Immigration at the airport

Its not surprising it happened thats for sure. As for it being published, well the paper has to fill itself with something to read. But as with most things nothing will come of it.
As coming into the country as tourists, 30 days is not explained at all. So if you arrive on the 1st to a tourist the 30 days would probably end on the 31st not the 30th. But as we know if immigration can extort money through fear and misunderstanding then they will do so.

lukereg wrote:

Its not surprising it happened thats for sure. As for it being published, well the paper has to fill itself with something to read. But as with most things nothing will come of it.
As coming into the country as tourists, 30 days is not explained at all. So if you arrive on the 1st to a tourist the 30 days would probably end on the 31st not the 30th. But as we know if immigration can extort money through fear and misunderstanding then they will do so.

Luke, if you arrive on the 1st the VoA will end on the 30th because it's counted including the date of your arrival and this should be known.

The Immigration is here not extorting money they play by the rules, overstaying cost (as from July) Rp 300.000/day so the amount the family of 4 had to pay is Rp 1.200.000 about USD 120.

You have no idea about how immigration rattle people who are leaving and make genuine mistakes especially as tourists. I agree they should pay if they overstay but they way they dealt with is never nice. Have you been taken into the office at the airport and spoken too and asked for money? Have you been made to wait at immigration while they discuss whether they will let you in? Have you been asked to produce all your employees sponsorship documents to prove you were allowed to be here for a year when you are leaving, because I have and I can tell you it is alll not very nice.

I have no objection to the rules and the rules of the land but the manner in which people are treated especially on the way out is not necessary and makes people less likely to recommend coming here or returning.

We arrived on July 21 and left on Aug. 20,

31 days.
They made a mistake but don'r want to admit it.
Immigration were correct.

"You have no idea about how immigration rattle people who are leaving and make genuine mistakes especially as tourists. I agree they should pay if they overstay but they way they dealt with is never nice. Have you been taken into the office at the airport and spoken too and asked for money? "

Indeed I never had that kind of experience (asking for money / taken to the office) since I never came here on a tourist visa. For sure there are still some unfriendly officials around but you will have to agree also that some foreigners tend to have a not pleasant attitude towards the official especially when they get advised that (if overstayed) a penalty has to be paid.

As a note.

Immigration used to be very corrupt, but I've had no problems at all for years now.
Maybe there are cases where corruption still happens, but this isn't one of them so I think it's extremely unfair of these people to complain.
As for the Newspaper, they must be really pushed for stories if this rubbish is all they have to print.

"Have you been asked to produce all your employees sponsorship documents to prove you were allowed to be here for a year when you are leaving, because I have and I can tell you it is alll not very nice. "

That is nothing new that you need to provide complete documents from the employer if you do your EPO when leaving after finishing your job. If all the docs are OK there will be no reason for the officials to create any problem.

Sorry to hear that you experienced it in the past

The comments below his letter which are being constantly added actually contain replies from the writer himself which is now becoming banal and pointless and highly amusing.
As for the Jakarta Post online, it is never up todate or that interesting. The Globe is somewhat better.


Oh and now this.... http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014 … ports.html

Yep....the letters in the JP are quite entertaining.

This is true,Luke. While I am not a foreigner in Indonesia, my husband is and I went thru /witnessed all that you've mentioned below. They even felt more powerful that I was there with my husband (since they hardly speak English and my husband doesnt speak Bahasa Indonesia at all). I could sense that they thought I would just easily give them what they wanted,without the hassle. Another time when I wasnt with my husband, they made him pay more than 25 US$ for VOA since it was paid in   Euro.
Another thing that I should mention here is that almost everytime,since the first time I travelled out of Jakarta, they would asked me a bunch of unrelated questions which I find annoying and inappropriate. I just wish that our voice is heard and that the govt would do something to make it better.

lukereg wrote:

You have no idea about how immigration rattle peoAple who are leaving and make genuine mistakes especially as tourists. I agree they should pay if they overstay but they way they dealt with is never nice. Have you been taken into the office at the airport and spoken too and asked for money? Have you been made to wait at immigration while they discuss whether they will let you in? Have you been asked to produce all your employees sponsorship documents to prove you were allowed to be here for a year when you are leaving, because I have and I can tell you it is alll not very nice.

I have no objection to the rules and the rules of the land but the manner in which people are treated especially on the way out is not necessary and makes people less likely to recommend coming here or returning.

Hey Annie!  How's that new baby of yours!   Congrats again, and best wishes for all.

Funny how this topic of immigration at the airport can vary so much from one person to the next.  I've only flown internationally out of Jakarta once, all other departures being out of Bali, but like Fred, I've never had any problems even before immigration started to clean up their act. 

As for these occasional articles that appear now and then in the press conveying stories of "abused" or otherwise unhappy tourists, this sort of thing has been going on for a very long time, although I must say, most of the time these sort of articles are to be found in the Australian press.   

Ubudian wrote:

Hey Annie!  How's that new baby of yours!   Congrats again, and best wishes for all.
   

He is doing great Roy! Crawling, mumbling,chewing and all that stuff. Hahaha.
How are you and family?? My warm Regards to them

Good to hear Annie!

Mine are all doing well too!

Warm regards to all!