Jakarta

[QUOTE=Zippos;2938423]
When it comes to using of physical CC for any purchase, often others don't pay attention is to what currency to select! Most cases it will ask for local currency being option one which in this case IDR, which is set by merchants bank at a very high exchange rate, second option is USD which is also set by merchants bank at a higher exchange rate and third option is home currency where CC is from. It's always best to choose home currency that way home bank does the conversion based on mid-day exchange rate. That way you won't loose much in the process.
[/QUOTE]Hey Zippo, sorry, but the opposite is true. If you chose the local currency, wherever you are (e.g., IDR in Indonesia), exchange rate will be set by card provider (i.e., visa or mastercard). The mechant in Indonesia will have nothing to do with that, so the exchange you get is the best possible. After that, your own bank usually tacks on an invisible currency conversion fee (around 2 percent is typical).

If you select anything other than the local currency, the merchant in Indonesia (or rather, whoever handles the transaction for them) will themselves decide the exchange rate to use for conversion to USD or your local home currency, and your home bank will not be involved. This will always be a rate way worse rate than the visa / mastercard rate, and usually much worse than the 2% currency conversion fee your own bank tacks on.

There are some cards that do not impose this conversion fee I've read, but those are not available to me unfortunately. I instead use Wise, which has a lower fee than most.

This is the correct answer. Always select the local currency and reject DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) to your home currency. Whether using a credit card or an ATM. Reject the automatic conversion to your home currency. Don't take my word for it either.

[URL]https://www.us.hsbc.com/international-banking/should-you-pay-in-local-currency-outside-the-us/[/URL]

[URL]https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/credit-cards/credit-intel/should-you-pay-in-local-or-home-currency-when-traveling/[/URL]

[URL]https://www.cnn.com/travel/foreign-travel-pay-local-or-home-currency/index.html[/URL]

[QUOTE=Werqweq;2938644]Hey Zippo, sorry, but the opposite is true. If you chose the local currency, wherever you are (e.g., IDR in Indonesia), exchange rate will be set by card provider (i.e., visa or mastercard). The mechant in Indonesia will have nothing to do with that, so the exchange you get is the best possible. After that, your own bank usually tacks on an invisible currency conversion fee (around 2 percent is typical).

If you select anything other than the local currency, the merchant in Indonesia (or rather, whoever handles the transaction for them) will themselves decide the exchange rate to use for conversion to USD or your local home currency, and your home bank will not be involved. This will always be a rate way worse rate than the visa / mastercard rate, and usually much worse than the 2% currency conversion fee your own bank tacks on.

There are some cards that do not impose this conversion fee I've read, but those are not available to me unfortunately. I instead use Wise, which has a lower fee than most.[/QUOTE]

Let's say you pay Classic with CC, how do you go about avoiding the "currency conversion"? If you stick your CC into the machine (and enter your PIN) you have control over what happens and can deny the currency conversion. On the other hand, sticking your CC into the machine increases the risk of cloning etc. If you pay contactless, you may have no control over the currency conversion, indeed you may systematically get screwed by the house like what seems to happen in Brazil clubs (see Sao Paulo thread). If someone knows the Indonesian idiom for "currency conversion" I'd be interested.

Meanwhile the following school translation can be useful:

"Ku tidak mau konversi mata uang, ku ingin bayar dalam rupiah" ("I don't want a currency conversion, I want to pay in rupiah").

Sweet Jesus mother of God!

Your are telling me I've been doing this wrong all along! No wonder why my departments finance team were asking for clarification on actual receipts. Time to change my cabbage head financial advisor.

Thanks much Werqweq and NoGermaphobe. I will stick to local currency moving forward. I'm going to send those links to my Branch Manager and ask her to advise that dumb Financial Advisor.

[QUOTE=Werqweq;2938644]Hey Zippo, sorry, but the opposite is true. If you chose the local currency, wherever you are (e.g., IDR in Indonesia), exchange rate will be set by card provider (i.e., visa or mastercard). The mechant in Indonesia will have nothing to do with that, so the exchange you get is the best possible. After that, your own bank usually tacks on an invisible currency conversion fee (around 2 percent is typical).

