Royal Thimphu College - Information for International Faculty
ALL, except Bangladesh, Maldivians and Indian nationals, require visas to enter Bhutan. However, international faculty members coming to teach at RTC should not worry about this, as the college will take care of your visa.
Faculty living in India often come to Bhutan overland. Faculty from more distant countries normally fly to Delhi or Bangkok where they pick up Druk Air or Bhutan Airline (only from Bangkok) flights to Paro, Bhutan's only international airport. Some flights also come in from Singapore, Dhaka, and a few cities in Northern India. RTC can provide you with an update on current gateway cities for air transportation.
During the winter seasons (December to mid-March) it can get very cold and dry (-4°C - 15°C), while in the summer seasons (June to August) it can get very wet and humid (15°C - 26°C). The annual monsoon season begins in mid-June and ends around mid-September. The best months are from mid-September to the end of October, and from March to May when the days are generally clear, warm, and pleasant with very little rain.
"Dzongkha" is the national language of Bhutan. It is a South Tibetan language that is somewhat similar to Sikkimese. However, international faculty/staff/students should not worry about the language barrier as many Bhutanese are conversant in English.
Senior administrators and faculty will be allocated on-campus housing in the following priority:
Most expatriate faculty members decide to live on campus as do some of the Bhutanese faculty and staff. If on-campus housing is full, it is possible to rent lodgings in areas not too far from the campus.
Royal Thimphu College is Bhutan's first and only private college. RTC is located among the silent and green cypress-hedged valley of Ngabiphu, providing a serene peaceful learning environment, yet close to the main city, Thimphu. RTC offers general degree programmes under the Royal University of Bhutan and KGUMSB. For more information, please visit www.rtc.bt or the Facebook page.
Royal Thimphu College is only a 15-20 minute drive from Thimphu City.
You can either choose to take a taxi, the staff bus, or the city bus which runs quite frequently. We will give you the schedules when you arrive at RTC. Alternatively, some faculty members choose to buy a car.
We have 1 dining hall, 1 canteen, and 1 dry canteen (only fast food) on campus.
Unfortunately, we do not have a grocery store on or around the campus area; you will have to go to the weekend market in Thimphu city. We do have a small bookstore on campus for essentials. If there is anything you "can't live without", consider bringing a modest supply of it.
No, expatriate faculty members can dress as they would for professional work in their home country.
There are a couple of coin-operated washing machines available for use by faculty living on campus.
While high-end items are limited, there is a decent supply of reasonably-priced imported apparel and electronics. Household goods such as sheets, blankets, towels, pots, pans etc. are available here.
Long underwear and slippers for winter, needed footwear (especially for large feet), essential/prescription medications, and voltage converters for 110V appliances (Bhutan uses 220V).
The apartments are furnished. Once you have been given an apartment type, you can contact our administrative officers to get the list of items provided.
Yes, you can rent things like televisions, ovens, extra heaters, and cooking gas from the college.
If you live on campus, you will have to pay for your electricity, broadband internet (there is free wi-fi), and phone.
We have 1 ATM machine on campus. Most shops deal in cash (Nu.) or Bhutanese debit cards. The ATM on campus works best with in-country cards, but some ATMs in Thimphu work with foreign cards. Mobile banking has really picked up in Bhutan.
We have a small health center for everyday problems. More serious issues will be referred to the Thimphu National Referral Hospital which is only 15-20 minutes away.
Yes, they are available, but supplies may be limited. We suggest you assemble a medical kit with general health and prescribed medications you may require.
Yes, you can have glasses made up at the local optical shops.
Expatriates are not allowed to invite personal guests (Other than Parents, Children, Spouse). Only your spouse and children below 18 yrs. shall be allowed as dependents. Parents and children above 18 can stay for a maximum of 30 days.
We can suggest good schools for your children. Both public and private schools are available in Thimphu for most grade levels.
Yes, you will need special permits. The administrative officers will take care of all permits. Applications are submitted on Thursdays.
Yes, both Saturday and Sunday are non-working days for faculty members. The college observes most but not all national holidays.
The academic year begins in early August and ends in late June or early July. Royal Thimphu College has short summer breaks (3 weeks) and a long winter break (2 ½ months).