The worst “horror story” I’ve ever heard about visa over-stays concerns an American expat...to remain nameless, (but it’s not me), who forgot the lessons of Ben Franklin, in particular, the one about being “penny wise and pound foolish.”
The irony of this story, which I guess is not proper to introduce before the story, nonetheless, is that he used to “brag” almost incessantly at Nuri’s about how “clever” he was and how much money he was saving.
So, this is what he was up to. In order to avoid the expense of leaving Indonesia for Singapore or otherwise to renew his tourist visa, he worked out a “deal” with the immigration office at Ngurah Rai, where for a “fee” they would stamp his passport with both an exit and re-entry stamp, dated appropriately, which ostensibly saved the time and expense of leaving the country. This is back when a non visa entry, from the US, was good for sixty days.
He got away with this approach for quite a number of years, but when the visa regulations were changed, and the head immigration office in Denpasar cracked down on the satellite office in Ngurah Rai, he suddenly found himself caught between that proverbial “rock and a hard place.”
What really happened to him is still a matter of speculation and conjecture, as after all, a man can only swallow so much pride. But, for a long while, almost half a year, our friend was nowhere to be seen, and when he finally returned from the states, a place he hadn’t returned to in many a year, it was explained that his dear dad was ill, and he had to go home.
I think the lesson here is NOT to play...AT ALL, with visa regulations, or immigration.
What is the point, assuming that Bali has been selected as “home” to attempt to save a few hundred, or even a few thousand dollars, just to result in Bali no longer being home? That is monumentally stupid in my view...and worthy of a nomination to the annual Darwin Awards.
I’m working on my “ten commandments” for successful life in Bali, but I can offer commandment number one: NO DRUGS...period, and number two, DON’T MESS WITH IMMIGRATION. I’ve got a third, but I don’t know where to work it in on my list of ten, but it is NO DENIM SAPUKS. Any suggestions to complete my two tablets will be greatly appreciated!