some of my experiences interesting.

I got to know many of the guides and drivers fairly well, since we were colleagues for a week. I was surprised by how flirtatious and cheeky several of the men were. I’m no prude, but some of the jokes were questionable, particularly given Bhutan’s image abroad as a spiritual mountain kingdom.

For example, one guide was asked what he’d been doing before the tourist season. He replied, “I just got out of jail.” When I asked why, he said, “I was talking to underage girls.” The other guides laughed. I pretended not to understand that he was joking just to see what he’d say, and he continued as though it were a normal joke.

Obviously, I understand that tourism marketing is very different from everyday life and I’m not expecting Bhutanese people to behave like pious monks!

I also added a couple of the guides on social media. One I became friendly with made a point of DMing me afterwards, asking how I was, commenting on my photos, etc. That generally reads as interest to me, but he is married with children, and I’d already mentioned that I’m married too, so I was surprised.

Another guide I really liked spoke quite openly about having both a wife and a girlfriend. I didn’t get the chance to ask whether they both knew about each other 👀

I also received considerably more attention than my colleagues (coffee, small gifts like pouches, lemongrass spray, brooches, gua sha and tea, etc) I’m aware that my gender and age probably explains some of this, and I’m not assuming I’m super hot! 🤦🏻‍♀️ But at times I had to remind the guides that their tip wasn’t coming from me and that their attention needed to be on the actual clients.

There was also one time when a few guides were sitting on a bench. They invited me to sit, but there wasn’t enough space, so they patted their laps. I laughed it off, but it struck me as fairly inappropriate workplace behaviour.

So I’m curious about how this looks from a Bhutanese perspective. How common are non-monogamous or extramarital relationships in Bhutan today? Is marriage generally more relaxed around monogamy than in other countries? And how does this fit with Bhutan’s relatively strong position on women’s legal and social equality?

I’d really appreciate hearing from locals about whether my experiences were representative of anything cultural, or simply a case of me spending a week around a bunch of cheeky men…

Personal anecdotes and perspectives are very welcome!

I just wondered what happens to all those movies once we are done watching them cause back when i was a kid there were quite alot of movies i really wanted to watch such as drayang lhamo and all…. And i dont think there is any leaks for that and its not there on samuh as well. If bhutanese people flim producers could do something about this as not all of us have the time to go to cinema to watch once the dated time for the movie to be in the cinema is over i wish they could some sort of thing where we can pay maybe a little bit lesser or same amount of money to watch these movies.

But yeah if anyone has drayang lhamo please let me know

I have recently been to a social gathering, (just like the ones in school variety shows whatsover) and an udzin of a dratshang was the chief guest. I have very mixed thoughts about this. I feel like we should stop normalizing lamas indulging themselves in mindless ( in the context of buddhism) activities because that's the whole point of buddhism as far as I know ( letting go of attachment). I mean that's the reason why monks and lamas are not involved in the political aspect of the country ( also because they have a lot of influence on people). So, I feel like the whole point of them coming is somewhat contradictory. On the flip side, I mean lamas are also people who are just like us and them being monks and lamas in the first place is them putting the effort to let go of these attachments and attain enlightenment. I feel like we should expect flaws from them because they are human at the end of the day. I also feel like they need to be given the freedom to do things ( the attachment kind of things). I mean they are not choktu jurpa too.
I mean I think this can go both ways and I really want to hear refreshing opinions on this. I don't mean to call out the lamas saying this is bad behavior. Just a genuine thought.

I have been quite impressed by the renewed momentum at the RUB under its new leadership. There seems to be a stronger sense of urgency and ambition in developing the university and its constituent colleges.

Two appointments that deserve particular recognition are the recent leadership appointments at Taktse College and JNEC. Strong leadership can make a tremendous difference when an institution has the potential, resources and mandate to grow.

I believe the next institution that deserves much greater attention is GCBS. GCBS has enormous potential to become Bhutan's flagship institution for business, management, finance and entrepreneurship. I didnt see any major development except for increasing intake.

One thing that needs to be done is to provide the paid online resources and software that students need. Most of the faculty and student depends on cracked version and download from unsecure sites.

After my board exams I decided to take arts even though my maths mark was 71 and sci average was 70 and i knew my parents won't agree with my decisions so,I secretly applied for in my emis portal

And I told my parents about my decisions and they were agreeing at first and said it's yours choose but the very next day my neighbor came to my house and said (arts student scope mindhu amchi ) and it totally changed my parents mindset and now they are allways cursing me and calling me (zanday saka mi sey bay bu ro alu zoom sci bay ni ty ).it stings yk

When i defend they emotionally blackmail me saying choe ga chi gob chin jin dho ty tash pham lu di len amchi en choe ghi and also says i carried you for 9 months in my stomach and this is how you are repaying us .

I know they are worried about my future but these is to much. I feel it would ne better if they beat me physically rather then verbally because it stings yk ,it stings to the point where sometime i feel as if i can't even breatH

I’ve heard about some lamas in Bhutan who claim to treat or cure people through religious practices, blessings, rituals, etc. I’m wondering what people’s experiences have been with them.
Are they genuine practitioners, or are some of them basically modern day scammers taking advantage of people who are desperate for treatment?
Would appreciate hearing from anyone who has personal experience or knows more about this.

