Bhutan

Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and
bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic
of China. Bhutan is separated from the nearby country of Nepal to the west. The landscape of Bhutan
ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the sub-alpine Himalayan heights in the north, with some
peaks exceeding 7,000 m. The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism, and the population of about 700,000
is predominantly Buddhist. The capital is Thimphu, which is the largest.

Bhutan is rated as the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest in the world, based on a global survey.
The gross national happiness, GNH is designed in an attempt to define an indicator, that measures quality
of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator of gross
domestic product, GDP.


Bhutan king and queen in Tokyo

Bhutanese king seeks stronger ties with Japan, consoles earthquake victims,
announced when he visited Japan in 2011.



Bhutan：The first country in the world to establish a complete ban on smoking.

High in the Himalayas, the Kingdom of Bhutan was almost completely isolated until 40 years ago, with no
roads, schools, electricity, phones, radios, or cars. Since then, this Switzerland-size country has stepped
gingerly into the modern world, restricting tourists and fiercely protecting the nation's environmental and
cultural purity. Bhutan's determination to choose its own path into the modern world has won it recognition
as a model of sustainable development and healthcare-including its no-thank-you to smoke. The religious
and cultural biases against tobacco use have made it easier for the popular King J. S. Wangchuk, a graduate
of Oxford University, to introduce a total tobacco ban. With 20 percent of the government budget devoted
to health and education, information about the dangers of smoking has had a wide impact despite the
challenge of reaching an overwhelmingly rural population.

Still, there are problems. Though it is estimated that only 1 percent of the Bhutanese population smokes,
respiratory illnesses are the primary cause of mortality in the country, where life expectancy for men is 61
and women is 64. Bhutan made a pre-emptive strike with 200 percent custom's duties, a tax on tobacco
sales, and a $232 fine-more for smoking in public. And criminal charges can be brought against foreigners
who sell tobacco to　Bhutanese. The smoking ban is part of the king's plan for "gross national happiness,"
which he says is more important than the gross national product.
Source: U.S. News March 18, 2007


The gateway to Bhutan, Paro International Airport


First Nonsmoking Nation: Bhutan banned tobacco. Could the rest of the world follow?

The tiny, trendy Himalayan Kingdom recently became the world's first non-smoking nation, since 2005.
It has been illegal to smoke in public or sell tobacco. Violators are fined the equivalent of $232, which is
more than two month'ssalary in Bhutan. Authorities heralded the ban by igniting a bonfire of cigarette
cartons in the capital, Thimphu, and stringing banners across the main thorough fare, exhorting people
to kick the habit, as if they have a choice. Even the country's smokers seem resigned to a smoke-free future.
"If you can't get it, you can't smoke it,"so concludes T. Dendup, who works as a Bhtan's broadcaster.

This is a country that has elevated contrariness to a national trait. Convention says an impoverished yet
stunningly beautiful nation like Bhutan should welcome a tourist with open arms, and count the dollars.
However, Bhutan restricts the number of foreign tourists at about 9,000 in 2010, and charges fees of
$200 per day. This tourist will be increased to $250 in 2012. The first tourists arrived in 1974. Television
and the Internet are even more novel, having arrived in 1999. Nevertheless, Bhutan largely remains the
Shangri-la ( paradise ) that wealthy tourists crave. Thimphu is the world's only capital with no traffic lights.
So, having sat out the traditional development rush, Bhutan hopes to steer its own course, avoiding the
mistakes of the industrialized world. For its homogenous and small population, which estimates anywhere
from 800,000 to 2 million people, Bhutan just might succeed in barring the demon weed. The nation's
unusual culture makes a sudden and complete tobacco ban possible. It is a very small, poor market, and
it costs a tremendous amount to import goods. These factors have induced the reduction of the interest
in cigarettes.

There is something called personal rights that should be upheld. Educate people rather than force or
impose. Others worry the tobacco ban will merely encourage a black market in Marlboros. Furthermore,
others chime corruption, alcoholism, and a penchant for 'doma' or betel nut, which Bhutanese chew
habitually, rather than the smoking problems. 'Doma', a stimulant that turns your saliva red, has been
linked to the higher incidence of oral cancer. Bhutan's parliament, which passed the smoking ban,
anticipated complaints. It added a few sizable loopholes. Foreigners can still smoke and import tobacco.
However, if caught selling it to Bhutanese, they will be charged with smuggling. Bhutanese are,
technically, allowed to smoke in their homes and can even import small quantities of tobacco for "personal
use, though they'll pay as much as 200 percent in customs duties and sales taxes for the pleasure.

Bhutanese officials say that, by banning tobacco, they hope to set an example for the rest of the world.
Ireland and other countries banned smoking in public places, though the sale of tobacco remains legal.
European countries, such as Norway, are enacting less-stringent smoking bans. In most of Asia, though,
the trend is toward more smokers, not fewer, as countries rush to emulate Western habits and as tobacco
companies look east for new customers. Once again, Bhutan finds itself the exception to the rule.
Source: The Slate Group, a Division of the Washington Post Company Jan. 20, 2005


Amankora Resort Thimphu


Bhutan: the country that has no concept of the 'third-hand smoking'


Tashichho Dzong, Thimphu, Bhutan

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Bhutan is the first nation to prohibit the sale of tobacco. As a Buddhist country, most oppose tobacco on the
religious grounds. Few of the county's 700,000 people actually consume tobacco, making it one of the
lowest smoking-rate countries in the world.

