Tourist visas for Indonesia

Hi Guys,

My last posting about the change in visa changes for Indonesia has, sadly,
turned out to be correct.

From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa at the
airport after they arrive.

I don't know what to say :-(

It is a rip-off, especially for those who spend lengthy periods in the
country. It's not so bad for people who come for a 10-day holiday, but for
those who regularly return to the country it is a major hassle. I personally
had planned to spend a few months there, starting about now, but I don't
want the extra expenses and inconvenience that this visa will give me.
Instead I shall avoid Indonesia. There are more economically attractive
destinations nearby. This is rather sad, because I feel I have a personal
rapport with Indonesia.

All I can hope is that there is such a sudden drop-off of Western tourists
that the government will realise the folly of it's way and change their
regulations. Sadly, many Indonesians in tourism will suffer great hardship
in this intervening period. The other side of the argument is that many
government employees will benefit from bribes so that there will be
arguments which support this new system.

Aghhhh, why should I be wasting my time, a country gets the government and
laws it deserves.

Sadly,


Pete Loud
Maps of Indonesia (etc.)
http://users.powernet.co.uk/mkmarina...indonesia.html

Pete Loud wrote:

From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa at the
airport after they arrive.

It's not just tourists from western nations; the $25 instant visa applies to
Japanese tourists too. I've just been told by my travel agent that it has to
be paid in dollars - not local currency. Certainly a "great" way to attract
tourists back to Bali...

--
Dave Fossett
Saitama, Japan

"Pete Loud" schreef in bericht
...
Hi Guys,

My last posting about the change in visa changes for Indonesia has, sadly,
turned out to be correct.

Can you provide us with a link?


From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa at the
airport after they arrive.

Please note that tourists from some Western countries that were eligable for
the 60-day tourist stamp on arrival until now, must apply for the visa *in
advance from an Indonesian Embassy/Consulate* and can NOT get the visa on
arrival.

Sjoerd

Pete Loud wrote in message ...
Hi Guys,

My last posting about the change in visa changes for Indonesia has, sadly,
turned out to be correct.

From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa at the
airport after they arrive.

I don't know what to say :-(

It is a rip-off, especially for those who spend lengthy periods in the
country. It's not so bad for people who come for a 10-day holiday, but for
those who regularly return to the country it is a major hassle. I
personally
had planned to spend a few months there, starting about now, but I don't
want the extra expenses and inconvenience that this visa will give me.
Instead I shall avoid Indonesia. There are more economically attractive
destinations nearby. This is rather sad, because I feel I have a personal
rapport with Indonesia.

Aghhhh, why should I be wasting my time, a country gets the government and
laws it deserves.

I agree.


Thailand is similarly reversing policies to make it more difficult for
Foreign nationals to legally live,parent their children, retire,work or
invest while living there.Other countries in SEA are more accommodating. We
should focus on those countries that do appreciate us.

I also believe that anyone able to maintain a long term personal rapport
with Indonesia should be eligible for a lifetime visa award. ;-)

......Ken

Aghhhh, why should I be wasting my time, a country gets the government and
laws it deserves.


Exactly.

Sadly,


Thai tourist authorities will be delighted. And rightly so.


Kris

"Pete Loud" wrote in message =
...
Hi Guys,
=20
My last posting about the change in visa changes for Indonesia has, =
sadly,
turned out to be correct.
=20
From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa at =
the
airport after they arrive.
=20
I don't know what to say :-(
=20
It is a rip-off, especially for those who spend lengthy periods in the
country. It's not so bad for people who come for a 10-day holiday, but =
for
those who regularly return to the country it is a major hassle. I =
personally
had planned to spend a few months there, starting about now, but I =
don't
want the extra expenses and inconvenience that this visa will give me.
Instead I shall avoid Indonesia. There are more economically =
attractive
destinations nearby. This is rather sad, because I feel I have a =
personal
rapport with Indonesia.
=20
All I can hope is that there is such a sudden drop-off of Western =
tourists
that the government will realise the folly of it's way and change =
their
regulations. Sadly, many Indonesians in tourism will suffer great =
hardship
in this intervening period. The other side of the argument is that =
many
government employees will benefit from bribes so that there will be
arguments which support this new system.
=20
Aghhhh, why should I be wasting my time, a country gets the government =
and
laws it deserves.
=20
Sadly,
=20
=20
Pete Loud
Maps of Indonesia (etc.)
http://users.powernet.co.uk/mkmarina...indonesia.html
It will help to prevent a "portion" of their land from being turned into
foreign land with strange "practices" considered undesirable by locals =
but
tolerated by economic circumtances !

It will help to prevent a "portion" of their land from being turned into
foreign land with strange "practices" considered undesirable by locals but
tolerated by economic circumtances !


Strange practices such as spending money and supporting local
businesses, yes.

Over the past decade ro so, I spend a substantial amount of money
(holidaying and just hanging around minding my own business, but it
adds up after a while, multipiled by 1,000,000 tourists) in Thailand
and Malaysia.

Indonesia wants to make it difficult for me to visit their country (as
I am sure there is lots of neat stuff to see and do and I wouldn't
mind spending a few months in each region), well, fine.


Kris

Indonesia wants to make it difficult for me to visit their country (as
I am sure there is lots of neat stuff to see and do and I wouldn't
mind spending a few months in each region), well, fine.


Eh, that should be... (early morning

Indonesia wants to make it difficult for me to visit their country (I
wouldn't mind spending a few months in each region though IF their
visa policy were a little reasonable as I am sure there is lots of
neat stuff to see and do), well, fine.


Kris

"Pete Loud" wrote in message ...
Hi Guys,

My last posting about the change in visa changes for Indonesia has,
sadly, turned out to be correct.