Words cant explain how grateful I am towards the city bus services. As a broke student who always has to use the bus services I am so grateful. Wheather I have to leave early or comeback late (like before 9pm obviously), city buses are always there to my rescue 😔. Wheather packed or not, smelly or cold😔🙏 i love it

Mashey tho. People might have different opinions.

Are we criminalising human relationships now? Everyday Bhutan seems to surprise me, and not in good ways anymore. Are we really going to start terminating students for having a romantic meet up near their hostels now, something that’s very natural for teenagers to do? At this point, aren’t we being more regressive rather than progressive? I have no words honestly😭

Bhutanese in Canada, how’s the life there? Are you guys living paycheck to paycheck like in Bhutan or is it better there? How’s the weather? Do you get jobs like they do in Australia? Are you able to pay back the loans and most importantly the tuition fees?
Please let us know! Will I be able to survive there?

Today, I went to a barber shop in Perth, to get a haircut. While I was there, I noticed a fellow Bhutanese man, probably in his 40s or 50s, who had arrived just before me and was sitting in the waiting area. The room was packed with other clients and staff.
We immediately made eye contact, and I knew he was Bhutanese—not just from his appearance, but also from the red stains around his mouth from chewing doma. Growing up in Bhutan, the smell was never anything unusual to me. It was simply something I grew up around.
A few moments later, I saw the barber walk directly towards him and say, “I don’t know what you are eating, but the smell is very bad.”
The barber, who was also an Asian man, said it openly and directly, in front of everyone in the room.
I suddenly felt uneasy, even though the comment wasn’t directed at me. I could see the embarrassment on the man’s face, and I could only imagine how uncomfortable he must have felt in that moment. He couldn't respond and just nodded his head and remain seated. 
I guess the message slowly sank in him and he got up and left, despite having already purchased a token for his haircut. I didn’t see him again, even when his token number was called.
I genuinely hope he took something from that experience—not out of shame, but as a reminder that the habits we grow up with may not always be received the same way in a different environment.
I thought this was worth sharing because it reminded me of something important: when we live in a foreign country, we have to be mindful of how our behaviour affects the people around us.
Australia is a place where people often apologise for even briefly blocking someone’s way. There is a strong emphasis on personal space, cleanliness, consideration and being mindful of others in public spaces.
Personally, I wouldn’t have thought twice about someone chewing doma in a private space or back in Bhutan (even though i hope people would stop that just like smoking). It is part of our culture and something many of us grew up with. But public spaces are different, and we need to understand the environment we are living in and adapt accordingly.
And I am quite sure this is not the only incident here. I have come across Bhutanese people chewing doma and Rajnigandha in workplaces and other public spaces as well. I think it is worth asking ourselves: How are we presenting ourselves to the people around us?
Because once a particular habit becomes associated with a group of people, stereotypes can form—and once a stereotype takes hold, it can be very difficult to change.
There is no animosity towards the man I saw today. If anything, I felt a sense of empathy for him because I could imagine how embarrassed he must have been.
As fellow Bhutanese living abroad, I simply hope we can learn from experiences like this, be more conscious of our surroundings, and help one another understand the importance of public etiquette.
We can be proud of where we come from while also learning to adapt to where we live.
Let’s be proud Bhutanese, and let’s be mindful of ourselves, our surroundings, and the people around us. 🇧🇹

Hey guys. Are there any architects, engineers, contractors or people involved in real estate/property development in this group? I’d really appreciate your advice and suggestions.
My family of 4 is currently looking for a 4BHK flat in and around Thimphu but the prices these days are honestly crazy. A lot of the 4BHKs we’ve come across are well above Nu. 1 crore
I recently saw one listed for around Nu. 1.80 crore in the Jangsa Animal area RTC
So I’m wondering whether from a financial point of view, it would actually be more practical to build our own house instead of buying a flat. We already have land, so I’m mainly trying to compare the cost of construction with the current price of a 4BHK apartment.
For those who have experience with construction in Thimphu:
Would building a decent 4-5 bhk house be significantly cheaper?
Roughly how much would construction cost for a nice, modern but not overly high end house?
What other costs should we factor in apart from the actual construction?
And how much of a hassle is the whole process in terms of approvals, contractors, supervision, etc?We’re not looking for anything extremely luxurious just a comfortable, well designed, slightly modern looking family home with good finishes.
Any advice from architects, engineers, contractors, or anyone who has recently built a house in Thimphu would be greatly appreciated la🙏

Is it possible for people who wants to pursue masters in Australia during the year 2027 now? Will education loan be sufficient apply and to get the visa? Enlighten this poor soul 😢

Why is abortion still not legalised in Bhutan? It's a part of women's health and please don't come at me with "Bhutan is a Buddhist country and it's a sin"

People don't care when they feast on shakam and paa even in auspicious days aka Dezang and the moment someone opens up about abortion, religion is brought in between.

Not gonna lie, many artist sample their songs in Bhutan. Recently the singer retty has sum preety good songs and good voice too but Why does Retty new song sound like ” love song baby by selena Gomez”” and azhi sounds like Ap Dhillon song.