The Acting Governor of Bali, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, has issued statements to tourists as the high season gets into full flow.
The Acting Governor and tourism leaders on the island are calling on all tourists to make a real effort to respect the local culture and customs of the paradise island.
Acting Governor Jaya’s comments come as the number of reports of foreigners behaving badly on the island appears to be creeping up.
Over the last weekend, a number of reports came to the Bali authorities about foreigners breaking the law, disturbing the peace, and disrespecting local culture and customs.
Three key incidences included a foreign tourist who started a physical fight with a tour guide driver in Nusa Penida after he was asked to stand in line to take photos, a South African national was arrested for causing disturbances in the Batu Bolong area of Canggu, and a British tourists who hijacked a vehicle and drove to Bali Airport.
Bali Police and Immigration have also coordinated the arrest, detention, and soon-to-be deportation of a Spanish national and a Colombian national who were each found to have not paid their bills at tourism service providers.
The Head of Bali Immigration Office, Ngurah Rai Suhendra, confirmed that both individuals will be reported in the coming days.
Suhendra explained that the two foreigners are partners: a 37-year-old man with the initials CGN, a Spanish passport holder, and a 24-year-old ATL who holds a Colombian passport.
They were arrested on Thursday, 6th June, after they were reported for not paying for their food and accommodation bill at a hotel in the Ungasan area, close to Uluwatu.
They had been staying at the premises for 20 days. The couple argued to police that they had run out of cash, were unable to process a digital payment, and were waiting for funds to be deposited into their accounts by family. The couple are currently being held at Denpasar Immigration Detention Centre.
The Acting Governor of Bali has issued statements to the press in light of these increasing reports of bad behavior. He told the press, “As hosts, we are open to foreigners coming. But we also hope that tourists who come to Bali can respect the customs and culture there.”
He spoke about the list of do’s and don’ts issued to tourists last year, and how these rules need to still be being communicated to tourists in Bali “Acting Governor Jaya said, “It must continue to be socialized because humans forget a lot, we must continue to be reminded, through friends at the Tourism Service, Tourism Satpol PP and all parties.”
He added, “What is clear is that the Tourism Satpol PP is to help or to assist tourists, not [work] as law enforcement, including socializing do’s and don’ts. We must protect Bali. Bali is unique; there is only one Bali in the world.”
The Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, added that there must be zero tolerance for tourists who violate the law or break the rules of their visa conditions. He spoke specifically about the incident on Sunday night at the airport.
He was asked whether the individual will be deported. Pemayun told reporters, “If the authorities think it must be processed legally through existing mechanisms, of course, it must be processed. However, if this is related to a misuse of visa, then steps will be taken by Immigration.”
In 2023, a total of 340 foreigners were deported from Bali Province for a range of offenses. Data from 2024 so far shows that the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights has deported 142 foreigners, with more waiting for their deportations to be processed.
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Terry
Tuesday 18th of June 2024
Throw the scums in hard prison for a couple months. Absolutely no need to take advantage of trusting Balinese people.
Thommo
Thursday 13th of June 2024
Yet thousands of local kids can joyride on motorbikes to school and back home and race down to the local beach for sunset through the villages past the pecalang with no license or helmet with noisy modified revved up exhausts and they are respecting the serenity and culture. Then they and other locals trash the beach with plastic and ride away. Seen it every day. No consequences, no care yet hey governance just focus on isolated and relatively few bad tourists. Never mention or do anything your own lawless issues and dangerous crap roads and appalling traffic.
Picachu
Monday 17th of June 2024
@Thommo,yes totally agree! All the locals making trash whenever they go! Why not to protect their "unique island" from themselves??? During lockdown locals were crying - when the tourists back??? Now you want kick tourists out!!!
Steve b
Saturday 15th of June 2024
@Thommo, I don't know why they blame tourists only for bad behaviour as all the lokal stuff is hushed up always has bee
BaliEyeWitness...
Saturday 15th of June 2024
@Thommo, Thommo unfortunately what you say is true - most of the time I stay in Ubud area and the local youth do exactly the same on motorbikes there with no licenses. No helmets, making incredible noise with the exhaust modified to make as much noise as possible, I no longer wish to visit there. Every day you see kids who are way under the legal age to drive riding motorbikes. Does anybody take any action no. Most of the time there's no lights on these bikes, so at night potentially lethal. So you could say the badly behaved, Russians and Australians and Ukrainians are just following local habits?