The new visa law has been said for at least a year.

From the 1st Feb., Western Tourists must get an over-priced visa
at the airport after they arrive.

If overpriced by you mean around U$30, then it's clear. Foreign
tourists who visit Indonesia are poor.

Personally, I don't know why people make a big fuss over the new visa
law.

The exit tax from Indonesia by air is Rp. 1.000.000,00 (around U$120)
and by sea is Rp. 500.000,00 (around U$60) is WAY more expensive, and
it applied to all who leave Indonesia, whether foreigners or locals.
It used to be Rp. 250.000,00 thoguh, until someone decided to devalue
the Rupiah and 'reform' Indonesia.

The new visa law is no different than what other governments do
anyway.

Or maybe regular tourists to Indonesia are too spoiled by the old visa
law?

There's an Indonesian saying, "Orang bijak, bayar pajak" / "Wise man
pay tax". And of course, Jesus said to give to Caesar what is
Caesar's.

Hmmm... Maybe you're just like the ones who intended to trick Jesus
with the trick question on paying taxes to Caesar. And by the look of
it, maybe you're not a wise man?

I don't know what to say :-(

How about none at all, since it's obviously you can't say anything
nice about it. What you should be campaigning is free visa or maybe to
be more precise free travel rights for all citizens from all countries
to travel to all countries, obviously this is NOT what you did.

It is a rip-off, especially for those
who spend lengthy periods in thecountry.
It's not so bad for people who come for a 10-day holiday, but for
those who regularly return to the country it is a major hassle.

Hello, there's this thing called "Kartu Izin Menetap Sementara"?

If you felt so attached to Indonesia, you should have got one.
Obviously, your relationship with Indonesia isn't that close after
all.

I personally had planned to spend a few months there, starting about now,
but I don't want the extra expenses and inconvenience that this visa will
give me.

Well... Now you know on how Indonesian felt like when they want to
visit other countries.

Instead I shall avoid Indonesia.

And most Indonesians probably don't care either way whether you visit
or not.

There are more economically attractive destinations nearby.

Correct. Each people have their own economical way to travel.
Indonesia is just not it for you, and judging by your attitude, it's a
good thing, for Indonesia and you.

This is rather sad, because I feel I have
a personal rapport with Indonesia.

LOL! Funny, what personal rapport? Negativity?

If you really care about Indonesia, you wouldn't be blabbering about
this new visa law in a newsgroup. Suffice to say, your intention is
questionable, do you really wanted the good of Indonesia and all
related people, or just want flame.

All I can hope is that there is such a sudden drop-off
of Western tourists that the government will realise
the folly of it's way and change their regulations.

What if the intention to make them stay away?

You got to remember that there's a possibility that those who created
and/or organized chaos and bombings in Indonesia chances are traveling
to Indonesia using those same free visa?

Sadly, many Indonesians in tourism will suffer great hardship
in this intervening period.

Yeah, I guess those domestic and regional tourists will not be enough
for them to make a living, NOT!

If you want to find out who is causing a drop of foreign tourists,
it's those travel 'warnings' from the foreign governments and bad
reporting from the mass media.

In other words, if you want to feel bad and/or sad, you're barking the
wrong tree.

The other side of the argument is that many
government employees will benefit from bribes
so that there will be arguments which support this new system.

And where these bribed employees spend their money? To pay for the
goods and services they bought from their fellow Indonesians! It
increased the relationship between fellow Indonesians!

Then again, maybe... the prosperous of Indonesians in term of
financial and relationship is not on the top of many foreigners.

Aghhhh, why should I be wasting my time,

And everyone else's time for that matter.

a country gets the government and laws it deserves.

Make no differences anyway, all of the official countries in the world
are ruled by a single world government anyway.

Why do you think that 'they' removed Suharto? He has become more
disobidient to 'them' and become more loyal to his own people.

It should be noted that Suharto also the one who passed on the free
visa rule. Suharto-ism in this part is over, now pay the price.


There are two possibilities on why the new visa law happen:

- An attempt to defame Indonesia. By using people in the Indonesian
government sphere of influence to made the new visa law.

- A protest toward all of those travel 'warnings' and mass media
defamation that wrecked the foreign Indonesia tourism. A "Frankly my
dear, I don't give a damn" position.

It could be both though.

It should be noted that if foreign touris can be considered as
'foreign aids' (foreign aids came in the form of debts though), and
this is Megawati's move. Then Megawati has taken the same step as much
like her father Sukarno, and Suharto (which is kinda like a Godfather
to her).

And one of Sukarno's statement is "Go to hell with your aid". As for
Suharto, well... he bought Russian fighters (back then when the U.S.A.
wasn't actively defamed by 'them' in the front world as a villain).

Sadly,


Pete Loud
Maps of Indonesia (etc.)
http://users.powernet.co.uk/mkmarina...indonesia.html

"Sjoerd" wrote in message ...
Please note that tourists from some Western countries that were eligable for
the 60-day tourist stamp on arrival until now, must apply for the visa *in
advance from an Indonesian Embassy/Consulate* and can NOT get the visa on
arrival.

Yes, just like what many Indonesians did when they need to visit those
countries. The removal of the free visa apply to countries who did NOT
give free visa to Indonesians.

The following countries provide free visa to Indonesian:

- Singapore

- Malaysia

- Thailand

- Brunei

- Phillipine

- Hong Kong

- Chili

- Morroco

- Turkey

- Peru

If a citizen of a particular country want a free visa to enter
Indonesia? Provide Indonesian free visa to enter that country.

Of course, just because you got a visa, that doesn't mean you CAN
enter a country. The final approval lies in the immigration at the
port of entry.

Sjoerd