In Thimphu, landmarks often remain the easiest way to describe where someone lives—near a school, behind a restaurant, or beside a familiar shop. But as the city grows, relying only on landmarks can make it difficult to locate an exact home or building. Delivery riders, taxi drivers and even emergency services can lose valuable time searching for the right door, often having to make phone calls or rely on descriptions of nearby buildings and shops. A ZheyGo rider said that while some customers provide their building numbers, many still depend mainly on landmarks or live-location sharing, which does not always lead to the quickest or most accurate route. Thimphu Thromde’s City Addressing System is designed to support emergency response, urban planning and municipal services. The Thromde recommends that building owners know their assigned building numbers and share them with tenants, even though displaying the numbers is not mandatory. Knowing a complete address—street name, locality and building number—can make locations easier to identify, including through digital mapping services. In a growing city, a clear address is more than just a formality; it can save time, reduce confusion and help people reach the right place more efficiently. So, the next time someone asks, “Where do you live?”, perhaps the answer should be more than a landmark. Your street, your locality and your building number could make all the difference.
