Quote:
Originally Posted by nitecrawllerr
It happened almost every part of Indon. So u are not entirely wrong to assume Indon is a corrupt country. I remember decades ago lah. I knew this imm offr from Batam Ampar. Well, he belanja me. Drove a car. Looked new to me. When asked, he told me his mthly pay pathetic. But can afford to have a new car...cheong here and there.  |
Hehehe...reminds me of taxi drivers in Batam. They were not poor people, in fact their monthly income were as high as (if not higher) than many local Singaporean who traveled to Batam.
Took countless taxis in Batam over the last 5 odd years, used to ask them about their monthly income and the least paid taxi drivers i hear earns about S$1.5k a month on average. Highest one was over S$4k a month. And to think most overnight booking girls i talked tends to sympathize taxi drivers...hehehe...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Myhorizon
Corruption has not been eradicated in Indonesia, but there are some tourists who will attract questioning.
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Definitely not completely eradicated but things did improve quite a bit comparing the past which is why i only commented on Batam and avoid using the word, "Indonesia",hehehe...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Myhorizon
Singaporeans/Malaysians first time go to Batam alone kana ask why go Batam, and if can not speak Malay or Bahasa Indonesia then Why alone if cant speak. Answer wrongly and sure kena called into room.
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I dont speak Indo Bahasa too. Perhaps thats why i am often prompt the "golden question" by the immigration officer/s. Touch wood, i didnt get called to the office before. I mean i do understand that the immigration has the Rights to call anyone into their office w/o any valid reason. Which is why i use to say, staffs working with Indonesia authorities were the very people i feared more than robbers, scammers, thieves, drug sellers/addicts and gangsters whenever i traveled to Batam.
My only defense against them, the phone number and address of the Singapore Consulate in Batam.
https://www.mfa.gov.sg/batam
Quote:
Originally Posted by Myhorizon
Sometimes ask stay which hotels, go how many days, do what in Batam. Give touristy answers normally can clear with this type of question.
Hope it helps, cos I kena ask such question before.
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Those were some of the common "golden questions" prompted in almost every immigration in all parts of the world,hehehe...
Thank you for sharing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlickBassy
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For this reason, the group of officers got pecking order. If you new bird or kana marked, they send you to Nagoya. There got nice tourists but most time damn boring and worse like far from civilisation like that. That side how to eat money? Very little traffic and mostly transits from casino boats. The ok one is Sekupang. If you got a handle, just pay one or two dollar for express services and an angpow for CNY and Hari raya. But familiarity breeds contempt so if you go to Batam be unpredictable like using other ports. For example, Pungol and Sekupang got domestic ports, and Barelang also got stop over to get to other parts of Riau Islands, and more importantly can connect you to sg from other islands like Bintan and TBK. You see all kind of authorities from the polis, the navy and other military detachments on Batam island. Sometimes got to look sometimes they just stare you down. This is my personal, abeit dated causal observations.
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Learned something, thank you for sharing.
Sounds to me like the Indonesia authorities were running on Mafia-management,hehehe...
Too many "incidents" happening in Batam Center ferry terminal (not just the corruption part alone), hence this is one port i would try to avoid. Regardless how cheap the ferry fare can be there, safety would be my number 1 priority. As for the other more expensive port/s, i would try to look for means and ways to see if there is any chance for a better than normal price.