lawyersdontsurf
Hi, I am trying cost a life in Bali and have joined this community for some help. Look forward to chatting, Locky.
SamD
Welcome.Things that I find are generally cheaper (assuming you come from a western country ) :-1. Beer2. Transport. Taxis. Rentals. Petrol.3. Eating out4. More beer5. Accommodation especially if you pay up front for a yearly lease.6. Food. If you stick to local produce.7. Utilities. Electricity. Water. Things you might find more expensive :-1. Insurance2. Food if you want to eat the same as you did at home3. Exotic imported alcohol4. The right to stay without breaking the law. Visa costs.5. If somebody crashes into the back of your stationary car while you are stopped at the red light and they are on a motorbike while texting on their phone. That will cost you a lot especially if fatal.Can't think of anything else at the moment. Good luck.
Markit
Can't agree with 2), 4) or 5) - you can eat exactly as you did at home but you'll need to shop for the ingredients and then make it yourself - forget processed foods and western restos - they're bad for you anyway :)If you think the right to stay (visas) are expensive here ask how much it costs to stay in your country for foreigners... I and mine pay about 10juta (million) IDR yearly.Car crashes are not always the rich guys fault. You just need to stand your ground and insist the others fucked up. If you do kill someone and are at fault it will cost you between $8 and 10 thousand if you kill a Javanese. Top a Balinese and it will be more.
SamD
I will concede on (2) since you have more experience than me. On (4) all I was saying is that you don't have to pay a fee just to stay in your home country and people might not think to add up all the costs associated with visas long term. (5) I mentioned it because it happened to me exactly like that and you are right that I did get away with it by simply paying the girl's hospital bill of about $20. But it wasn't me who dealt with it. I stayed inside the car and sent my balinese wife to sort it out. If I had been by myself I shudder to think what might have happened. And we had to fix the dent in the back of the car ourselves.
Mark
Re number 5, I still can't believe how few in-car cameras I see in Bali. They are a major trend in the rest of Asia - even Jakarta is now catching on. If you install a two channel system, front and rear (cost from 3-4 juta) and have an accident, you can just pass the video to your insurance company and the police (assuming you believe you're not at fault) and let them sort it out. Even if you don't have insurance, a video is worth more than 10,000 words from biased witnesses or the 'since you are a foreigner the accident never would have happened if you didnt' come, therefore it's your fault', 60 IQ argument.
SamD
I understand everything you are saying but the fact is the cops wanted to prosecute me and it was only when my wife mentioned the name of her uncle who is a high ranking police officer in gianyar that they backed down. The cops on the scene saw an opportunity to make some easy bribe money but they missed out this time. It's crazy I know but a fact of life here. Logic doesn't apply and I doubt if any number of gopro videos would make a difference. They'd probably claim that since gopro is a western invention it is biased in favour of westerners and therefore inadmissable.
Mark
I did not / do not recommend a gopro unless you're riding a bike as it is the only solution. The dedicated in-car units are better as they also record speed which you can use to refute any argument that you caused the accident through excessive speeding, in addition to giving both front and rear camera views.One other point if involved in an accident, especially if it involves a motorbike, is to request to see the driving license of the other party. I'd hazard a guess (based on the number of unlicensed local drivers I personally know) that a significant number of local motorbike riders in Bali do not have the required Sim C, which means they are illegal, have no right to be on the road, and are therefore legally at fault if anything happens. Of course, you'd better have a proper license yourself first before making this request, if not a local one then at least a valid license from your home country for the type of vehicle you are driving (car or motorbike), along with an international driving permit.I realize that none of this matters if the police are corrupt in a particular situation (definitely not always the case), or if a local gang beats you to a pulp anyway, but you should still protect and stand up for yourself the best you can.
Markit
Good idea about demanding the license.
