Bhutan Hot Spring Safety Concerns Reach Parliament as Police Face Staffing Limits

Chubu Tshachu Brings Public Safety Into Focus

Concerns about theft, drug use and disturbances at Bhutan's hot springs have reached the National Assembly, where Namgay Wangchuk, the MP for Lingmukha-Toedwang, asked Home Affairs Minister Tshering for concrete preventive measures. At Chubu Tshachu in Punakha, police previously stationed officers during the busy winter season, but personnel shortages, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, brought that practice to an end.

Official records cited for Chubu contain a motor vehicle accident in 2022 and a battery case in 2023. Authorities acknowledge that some incidents probably go unreported. Residents of nearby Tsachuphu have voiced growing unease about antisocial behaviour, while concerns at hot springs include petty theft, domestic disputes, substance use and signs of organised criminal activity, particularly at Chubu.

Bhutan has long been known for relatively low crime rates and strong community ties. Its hot springs, known locally as tshachus, are valued as places for healing, spiritual practice and social gatherings. Winter brings seasonal crowds of local people and other visitors, making safety a concern both for those using the springs and for communities living nearby.

The response described by the government combines surveillance, public education and community policing. Its central difficulty is practical: the Royal Bhutan Police must cover busy public spaces and remote communities with limited personnel and resources. Restoring a visible police presence at seasonal gathering places therefore sits alongside a wider effort to prevent drug use and encourage residents to report trouble.

Why Residents Are Worried About the Springs

The hot springs discussed include Chubu Tshachu in Punakha, Duenmang Tshachu in Zhemgang, Gasa Tshachu in Gasa, Dur Tshachu in Bumthang, Gelephu Tshachu in Sarpang and Koma Tshachu, identified with Punakha and Lhuntse. These sites have traditionally brought people together for bathing, healing and social contact.

Visitor numbers have increased in recent years, including young people arriving from urban centres. Larger gatherings, sometimes involving young people without supervision, have coincided with concerns about alcohol, drugs, theft and disputes. More frequently visited locations, including Chubu, have drawn particular attention.

Tsachuphu residents describe unease about the changing atmosphere around the springs. Concerns include the availability of alcohol and drugs, occasional violence and theft, and the presence of unsupervised young visitors. Community leaders want security measures that preserve the springs' traditional role while addressing these problems.

For residents, disturbances affect the places where they live as well as the visitors who come to bathe. For people travelling to a tshachu for rest or healing, theft or conflict can disrupt an important annual visit. The public debate has consequently focused on prevention and dependable police coverage, alongside responses after an incident occurs.

What Parliament Asked the Government to Do

Namgay Wangchuk pressed Minister Tshering for strategies to prevent drug abuse, theft and disturbances at public venues. His intervention brought local concerns into a national discussion about how to protect visitors and surrounding communities.

Tshering acknowledged continuing difficulties involving drugs, alcohol and smoking. The home affairs minister said responsibility extended beyond the organisations directly charged with tackling those problems:

A few organisations alone cannot solve these problems. But if we act together, there is hope that we may eventually eradicate them.

The minister's response placed cooperation at the centre of prevention. Police, local governments, schools, families and community organisations all have roles in the approach described. The Royal Bhutan Police continues to combine surveillance with advocacy and community engagement despite its staffing and resource constraints.

Preventive security was the practical concern behind the parliamentary question. Seasonal deployments had previously given Chubu a police presence during its busiest months. With that arrangement discontinued, the challenge is how to provide coverage while also meeting policing needs elsewhere.

What the Recorded Cases Show

Chubu's official record contains only a handful of reported incidents in recent years, including the accident in 2022 and the battery case in 2023. Battery refers to a physical assault. Authorities also recognise that incidents may happen without being reported to police.

The chronology places those local records alongside the more recent national figures:

• 2022: A motor vehicle accident was recorded at Chubu Tshachu.
• 2023: A battery case was recorded at Chubu, while national substance abuse cases exceeded 1,570 and larceny cases stood at nearly 290.
• 2024: National substance abuse cases fell to just over 1,500, and larceny cases fell to around 260.

No date was given for restoring seasonal police deployment at Chubu. For residents seeking more dependable protection, staffing remains a central constraint on the response.

National Crime Figures Move in Different Directions

Royal Bhutan Police statistics show that several major categories declined between 2023 and 2024, even as drug abuse, theft and domestic violence remained prominent public concerns. Substance abuse cases fell slightly from more than 1,570 to just over 1,500. Larceny, the theft of another person's property, decreased from nearly 290 cases to around 260.

Cases involving illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances also declined. Psychotropic substances are drugs that affect how the mind works. Illegal possession cases, however, recorded a small increase. Trafficking, possession and substance abuse are separate categories, so their totals can move in different directions.

Battery and domestic violence cases increased. The explanation given for that rise was greater awareness and reporting, rather than an increase in the actual number of incidents. More people recognising abuse and bringing it to police attention can change the recorded figures.

Police officials also link increases in recorded drug offences to awareness, reporting and continuing enforcement efforts. National concerns about drugs therefore sit alongside annual declines in some categories. At hot springs, the immediate issue is how to respond to residents' concerns and incidents that may never reach the official record.

