On a budget and looking for free ATMs in Bhutan - Any top banks?
There are no free ATMs in Bhutan. During my Bhutan trip, I used Bank of Bhutan ATMs almost exclusively. My Wise Visa card worked fine with a 10,000 BTN limit per withdrawal and about 300 BTN in fees. Druk PNB ATMs also worked in Paro with my Revolut card and they had lower fees i think 150 but they were unreliable - most times they did not have cash. I usually withdrew enough to cover 2-3 days of meals, guides, and transport. While bigger hotels took cards, I noticed most shops, taxis, and even monasteries required cash. Bhutan’s ATM network is improving, but it’s best to withdraw larger amounts in main towns.
ATMs in Bhutan can be frustrating. My HSBC debit card was declined at a Druk PNB ATM in Thimphu, and the only machine that worked was Bank of Bhutan. Even then, the limit was only 10,000 BTN, which meant I had to withdraw multiple times, paying 300 BTN each time at BoB ATMs. Some machines were out of cash altogether. My advice: withdraw in Thimphu or Paro, carry some INR notes (widely accepted), and don’t rely on finding ATMs in rural areas. Bhutan is still very much cash-first.
I had a good experience using ATMs in Bhutan. Bank of Bhutan ATMs in Paro accepted my Monzo Mastercard, and I could withdraw 10,000 BTN at once. The fee was around 300 BTN, which wasn’t too bad. BNB ATM charged me 200 but frankly difference wasnt much so i used whichever was closed. I only withdrew twice during my week-long trip because most hotels and larger restaurants accepted card, but cash was still essential for taxis and entry tickets. Overall, I found the ATM system in Bhutan reliable enough if you stick to big banks.
In Bhutan, Bank of Bhutan (BOB) and Druk PNB are the main banks with ATMs that work for foreign cards. My Wise Visa worked at BOB in Thimphu, with a withdrawal limit of 10,000 BTN (~$120 USD) and a local fee of 300 BTN. Druk PNB ATMs had the same limit but sometimes rejected Mastercard. I tried a T-Bank ATM and paid a 250 BNB fee - worked just fine. ATMs are concentrated in Thimphu and Paro; in smaller towns, machines are rare or out of service. Always carry extra cash in Indian rupees or USD, as Bhutan is still heavily cash-based.