Afterword

ThimphuTech was the first technology blog in Bhutan. We started writing it in 2009, just as broadband and mobile internet started to take off. (Although internet in Bhutan was launched in 1999, it was either super-slow or super-expensive, and was only used by a selected few).

In the blog, we wrote about technology and food, but also about plenty of other stuff. The blog became popular and influential in Bhutan. A companion bi-weekly column -- Ask Boaz -- was published for many years in the Kuensel, Bhutan's national newspaper. (The complete Kuensel columns are available as an ebook, Blogging with Dragons).

We stopped updating the blog when we left Bhutan in 2014, but the information within the posts can still prove useful, and thus we decided to keep it online.

We thank all our readers.
Tashi Delek,
Boaz & Galit.

AoB

These days you can't read more than a paragraph or two in any of Bhutan's newspapers without running into an obscure acronym. We're compiling a list of the most common ones which are specific to Bhutan.

Note: If you'd like to suggest a new acronym, kindly add a comment at the end of this page. Thanks!


ABI     Association of Bhutanese Industries
ABTO    Association of Bhutan Tour Operators
AWP     Army Welfare Project
BAFRA   Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority
BBS     Bhutan Broadcasting Service
BCCI    Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
BDFCL   Bhutan Development Finance Corporation Limited
BHU     Basic Health Unit
BMF     Bhutan Media Foundation
BNB     Bhutan National Bank
BNCA    Bhutan Narcotics Control Agency
BOB     Bank Of Bhutan
BPC     Bhutan Power Corporation
BSA     Bhutan Scouts Association
BST     Bhutan Standard Time (aka Bhutan Stretchable Time)
BT      Bhutan Telecom
BTCL    Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited
BWS     Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
CAB     Construction Association of Bhutan

CDB     Construction Development Board
CDCL    Construction Development Corporation Limited
CE      Continuing Education
CERD    Centre for Educational Research and Development
CF      Community Forest
CEC     Chief Election Commissioner
CFM     Centennial Farmers' Market
DCA     Department of Civil Aviation
DCCL    Dungsam Cement Corporation Limited
DDC     Dzongkha Development Commission
DEO     District Education Officer
DFO     Divisional Forestry Officer
DGPC    Druk Green Power Corporation
DHI     Druk Holding and Investments
DPNB    Druk Punjab National Bank
DRA     Drug Regulatory Authority
DUDES   Department of Urban Development and Engineering Services
DoE     Department of Employment
ECB     Election Commission of Bhutan
HA      Health Assistant
HGC     Happy Green Cooperative
IFMP    Integrated Forest Management Project 
IMTRAT  Indian Military Training Team
ITAB    Information Technology Association of Bhutan
IZRC    Institute for Zorig Chusum
JDWNRH  Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital
JDNP    Jigme Dorji National Park
LG      Local Government
JSWNP   Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park
MHPA    Mangdecchu Hydroelectric Project Authority
MoAF    Ministry of Agriculture and Forests
MoE     Ministry of Education
MoF     Ministry of Finance
MoFA    Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MoH     Ministry of Health
MoLHR   Ministry of Labour and Human Resources
MoWHS   Ministry of Works and Human Settlement
NAB     National Assembly of Bhutan
NBC     National Biodiversity Center
NC      National Council
NEC     National Environment Commission
NGOP    National Graduate Orientation Program
NH      National Herbarium
NLB     National Library of Bhutan
NLCS    National Land Commission Secretariat
NRCDL   Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited
NSB     National Statistics Bureau
OAG     Office of Attorney General
OL      Opposition Leader
RAC     Royal Advisory Council
RAPA    Royal Academy of Performing Arts
RBA     Royal Bhutan Army
RBGS    Royal Botanic Garden Serbithang
RBIT    Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology
RBP     Royal Bhutan Police
RCCA    Regional Revenue and Customs Office
RCSC    Royal Civil Service Committee

RICBL   Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan Limited
RIHS    Royal Institute of Health Sciences
RIM     Royal Institute of Management
RITH    Royal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality
RMA     Royal Monetary Authority
RRCO    Regional Revenue and Customs Office
RSPN    Royal Society for Protection of Nature
RSTA    Road Safety and Transport Authority
RTC     Royal Thimphu College
RUB     Royal University of Bhutan
PHPA    Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric Project Authority
PM      Prime Minister
PWS     Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary
RMNP    Royal Manas National Park
SCC     Security Clearance Certificate
SEZ     Special Economic Zone
SQCA    Standard Quality Control Authority
SWS     Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary
TCC     Thimphu City Corporation
TNP     Thrumshingla National Park
THPA    Tala Hydroelectric Project Authority
TTPL    Thimphu TechPark Private Ltd
WCP     Wangchuck Centennial Park
YDF     Youth Development Fund