Drug Use, Border Routes and Changing Substances

Substance abuse is a particular concern among young people and unemployed individuals. The substances most frequently abused include marijuana, pharmaceutical drugs such as SP+ and N10, both described as banned in India, and solvents including paint thinner and Dendrite adhesive.

Solvent abuse means using substances such as thinner or adhesive for their intoxicating effects. Police have described a shift towards these products as enforcement against pharmaceutical drugs becomes tighter. Southern parts of Bhutan are particularly affected by substance abuse.

Smuggling routes from India, especially through border areas such as Phuentsholing and Samdrupjongkhar, contribute to the supply of prohibited drugs. The Royal Bhutan Police works with Indian authorities to intercept banned pharmaceutical products entering Bhutan.

Police responses include random drug testing, surprise inspections and trained dogs used to detect narcotics. In collaboration with The PEMA Secretariat, the RBP apprehended 1,764 individuals for substance abuse in a single year, with 953 cases attributed to drug use. Those figures count different things: individuals apprehended and cases recorded.

The response extends beyond stopping drugs at the border. Police are also trying to identify substance use within communities and prevent it among young people. Changes in the substances being used mean enforcement against one category of drugs sits alongside concern about other intoxicating products.

How Cameras, Patrols and Local Police Centres Fit Together

The Royal Bhutan Police, working with local governments and the Ministry of Home Affairs, has encouraged the installation of closed circuit television systems. A total of 860 cameras are operational in key towns, with another 347 being installed in Gelephu and Sarpang.

These cameras form part of the wider policing response. Surveillance allows authorities to monitor public areas, while officers and local partners remain responsible for responding to incidents. Personnel limitations continue to affect how police can cover particular places, including seasonal destinations.

Community Police Service Centres have been established in remote gewogs, or village blocks. Their purpose is to extend policing into rural areas and strengthen cooperation with local governments. For communities away from major towns, the centres provide a local basis for working with law enforcement.

The Integrated Check Post Management System supports coordination at checkpoints. Strict patrols along highways and at key entry points are also intended to prevent the movement of illicit substances and monitor suspicious activity. Together, these measures address the routes drugs travel as well as the public spaces where problems arise.

Chubu's earlier seasonal deployments show the separate challenge of staffing a destination during its busiest period. Police had stationed officers there in winter, but manpower shortages, especially during the pandemic, ended the practice. The broader use of cameras, checkpoints and community centres forms the setting for calls to strengthen protection at the springs.

Awareness Campaigns Reach All 20 Districts

The Royal Bhutan Police has conducted 111 advocacy programmes, reaching more than 44,000 people across all 20 dzongkhags, or districts. Participants have included students, business operators, members of the armed forces, drivers and government officials.

School and college programmes aim to explain the dangers of drug use and the lasting consequences it can have for young people's futures. Authorities also stress parental involvement and community vigilance, connecting prevention in educational settings with support and attention at home.

The range of participants reflects the government's view that a few organisations cannot handle the problem alone. Drivers and businesses are part of daily community life, while schools, public institutions and families reach different groups of people. Police collaboration with local governments, schools and community organisations is central to this work.

At the hot springs, community participation also matters because residents may be aware of disturbances that never become formal cases. Authorities acknowledge likely underreporting at Chubu. Encouraging communication between communities and police is therefore part of the effort to connect local concerns with an official response.

Protecting a Tradition While Managing More Visitors

Bhutan's tshachus are more than natural attractions. Many Bhutanese believe their waters have healing properties, and annual visits are a cherished tradition. Their therapeutic and spiritual importance makes the atmosphere around them part of what visitors value.

Growing attendance creates pressure on places where people gather for bathing, healing and social contact. Overcrowding and associated problems complicate efforts to keep them peaceful. Residents' concerns about drugs, theft and violence sit beside a desire to protect the cultural character and reputation of these communal spaces.

Tourism, a key driver of Bhutan's economy, adds another consideration. Both local people and tourists use the springs, and their safety matters to Bhutan's reputation as a peaceful and harmonious country. Maintaining welcoming destinations requires attention to the communities surrounding them as well as to those arriving for a visit.

The government response centres on stronger surveillance, community policing, advocacy and cooperation among agencies and residents. Its ability to maintain a seasonal police presence remains limited by personnel and resources. For Chubu and other tshachus, the practical task is to preserve a valued tradition while responding to the security concerns now being raised.

Key Points

• MP Namgay Wangchuk asked Home Affairs Minister Tshering for preventive action against drugs, theft and disturbances at Bhutan's hot springs.
• Chubu Tshachu's recorded incidents include a motor vehicle accident in 2022 and a battery case in 2023. Authorities acknowledge likely underreporting.
• Seasonal police deployment at Chubu ended because of personnel shortages, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• National substance abuse cases declined from more than 1,570 in 2023 to just over 1,500 in 2024; larceny cases fell from nearly 290 to around 260.
• Police report 860 operational surveillance cameras in key towns, with 347 more being installed in Gelephu and Sarpang.
• Police advocacy programmes have reached more than 44,000 people across all 20 districts, while community policing and cooperation remain central to prevention.