The Bhutanese Leading the way.
A late-night altercation in Simtokha, Thimphu, has once again brought to light the growing tension over limited parking spaces in the capital.
Tshering Zam (name changed), the wife of a hotel owner, and Karma Yangchen (name changed), the daughter-in-law of a building owner, were involved in a physical fight over a disputed parking spot near their building on the night of 29 September around 9:30 PM.
According to the hotel owner, Karma and her family had been using the area as their private parking space and prevented others from parking there. However, he claimed that the disputed area is state land, not private property.
He said he had already written to Thimphu Thromde, which confirmed in a written response that the land belongs to the government. The Thromde letter states: “The disputed area is state land, and as such, it may be used for parking on a first-come, first-served basis. However, parking must be carried out in an orderly manner without obstructing traffic movement. No individual shall claim the state land for personal or exclusive use.”
The letter further notes that parking for tenants and residents should be managed within private plot boundaries, and the area will remain public parking until a proper management plan is introduced.
The conflict reportedly escalated when a car parked in the space prompted Karma to confront the hotel owner’s family. She allegedly accused them of occupying “her” parking spot and made personal remarks. The hotel owner said, “Karma shouted that we can build a hotel but not have our own parking space.”
It was later discovered that the vehicle belonged to a friend of a tenant from another building who had come for dinner. In a conversation with The Bhutanese, the police said they didn’t verify the land dispute but directly started investigating the fight, which falls under a battery case.
“The fight started over the parking space,” said an officer from the Thimphu Police Station, adding that land ownership issues fall under Thromde’s jurisdiction.
They explained that the fight started between the two women.
However, the hotel owner said that Karma’s mother-in-law and cousin also joined in beating his wife. He said, “It was an attempt to harm her, as Karma called her family to attack my wife over a vehicle that was not even ours and a parking space that doesn’t belong to them.”
CCTV footage reportedly captured the incident. The hotel owner said, “The CCTV clearly shows who started the fight. Karma pushed my wife, and you can also see how her daughters joined in.”
The police is still investigating the battery case.