17 comments:

  1. Anya SchiffrinTuesday, October 19, 2010

    Don't forget BFT: Bhutan Flexible Time

    ReplyDelete
  2. BoazTuesday, October 19, 2010

    @Anya :-) Regretfully, we are currently adding only official acronyms, but thanks for the suggestion!

    ReplyDelete
  3. admin-bjournalsMonday, October 25, 2010

    If you will allow me...:)

    NEC - National Environment Commission;
    RAPA - Royal Academy of Performing Arts;
    BST - Bhutan Standard Time(Bhutan Stretchable Time;)
    DEO: District Education Officer;
    DFO - District Forestry Officer;
    THPA - Tala Hydroelectric Project Authority;
    TCC - Thimphu City Corporation
    CERD - Centre for Educational Research & Development
    RBIT - Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology
    NAB - National Assembly of Bhutan
    ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. BoazMonday, October 25, 2010

    @admin-bjournals, thanks a bunch, acronyms added.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousThursday, November 04, 2010

    IFMP- Integrated Forest Management Project
    IZRC - Institute for Zorig Chusum
    NLB - National Library of Bhutan

    Then there are all the UN agencies...
    UNDP, UNICEF, etc.


    ADB - Asian Development Bank
    CCO - Canadian Cooperation Office
    CIDA - Canadian International Development Agency
    DANIDA - Danish International Development Agency
    GTZ - German Technical Assistance (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit)
    SNV - Netherlands Development Organisation
    HELVETAS - Swiss Association for International Cooperation
    JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency
    SAARC - South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation
    WWF -

    ReplyDelete
  6. BoazThursday, November 04, 2010

    @Anonymous: Thanks, added the first three! I'm not adding the rest of the acronyms since they are not Bhutan specific. However, they'll be left in the comment for everyone to use.
    One minor correction: Helvetas is not an acronym (Helvetica is Swiss in Latin).
    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  7. KINLEY WANGCHUKSunday, May 08, 2011

    I have seen you have added
    PNB Punjab National Bank which is Indian specific, In Bhutan it is :-
    DPNB Druk Punjab National Bank
    RITH Royal Institute of Tourism and Hospitality

    ReplyDelete
  8. BoazSunday, May 08, 2011

    Thanks, SAKA. I've updated the list.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousTuesday, May 17, 2011

    NBC - National Biodiversity Center
    RBGS - Royal Botanic Garden Serbithang
    NH - National Herbarium

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousTuesday, May 17, 2011

    JDNP - Jigme Dorji National Park
    BWS - Bomdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
    JSWNP - Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park
    TNP - Thrumshingla National Park
    PWS - Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary
    RMNP - Royal Manas National Park
    SWS - Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary


    And DFO is actually Divisional Forest Officer not 'District'.

    BSF - Bhutan Street Fashion

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousTuesday, May 17, 2011

    how about BSA Bhutan Scouts Association

    ReplyDelete
  12. BoazWednesday, May 18, 2011

    @chuki and @anonymous, thanks for the suggestions. List udpated.

    ReplyDelete
  13. sangay rinchenSaturday, May 21, 2011

    HGC do u think it will be cool to add on the list...Happy Green Cooperative

    ReplyDelete
  14. BoazSaturday, May 21, 2011

    Very cool! Added.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Karma TshulthrimFriday, May 27, 2011

    RRCO Regional Revenue & Customs Office
    SQCA Standard Quality Control Authority
    NSB National Statistics Bureau
    BNCA Bhutan Narcotics Control Agency
    DRA Drug Regulatory Authority
    ABI Association of Bhutanese Industries
    ITAB IT Association of Bhutan
    BMF Bhutan Media Foundation
    DCCL Dungsum Cement Corporation Limited

    ReplyDelete
  16. BoazThursday, October 20, 2011

    @Karma, thanks a lot. Acronyms added.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Learn with GunaSunday, October 28, 2012

    TVET:≡Technical and Vocational Education Training

    ReplyDelete

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