However, the tobacco control law bans smoking in the most of a public place; like restaurants, it does not
restrictsmoking in a guest room in hotels. The government does not have the distinct ability to consider the
health hazardfrom the tobacco smoke contamination, that remains in wall, carpet, curtain and textile fabrics
after cigarette has been extinguished. This risk can be much higher at the old building, like at hotels, which
have been in use for a tourist smoker. A few hotels in Bhutan designate their guest rooms are smoking or
non-smoking. According to a travel agent, a tourist can freely smoke at all hotel guest rooms. This descrip-
tion is not always true, since the 77.4 per cent of guest rooms of Taj Tashi in Thimphu and four hotels in
Paro are non-smoking. However,in the most standard-class hotels at Bhutan, smoking is allowed in their
guest rooms. Therefore, you have to aware the health risk that is caused from a frequent smoking inside
hotel rooms.

In Bhutan, nobody can obtain a visa to the country, unless you pay an air ticket fee to Druk Air, the sole
carrier of the Royal Government of Bhutan, and also to pay to an authorized Bhutan's travel agent, which
providesa tour guide and accommodation. This rule, which is never seen in most countries, is applied for
all tourists,except for Indian. The country is still partly in national isolation, and it is a Bhutan's way of the
impact from tourism low, and earning from it high, maintaining a long-standing system of requiring each
visitor to spend at the minimum of $250 a day, while staying in the land of Bhutan. As a result, budget
travelers were excluded from a chance to visit a Buddhist country in Himalaya.
Article was written by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD, in January 2012.

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Bhutan, the Buddist country in Asia


Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan and the National Memorial Choeten, Thimphu

Prayer wheels, prayer wheels are used to accumulate wisdom and merit and to purify negative act of life in the past.

(L) No-smoking sign in a restaurant/bar
(M) A note PC, which is an important goods for a travel guide, is usually keeping in the large inside pocket space.
(R) There is no traffic signal in the country of Bhutan.

A Thimph street, a hotel and residence
Sources: Nippon Television Network December 4, and NHK broadcast, December 9, 2011

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Google Map of Bhutan

A spectacular landing on Paro International Airport, Bhutan, with explanation of images in English
30万回以上アクセスされた人気のビデオを英文解説を加えて再編集 (14分) 2024
A direct freight from Bangkok made a spectacular landing on the Paro International Airport, Bhutan.
雨の降りしきる暗い早朝のバンコクの空港出発後に撮影したビデオ (上記ビデオと重複する部分あり) (17分)
Drive from Paro to Thimphu, Bhutan 2012, with explanation of images in English (15分)
4万回以上アクセスされた人気のビデオを英文解説を加えて再編集 2024
　An air trip from Paro in Bhutan to Siliguri in India (Departure from Bhutan ) 2012 (11分)
ブータンのパロからタイのバンコクへ向かう途中、雨の降るインドのシリグリに着陸

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ブータン最新情報

2022年9月： ヒマラヤ山脈の小国ブータンが23日、2年半ぶりに観光客の受け入れを再開した。1人1日当たり
200ドル（約2万8千円）の入国税を新たに課す。観光資源である自然環境の保護が狙いだが、若年層の失業が
増えるなど、厳しい経済の状況がある。 最近の観光客の減少に値上げした入国税が一因とも考えられたために、
2023年9月、1人1日100ドルに値下げしたとの報道もある。また、ビサのとりやすいオーストラリアへ若者の
出稼ぎや移住が増加しているとも伝えられている。ブータンの人口は80万人程度、標高7千メートル級の山々が
そびえ、豊かな自然と、素朴な人々の暮らしに支えられた、チベット仏教に基づく独特の文化がある。


Bhutan
The country to prohibit a tobacco sale Bhutan tour 2012 Bhutan temple 01 Bhutan temple 02
Bhutan Thimphu's hotels Bhutan Paro's hotels Bhutan smoking law


Bhutanese king seeks stronger ties with Japan, consoles earthquake victims.
Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan 2010
日本語要約版

Bhutan
The country to prohibit a tobacco sale Bhutan tour 2012 Bhutan temple 01 Bhutan temple 02
Bhutan Thimphu's hotels Bhutan Paro's hotels Bhutan smoking law


チベット仏教の国、ブータン
2011年11月執筆　2012年1月加筆　2012年9月画像および一部加筆　2023年10月加筆
執筆　医学博士　宮本順伯
★ This Web site is link-free.
This information was provided by the Smokefree Hotel and Travel.
The articles were written in November 2011 and partly revised in October 2012,
and March 2024, by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D.,PhD.
Information was added in October 2023 and March 2024.
Copyright (C) 2012 Junhaku Miyamoto, All rights reserved.