Randy
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
Why would some white foreigners who enter shops shirtless or in a bikini?? It’s pretty much understood that the Shop management does not like that type of behavior that may offend other shoppers regardless. It’s NOT a freaking beach for crying out loud. Do you actually do that in your own country? Or do you actually walk into a church semi naked for example... Seriously...these are bad behaviors. Leave your entitlement self outside.
Those who misused their visas (work or open shops illegally) should be deported including Tourist Refugees from recent conflict zones. Obey the law or vamoose. Indonesians do not like people visiting here with a double standard behavior. Tourist operators be it in Central Java or in Bali have heard stories from amicable foreign tourists who are shameful about bad behavior committed by other foreign visitors in Indonesia. Indonesians for the most part do NOT like confrontation so they let things pass. Therefore Indonesian folks are easily stepped all over by some foreigners with an inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, or are overly emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions. In other words, snowflake.
Steve b
Saturday 15th of June 2024
@John Logan, yes I'd love to have been here way back then the old photos and paintings are very erotic
Sven
Friday 14th of June 2024
@Randy, if there is anyone that would fit the term snowflake, it would be Indonesians. The thinnest skin people who cannot tolerate any criticism whatsoever. Never able to take on an equal fight, offline or online. Gets super triggered by anyone who makes a little comment or question about religion, culture, civility, nationality, etc. Other Asians make fun of it and the western people see it as well. Utterly weak and incapable of dealing with difficulties. Never taking responsibility for itself, blaming everyone else. And then gang up in group to make itself look bigger.
Whenever there is any kind of a fight, it's always 1 against a group of Indonesians. Because one-on-one they do not stand a chance.
So perhaps stop calling everyone a snowflake in your comments, because first it looks dumb, and secondly it's a projection. Gets old quick.
John Logan
Friday 14th of June 2024
@Randy, Up until the 1950s, Balinese women went everywhere topless- including the temple. This stopped because it "offended" western values. So now locals are offended by western women in bikinis? It's all a crock. Snowflakes and do-gooders like yourself might swallow it..that's all.
Prabhjot Singh Chawla
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
what about crimes of people in bali! i recently visited there with my wife for our honeymoon for 10days and last day we were supposed to come back to india at night two guys snatched my gold chain in running traffic road! bali police should also issue advisory for tourists to be cares of thieves in there precious bali!
John Logan
Friday 14th of June 2024
@Randy, This is all politics, and you've bought into it.
Jimmy
Thursday 13th of June 2024
@Prabhjot Singh Chawla, in Bali or in any impoverished area, it is bad taste to publicly display your wealth so I suggest in future adjust your lifestyle. Gold chains are ok in LA but not Indonesia.
Thommo
Thursday 13th of June 2024
@Prabhjot Singh Chawla, probably didn't read or were alerted about what tourists should not do in most tourist destinations not just Bali. Don't wear or take expensive jewellery.
Randy
Thursday 13th of June 2024
@Prabhjot Singh Chawla, This is an isolated issue. And that’s too bad about your experience. But Why wear gold chain in public, do you wear it in public in India? So you are now going to paint a big brush about Bali?? Crime is much lower in Indonesia in general than in the West or India for that matter. You hear rape cases against women, caste discrimination against the Dalit people and among other petty crimes in India. Indonesia is much safer than in India.
Randy
Thursday 13th of June 2024
@Prabhjot Singh Chawla, India is worse...This is an isolated issue here. Why wear gold chain in public and that’s too bad. So you are going to a big brush about Bali?? Crime is much lower in Indonesia than in the West or India for that matter. You hear rape cases against women, caste discrimination against the Dalit people and among other petty crimes in India. Indonesia is much safer than in India.
Kishore jagatheesan
Wednesday 12th of June 2024
For tourists who break the law, they shd be punished. They shd be detained and made to pay fines not deported without paying up. They shd not be deported unti fines are paid, if not more tourists will deliberately break the law and hope they will be deported n they go off scotfree.