# the Bhutan thread



## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

I know Bhutan gets lots of comparisons with Tibet but there's some differences

*Geography*
Tibet: Mostly on top of the mountain
Bhutan: Mostly on the side of the mountain

*Religion*
Tibet: A variety, but many follow Tibetan Buddhism with many acknowledging the Dalai Lama of the Yellow Hat School
Bhutan: Similar to Tibetan Buddhism but its heavily organized by the state, not the Dalai Lama. Thus its a separate branch. The Nepalese minority are mostly Christian or Hindu

*Language*
Tibet: There's no such thing as a Tibetan langauge just like how there is no such thing as a Chinese language. There is a Tibetan family of languages just like how there is a Chinese family of languages. The big three Tibetan languages are U-tsang, Khams, and Amdo 
Bhutan: The language of the majority, Dzongkha, is partially intelligible with Sikkimese, Sherpa, and other languages found in Sikkim and parts of Nepal. My Tibetan friends say they can only understand some Bhutanese, but can read it fairly well.


Thimphu Domchoe by andreakw, on Flickr



Thimphu by yycrob, on Flickr

University


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## Beku (Jul 4, 2010)

Nice pictures!!! Would be awesome to visit this country one day.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

great new thread for Bhutan, and some lovely photos.....thanks @RyukyuRhymer. :cheers:


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

Paro Airport, the only international airport in Bhutan


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)




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## drunkenmunkey888 (Aug 13, 2005)

Damn, buildings in Thimphu look ridiculously well-maintained and clean for a country with only a GDP per capita of ~$2,000. If i didn't know any better and i had to take a guess, i would've expected a GDP per capita figure of at least $40,000. Kinda reminds me of Switzerland.


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## DWest (Dec 3, 2009)

this is one exotic country. the buildings, though look like they're newly built and the inhabitants look more like South East Asians.
Thanks for giving us a bird's eye knowledge about this country, I'm impressed.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

drunkenmunkey888 said:


> Damn, buildings in Thimphu look ridiculously well-maintained and clean for a country with only a GDP per capita of ~$2,000. If i didn't know any better and i had to take a guess, i would've expected a GDP per capita figure of at least $40,000. Kinda reminds me of Switzerland.


PPP per capita seems to be around $5,000
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD

it does seem well maintained.. look at the border between India and Bhutan


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## Severiano (Jul 5, 2006)

^^ Which side is India?


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## Tyrone (Feb 6, 2008)

Is India the right side? .... :dunno:

Nice photos. I see Bhutan more similar to Tibet than Nepal


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

Tyrone said:


> Is India the right side? .... :dunno:
> 
> Nice photos. I see Bhutan more similar to Tibet than Nepal


yep.
Since we're on the topic of border, some border area pictures


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## drunkenmunkey888 (Aug 13, 2005)

RyukyuRhymer said:


> PPP per capita seems to be around $5,000
> http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD
> 
> it does seem well maintained.. look at the border between India and Bhutan


Right but still, with buildings that look like that, you would expect PPP to be around $40,000 and nominal to be above $50,000, I guess (the way most highly developed European countries have nominal much higher than PPP). 

I mean I guess you can tell its not a ridiculously developed country from the fact that the street level retail is rather sparse and does not match with the super clean/well maintained buildings. Also, the very modest models of cars on the streets are another giveaway.

Just think though, if Bhutan looks this clean and well put-together for a country with only $2,000 and PPP $5,000 per capita, imagine what the same country at $50-60,000 and PPP $40,000 would look like.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

edit


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Please edit those flickr photos by using the BBcodes. Thanks


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## veresk (Dec 19, 2012)

:drool: I want to go there and stay for a while.. the nature is increadible!
how easily foreigners can visit the country? what restrictions could they possibly meet?


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## yanik (Mar 10, 2013)

As far as I know the travel restrictions are not so strict as they used to be before.


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## kamilfarid (Mar 25, 2013)

Nice country. I want to visit one day if possible.


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## AsianDragons (Jan 8, 2010)

i am so interested for more, was thinking of having such a thread just to entertain my forumer


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## Braillard (Jul 31, 2010)

Hello RyukyuRhymer,

Thank you for this thread.

The first picture is downtown Paro.
Also, the 3rd one is at the border, but not of the country, rather it is the provincial border between Paro Dzongkhag and Timphu Dzongkhag.

The second picture, however, is at the (indian) border, it is the entry to Phuentsholing town.

Cheers



RyukyuRhymer said:


> yep.
> Since we're on the topic of border, some border area pictures


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## tita01 (Oct 21, 2011)

very clean and peaceful country 

ngesem ngesem


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## hakz2007 (Jul 1, 2007)

by Bob Witlox


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## hakz2007 (Jul 1, 2007)

by henu eins


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## hakz2007 (Jul 1, 2007)

by ♠ c0l0gne1 ♣


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