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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

A master weaver at work at the Royal Textile Academy, in Thimphu, Bhutan. Photo: Jen Paolini

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: covering crafts, from Bhutan’s heritage arts to a designer’s mountainous ‘planet’

Also, a Hong Kong master carpenter on being the last in his line and the vanishing Cantonese ‘kung fu’ cuisine classics.

5 Jul 2026 - 8:00AM

Art

Bhutan’s heritage arts become the frontline of cultural preservation as modernity dawns

3 Jul 2026 - 9:05AM

Climate change

Himalayan glacial loss threatens 2 billion as Asia’s ‘water tower’ shrinks

21 Mar 2026 - 3:00PM

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.

15 Jan 2026 - 3:43AM

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

Singapore

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

The Gelephu Mindfulness City, which has adopted laws from Singapore and Abu Dhabi, will help boost Bhutan’s economy, an official says.

16 Nov 2025 - 5:01PM

Extreme weather

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

Nepal’s PM Karki said the government was ‘fully prepared for rescue and relief’ while India’s Modi said he was ‘pained by the loss of lives’.

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

The Paro Taktsang, or Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan’s most popular tourist attraction. Photo: Bibek Bhandari

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

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

Bitcoins are a form of digital money outside the control of any one person, group or entity, and have been compared to the modern-day equivalent of a traditional asset such as gold. Photo: TNS

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

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

Tourists wander at Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia, on February 3. Bali welcomed 6.3 million foreign tourists last year. Photo: EPA-EFE

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

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

A yak cheese dish at Phangu in Thimphu, Bhutan. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

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

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