If you select anything other than the local currency, the merchant in Indonesia (or rather, whoever handles the transaction for them) will themselves decide the exchange rate to use for conversion to USD or your local home currency, and your home bank will not be involved. This will always be a rate way worse rate than the visa / mastercard rate, and usually much worse than the 2% currency conversion fee your own bank tacks on.

There are some cards that do not impose this conversion fee I've read, but those are not available to me unfortunately. I instead use Wise, which has a lower fee than most.[/QUOTE]

I guess we have the possibility of getting screwed regardless what menthol we employ. I had my CC compromised while using Tap / Contactless paying at a Chinese restaurant. As per Apple, Apple Pay is the most secure and it's paid using a different code. I guess whoever had my info from Tap, must've been very good at it. I ended up buying those NFC blocking sleeve for my cards.

And thanks XXL for the Bahsha translation. It will come in handy when I use it at duty free next month.

Speaking of duty free, anyone knows if Jakarta Airport Terminal 2 F (Cebu pacific and other budget airlines fly from) has duty free shops? Need to get some Tulamore Dew (if they have it) before my flight to Manila.

[QUOTE=XXL;2938677]Let's say you pay Classic with CC, how do you go about avoiding the "currency conversion"? If you stick your CC into the machine (and enter your PIN) you have control over what happens and can deny the currency conversion. On the other hand, sticking your CC into the machine increases the risk of cloning etc. If you pay contactless, you may have no control over the currency conversion, indeed you may systematically get screwed by the house like what seems to happen in Brazil clubs (see Sao Paulo thread). If someone knows the Indonesian idiom for "currency conversion" I'd be interested..[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=XXL;2938677]Let's say you pay Classic with CC, how do you go about avoiding the "currency conversion"? If you stick your CC into the machine (and enter your PIN) you have control over what happens and can deny the currency conversion. On the other hand, sticking your CC into the machine increases the risk of cloning etc. If you pay contactless, you may have no control over the currency conversion, indeed you may systematically get screwed by the house[/QUOTE]Regardless of chip, swipe or pay wave (contactless) I always what will be charged to my card before tapping / inserting / swiping. And yes, always pay in local currency (and travel with a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees).

Yes mate, Jakarta Terminal 2 F has a duty free shop; I bought my whiskey bottle from there as I landed by VietJet Air. The shop is just close by opposite to conveyer belts before you exit.

Regards.

[QUOTE=Zippos;2938771]I guess we have the possibility of getting screwed regardless what menthol we employ. I had my CC compromised while using Tap / Contactless paying at a Chinese restaurant. As per Apple, Apple Pay is the most secure and it's paid using a different code. I guess whoever had my info from Tap, must've been very good at it. I ended up buying those NFC blocking sleeve for my cards.

And thanks XXL for the Bahsha translation. It will come in handy when I use it at duty free next month.

Speaking of duty free, anyone knows if Jakarta Airport Terminal 2 F (Cebu pacific and other budget airlines fly from) has duty free shops? Need to get some Tulamore Dew (if they have it) before my flight to Manila.[/QUOTE]

Rodney. Sorry to hears about yours experince with the elec visa.

Your Visa might still be there, the website is not intusitive. So sometimes you needs to exit, reload, or click on the email that was sent to you. Its a pain, but it will be there. You just need to make payment. And for everyone else, make sure you screenshot everythings, becaause yes there is not guaratee you will find the PDF again or can downlad. Just be safe.

Also, some of you will have issues taking photo of your passport due to glare. It so annoyings.

EXTENSION is quite easy. Everying is done online. I suggest you do 7 days in advance of expiry to be safes. But same issue as above. You will think it did nothing, but then you will have to go back to website (reload, exit and relogin, something!) and you will find it has been apporoved. Again, screenshot everything just to be safe.

The nice thing about eVisa is you can NOW use the Electronic gates. Just scan your passport. We are amazings. No need to deal with mean immigration people who sometimes gives hard time.

Goood luck.

[QUOTE=RodneyRude;2937894]Hi Guys.

I just applied for the online Evisa, filled out all the forms and paid the 1. 5 juta only to have my application dissapear, googled up on it and apprently its quite common, be careful yeah, on that note how easy is it to extend a 30 day VOA in Jakarta? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Gents,

Can anyone recommend the higher class happy massage place near SCBD area in Central Jakarta? I have some times to kill between meeting and late dinner and very interested for relax and fun.

