Jakarta

[Hilo77]

Yes this happened to me last year. Except in this case it was wechat, I'm in melbourne and the woman supposably in sydney. She said she was a currency trader and making huge money and would send photos of gucci handbags and other expensive high end stuff. This all went on for a number of months until one day she sent me a message asking if I would be interested in being partners in the currency trade with her. I replied, ha ha thanks but no thanks I'm quite happy with my currnt investments. Never heard from her again. So yeah eventualy they'll get around to the scam.

I see, thanks that makes sense. The first one was pretty useless as she couldn't manage any sort of conversation beyond flashing her supposed wealth (in hindsight I think there might have been another one, an Indonesian woman who claimed to be a wine importer and when in passing I mentioned something about fasting she asked me why anyone would fast, and then made it clear she had no idea what Ramadan was, an unlikely Indonesian, no matter whet religion she was).

This one I am currently engaged with can actually chat about things, including movies and TV programs, but keeps bringing the topic around to money, investments and luxury items. She insists the hotel bathroom is actually her apartment in Repulse Bay. Yeah, when did you ever see a woman's bathroom that wasn't totally cluttered with tubes, brushes, jars, bottles, cotton wool and all the other crap they store in there? Not even a toothbrush to sully the pristine marble sink unit, while behind her is a crisply folded white towel and the aforementioned miniature shampoo bottles.

This doesn't even seem worthwile pursuing like the Nigerian scammers, sounds like it's all too long and boring.

[JKTBanger]

Try Twitter just search #BOJakSel.

Thanks, but I guess I was more wondering if there are any find establishments open that I could visit. Not really wanting to bring anything to my apartment.

[Blue Bus]

Yes this happened to me last year. Except in this case it was wechat, I'm in melbourne and the woman supposably in sydney. She said she was a currency trader and making huge money and would send photos of gucci handbags and other expensive high end stuff. This all went on for a number of months until one day she sent me a message asking if I would be interested in being partners in the currency trade with her. I replied, ha ha thanks but no thanks I'm quite happy with my currnt investments. Never heard from her again. So yeah eventualy they'll get around to the scam.

[Hilo77]

I have come across a type of Tinder contact who are obviously scam artists but as I have neither the patience nor the inclination to see it through I don't know what their angle is.

The first one claimed to be an Indonesian woman living in Hong Kong, and living the high life. Personal details were very sketchy but she would WA me pictures of her top-of-the-range Mercedes or the fine jewellery she was wearing that night. I wasn't particularly interested as I am more of a low (very low) hanging fruit kinda guy, pembantus and karaoke hostesses rather than society hostesses being my field of operations, I get the same result for one thousandth of the cost.

Anyway, every morning I would get a new picture of her high life, with a brief description of what she had done the previous day, but nothing in the way of normal human chit-chat. Then one day she sent me a picture of a beautifully set out and elaborate Chinese fish dish that her "maid had cooked her for lunch". Well her maid must be a five-star chef I thought, so I confirmed whether she was actually in a restaurant, no she assured me this was her dining room and her maid had brought her lunch. I then noticed something in the corner of the pic, "So why does your maid bring you a receipt along with your lunch? Conversation ended after that. No big deal, a pointless show-off trying to impress a stranger, I forgot about it.

Now I find myself in a conversation with another Indonesian woman, trapped by visa regulations in Hong Kong. And she obviously has a great career, she showed me a picture of the nice boat she was going out in a spin around the bay. I asked her, not with any great interest, how her trip was. She replied the next morning, apologising for being tired after her trip saying it was fun. The next morning she sends me pictures of two watches, one a Rolex, one an AP, which should she pick? Eenie-meenie I thought and picked one, "ooh" she replies (next morning) "that's the one I like too", and proceeded to ask me about my watch collection. Next morning a picture of her in her bathroom mirror at home, hmmmm, I have seen a few hotel bathrooms before and I know what they look like, besides the four miniature soap bottles in the shower are a bit of a give-away.

So what's the angle? They are pretending to be extremely wealthy independent women, living the high life. The scam is a bit poorly run depending as it does on photos culled from the internet and the messages are only sent in the morning. Like I say I haven't the inclination to follow it through but no doubt it involves bank account details and cash transfers but to be honest the speed at which they operate it could be months before the sting emerges. Anyone been here before? Is there a way I can have fun in return?

[PilotPaul]

There are many countries with a much less infection rate than the US so I don't see the risk. Vietnam has had 369 infections and no deaths and Cambodia has had 141 infections and no deaths from covid-19 so I don't see the risk for Americans, though being allowed entry into those countries is a completely different issue.

The risk is that no country will want US residents entering their pristine covid-free country. While many countries have taken the hard decisions to reduce the spread of the virus in their community it would appear from the case numbers that the US has chosen to tolerate high virus rate. US will be able to travel to other covid-high countries like Brazil but entering for a quick holoday low rate countries like Vn, Th or ID unlikely.

[TripleX]

Hey guys,

I relocated to Jakarta about a month ago (got in on a repatriation flight with a freshly processed KITAS). It seems like some things are starting to open up, wondering if anyone has any tips on where to get a short time after work in south Jakarta?

