After five years in Australia, Ugyen returns home to inspire and to know one’s limit
If perseverance were a soul, if resilience were a form, if humility were a being, meet Ugyen Dorji, a man whose life story is a testament to resilience and determination. Hailing from Ulla village in Rubesa Gewog, Wangdue Phodrang, Ugyen’s early years were marked by hardship. His parents divorced when he was just two years old, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother, aunt, and father, while his sister stayed with their mother. Tragically, Ugyen lost his father, an ex-monk, while still in primary school, which forced him to leave his studies after class six.
“During my primary school days, I used to cover my own expenses by selling doma khamto and Bhutan biscuits at Bodrang School. My parents were farmers, and they didn’t have any cash income in the village during the 1990s,” he reminisces.
At the age of 16, Ugyen left home in search of work, landing a job as a generator operator at Penden Cement Authority Limited (PCAL) in Gomtu, earning a modest salary of Nu. 700. Despite his humble beginnings, he seized every opportunity that came his way. Ugyen ventured into the furniture business, selling products across various towns in Bhutan, which ultimately allowed him to buy land in Wangdue town.
In 2000, he married and welcomed three children with his first wife. Following their divorce, Ugyen took on the responsibility of raising his children, ensuring they received a good education. He expresses deep gratitude for his current wife, who treats his children from his first marriage as her own. Together, they have three more children, bringing the total to six—two studying for Master’s degrees in Perth, one in class 11, another in class 9, and their two youngest, aged 4 and 11 months.
After nearly a decade at PCAL, Ugyen made the bold decision to pursue business full-time in Thimphu. However, life took another challenging turn when he faced homelessness after his divorce. Undeterred, he started small, running a restaurant. In 2007, a serendipitous encounter with His Majesty the King at Changlimithang Stadium seemed to turn his luck around. Shortly after, Ugyen’s drayang business, Ugyen Drayang, began to flourish in Thimphu.
Yet, challenges persisted. As his first marriage unraveled, Ugyen faced financial struggles. But meeting his current wife marked a turning point; together, they rebuilt their lives by starting a successful local hotel in Thimphu. Encouraged by his cousin Tshering and brother-in-law Au Pem Tashi, they took a life-changing leap to move to Australia. With their support, they secured visas, embarking on a new adventure.
In Perth, Ugyen studied hotel development at Stanley College, improving his English and acquiring essential skills. They worked tirelessly, saving enough to buy land in Olakha, Thimphu, in 2015. By 2018, Ugyen returned to Bhutan to oversee the construction of Hotel Ugyen, which opened its doors in December 2019.
Since then, his business has flourished, expanding to include Hotel Ugyen Paro, Ugyen Tour & Travel, and Ugyen Production, a film company that has produced two films. While he takes pride in these accomplishments, Ugyen finds the greatest fulfillment in giving back to his community. He helped build a farm road in Ulla and played a vital role in restoring their old village monastery with contributions from Bhutanese expatriates in Australia. Rebuilding his family’s traditional three-story house was a personal milestone, honoring his late grandmother’s and father’s wish to preserve their heritage.
To the youth, Ugyen shares a simple yet powerful message: dream big and work hard. No job is too small; always maintain dignity in your work. With persistence, honesty, and determination, greatness is within reach. Ugyen knows this from experience. Once an unnoticed man living in obscurity, he is now a respected figure in his community. During elections, political parties often seek his endorsement, recognizing his influence and the trust he has earned.
Through his businesses, Ugyen has created job opportunities for Bhutanese youth and contributed to the country’s economy through tax payments. He is proud to provide a good education for his six children—two studying in Australia and the others in school in Bhutan. Reflecting on his journey, Ugyen is grateful for every challenge that has shaped him into the person he is today.
His story is a powerful reminder that hard work, perseverance, and staying true to your values can transform even the most humble beginnings into a meaningful legacy. Ugyen Dorji’s journey inspires us all to never give up and to strive to leave the world better than we found it.
“As His Majesty has said, those living abroad always miss our country, and that’s 100% true. My wife and I spent five years in Perth, and during that time, we missed our country, our parents, and our kids every day. There were moments when we would cry, feeling the distance from home. But we made a plan-we decided to work hard in Australia for only five years, day and night, with a clear goal in mind.
We moved to Perth in 2013, and by 2015, we bought the land for Hotel Ugyen. In 2018, we returned to our beautiful country and began building Hotel Ugyen, a 3-star hotel in Olakha. Since then, we have successfully set up Hotel Ugyen in Thimphu, expanded to Hotel Ugyen in Paro, and started a movie production business in 2020, producing two films so far. We also opened Ugyen Tours & Travel. Through these ventures, we are proud to be providing job opportunities for more than 30 Bhutanese youths. To those who have spent more than five years abroad, I encourage you to come back to our peaceful country. We have so much to do, so much to contribute, and so much to pay back to the King, Country and People.”
By Tashi Namgyal, Thimphu
