Laughing Lama

Phuentsholing

About Phuentsholing City

Phuntsholing, also spelled as Phuentsholing, is a border town in southern Bhutan and is the administrative seat of Chukha District. The town occupies parts of both Phuentsholing Gewog and Sampheling Gewog.

Phuentsholing adjoins the Indian town of Jaigaon, and cross-border trade has resulted in a thriving local economy. The town previously hosted the headquarters of the Bank of Bhutan before they were shifted to Thimphu. In 2017, Phuentsholing had a population of 27,658. The India-Bhutan border separates two different urban areas. Jaigaon across the border is larger, bustling and loud, similar to many other West Bengal centres of commerce, albeit with many Bhutanese shoppers. Phuntsholing is uniquely more urban than other Bhutanese towns as it is the Bhutan financial, industrial and trading capital. It is more orderly than its neighbour.

The town is connected to the rest of the major cities via national highway. The town does not have airport facilities or a railway but Indian Railways has railway stations nearby. A 20 km (12 mi) railway track has been planned from the nearest railway stone Hasimara in North Bengal to Phuntsholing.

Siliguri, second largest city of West Bengal after Kolkata is a truly cosmopolitan and vibrant and is only about three and half hours’ drive making it the nearest city to Phuentsholing. New Jalpaiguri and New Alipurduar are the nearest large railway junctions. Buses are available from the towns in North Bengal. Buses are operated by both Indian based companies and Bhutanese government. Once at Phuntsholing, the Lateral Road gives travellers access to the rest of Bhutan.