I have been to Fortune Spa on Sudirman. Nicer facilities, but expensive (starts at 1. 4 M, ok attractive women) and always government cars park outside. I have been to the'Heaven near Dharam area, but that place is too run down. Malio and classics to further for me.

[QUOTE=MrMiyaG;2931925]Haha I wonder which one. I was also kinda play flirting with one Mama named Jeny she gave me her WhatsApp. She told me yeah you like slim, petite girls I said yes like you (she is also petite with glasses) I told her jokingly come to my room, then she replied what hotel and what time you want me. I didn't reply back because I was joking but I think the possibility was there if I wantend to.

Some Mamas are a real pain in the ass, but I have bonded with a few in classic and when they see me they know what I like and call their best girl to meet me.[/QUOTE]Dude, that's the same one. Hahaha. Her (ex?-) Husband even wrote me. It's messed up! Hahahah.

[QUOTE=SuperLove;2932509]Did you take the mamasan from classic terminal (2 floor) or classic spa in basement. Mamasan in basement spa are young & super hot, to the extent I have told one that I wish to bang her at my pad couple of times. Both times she said no but was willing to share her no. Do you guys think fucking her was a real possibility, I wasn't willing to spend time on her on the trip but hell yeah she was super hot and way better than the girls sitting in the fishbowl.[/QUOTE]

No. The one from 2nd floor.

[QUOTE=Gabacho;2932566]Excellent report. I plan to be there soon. I'm excited to check out Classic (terminal). Everyday for a month straight? Who are some of the girls there that you would recommend?[/QUOTE]

376k for a pop? Ofc you go every day. Best price-performance ratio in the world!!!

I don't remember the names, but if you give it some time walking around you find them quickly!

[QUOTE=Vendelo;2932785]I have RTFF-ed the last 15-20 pages.

I understand some Classic girl are not allowed to leave Classic. But if I find one that may leave, may she leave to meet me right after our session?[/QUOTE]Idk, I never met any of the girls outside of classic. They surely want 3 x the price (that's at least how much they wanted in kotah inda) and it's just not worth it if a short moto ride is only 30 k.

Will be in town for about a week if anybody is down to meet up.

[QUOTE=AttilaTheHun;2938922]
Idk, I never met any of the girls outside of classic. They surely want 3 x the price (that's at least how much they wanted in kotah inda) and it's just not worth it if a short moto ride is only 30 k.[/QUOTE]It will depend on the chick and their situation.

Many of them are living in a group and are watched over.
So leaving to meet up with anybody off hours is GENERALLY not possible.

With that being said, I did have a chick meet up with me while in that scenario.
She told her "guardian" she was going to get cigarettes but came to my hotel for a quickie.
The chick was dressed in her PJs. LOL.

[QUOTE=JSmithJ88;2938933]It will depend on the chick and their situation.

Many of them are living in a group and are watched over.
So leaving to meet up with anybody off hours is GENERALLY not possible.

With that being said, I did have a chick meet up with me while in that scenario.
She told her "guardian" she was going to get cigarettes but came to my hotel for a quickie.
The chick was dressed in her PJs. LOL.[/QUOTE]Depends on the girl. I have had nice relaxed sessions in my room with Classic girls on their day off. Paid the same as I would in Classic but no tip. So cheaper for me in the end and more relaxed. Of course this is with girls who know me and I have repeated in Classic first.

[QUOTE=RodneyRude;2937894]Hi Guys.

I just applied for the online Evisa, filled out all the forms and paid the 1. 5 juta only to have my application dissapear, googled up on it and apprently its quite common, be careful yeah, on that note how easy is it to extend a 30 day VOA in Jakarta? Thanks.[/QUOTE]Not sure which URL you used. Below is the official immigration site and they charge IDR 519,000. The eVisa was instantaneous at least in my case. When the payment transaction completed I got an email with the eVisa pdf file.

[URL]https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/[/URL]

[QUOTE=WildInstincts;2938961]Not sure which URL you used. Below is the official immigration site and they charge IDR 519,000. The eVisa was instantaneous at least in my case. When the payment transaction completed I got an email with the eVisa pdf file.


[URL]https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/[/URL][/QUOTE]Which visa option did you choose? I don't see an option for tourist / vacation visa??