The international telephone dialing code for Bhutan is 975. The telephone service is quite good in urban areas, however in rural areas teledensity is low. International telephone via landline relay through India and at times you may have to wait to get a line. Mobile telephone coverage in Bhutan is reasonable and the network is expanding all the time. Arrangements for roaming facilities have been done with international service providers. Internet services in Bhutan were introduced in 1999 and now most hotels, urban center offer free wifi and tourist spots. Or one may simply purchase a tourist sim to access mobile local data. Bhutan postal services offers express post services to destination accross the world and much cheaper than DHL or FED Ex. Bhutanese stamps are in such high demand that stamps are sometimes stolen from envelopes sent from the country. Post offices working hours are 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. On Saturdays it is 9 am to 12 pm.
Bhutan’s currency is
Ngultrum (Nu) which is
divided into 100 chetrums (Ch).
Commonly used notes are in denominations 500,
100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. The Indian Rupee is accepted at most places and the US
Dollar is also widely used.
Major currencies can be exchanged at
commercial banks and also at some of the better hotels in major cities like
Thimphu, Paro, and Phuentsholing.
Credit cards acceptability in Bhutan is
limited. They are only accepted at major hotels and upmarket shopping centers.
ATMs here accept only Bhutanese bank cards.Henceforth bearers of International credit/ debit cards of
MasterCard will be accepted to
withdraw money from any of the Bank of Bhutan (BoB)’s ATM.
Maximum of Nu. 18,000.00 can be withdrawn per usage and there
is no limitation on, transaction per day (except the limitation given
by the MasterCard issuance agency). There will be a charge of USD 2.50 – USD
3.00
per usage.
Travelers’ cheques can be cashed at any bank
and at most hotels in Bhutan. A 1% bank charge is usually levied. Travelers’ cheques in US
Dollars are preferred at most places.
Banks are open Monday through Friday 9 am to 3
pm, and 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday.
To view the current exchange rate
in Bhutan, click on this link
to OANDA.com - The Currency Site.