Any wisdom anyone can share?

Try Twitter just search #BOJakSel.

[LA Guy 5]

No travel until 2031? That's a pretty dark forecast. LOL. A more likely prospect is that either the labs come up with a viable vaccine in the next 12 months or mother nature will do the job for us with herd immunity. I read a recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Herd Immunity May Be Closer Than You Think: Antibody tests could significantly underestimate the number of novel coronavirus infections. " Take a look.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/herd-im...nk-11594076237

But there is also this: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53315983. I tend to think a vaccine is the only near-term (meaning in the next year or so) solution to this. Herd immunity would be great (other than the number of deaths and permanent health problems necessary to get there) but for a number of reasons it doesn't seem very likely to me we will get there.

Edit: I see the link isn't working at least from my computer. But if you cut and paste it into a browser it should work.

[JKTBanger]

Hey guys,

I relocated to Jakarta about a month ago (got in on a repatriation flight with a freshly processed KITAS). It seems like some things are starting to open up, wondering if anyone has any tips on where to get a short time after work in south Jakarta?

Any wisdom anyone can share?

[Zippos]

I am talking about 3 months from now. Not today. Flights are actually open now if you have a KITAS. They aren't allowing tourist visas yet.

Smoothy,

Just our of curiosity, how expats are managing visa run if they are not allowed back in on a tourist visa? I was talking to a Dutch friend, apparently there is some sort of Govt service in Jakarta where they are extending their Tourist Visa!

[Member #4698]

That's more like it.

No travel until 2031? That's a pretty dark forecast. LOL. A more likely prospect is that either the labs come up with a viable vaccine in the next 12 months or mother nature will do the job for us with herd immunity. I read a recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Herd Immunity May Be Closer Than You Think: Antibody tests could significantly underestimate the number of novel coronavirus infections. " Take a look.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/herd-im...nk-11594076237

[Turgid]

Can't see any of us being able to travel in without there being a vaccine in place otherwise we are taking a huge risk. .............

There are many countries with a much less infection rate than the US so I don't see the risk. Vietnam has had 369 infections and no deaths and Cambodia has had 141 infections and no deaths from covid-19 so I don't see the risk for Americans, though being allowed entry into those countries is a completely different issue.

[Irish Mongrel]

The good news is the incentives are strong, many high tech pharmaceutical companies worldwide are racing to be first to develop a viable vaccine, and there are signs that progress is being made ie serious Human trials are now underway. The bad news is from testing to production to world wide distribution, it is going to take TIME. That's why I opted for an Airline refund over a reschedule or an account credit. I plan to book a bigger & better trip as soon as I get the vaccine; whenever that is. Probably not until the end of the 1st quarter 2021. But we shall see.

Can't see any of us being able to travel in without there being a vaccine in place otherwise we are taking a huge risk. I have multi-trip travel insurance, which currently covers me for COVID, but then at the minute I can't travel. Absolutley certain that when it comes to renewal COVID-19 will not be included in the cover. So I can either hope I catch it and recover (in a first world country) between now and borders re-open, I take the risk of catching it whilst travelling in the Big Durian (not really a good plan), or wait untill a vaccine is available. I can see it being at least another year before I step in Jakarta, unless I get sent there for work. So fingers are crossed for the work route, then I will have proper medical coverage.

[Marky1]

I plan to book a bigger & better trip as soon as I get the vaccine; whenever that is. Probably not until the end of the 1st quarter 2031. But we shall see.

That's more like it.

[Member #4698]

I am talking about 3 months from now. Not today. Flights are actually open now if you have a KITAS. They aren't allowing tourist visas yet.

Well all I know is that the trans Pacific portion of my United Airlines flight to Singapore was cancelled the other day. Since early June I knew this mid August scheduled departure was not going to happen. United's announcement just made it official.

On their website United gave me 3 choices: reschedule the flight for up to 5 months down the road, take a United account credit for the flight good for up to 2 years, or accept a full cc refund. I chose a full refund. So that's that. No trip for me and nothing scheduled until a vaccine is available. And today I cancelled all my hotel reservations and inter Asian flights. I am kind of blue now. It would have been a great trip. But I don't see any changes or improvement as far as international air travel is concerned in the next 6 months because it is going to take a vaccine break thru to change the current international status quo.

The good news is the incentives are strong, many high tech pharmaceutical companies worldwide are racing to be first to develop a viable vaccine, and there are signs that progress is being made ie serious Human trials are now underway. The bad news is from testing to production to world wide distribution, it is going to take TIME. That's why I opted for an Airline refund over a reschedule or an account credit. I plan to book a bigger & better trip as soon as I get the vaccine; whenever that is. Probably not until the end of the 1st quarter 2021. But we shall see.

[Smoothy]

even if you were able to get a flight over, which you won't, many hotels aren't operating right now and most tourist locations, even the beaches are closed. Restaurants aren't operating, neither are the bars and its going to be a pretty lonely holiday with nobody else around.

I am talking about 3 months from now. Not today. Flights are actually open now if you have a KITAS. They aren't allowing tourist visas yet.