Resorts popular with Russians have switched to “scare away” tactics: they expose themselves

Recently, many have been surprised by the suspiciously frequent self-disclosures that occur in the Asian resorts beloved by Russians. Indian Goa has officially admitted that guests are being attacked by employees of their own hotels, Thailand has confirmed a large number of deaths of tourists during the high season, Indonesian Bali admitted that over the past two months it has deported more than two hundred Russians, some of them on false denunciations … Light on such tourist “anti-advertising” was shed by an Indonesian official.

For the third month now, strange things have been happening in Bali: in Runet and on the hotline of the Russian consulate, there are cries for help from Russians who are allegedly pursued by the Indonesian police, set on them by immigration services, and arrested “for no reason.” A similar message came the day before from “26 Russians and one Belarusian jailed for playing poker at a private villa in Canggu.” The author reported that a local “immigrant”, threatening with deportation, extorted $10,000 per person from a group of Russians, “and some were even persuaded to intimacy.” Tourists asked for help from the Russian diplomatic mission in Indonesia and domestic media. However, when the Russian side began to look for them on the island, it turned out that everyone had only heard about the “jail for poker”, but no one knows the specific victims.

– Yes, the story that 30 of our people were swept up for playing poker has spread around everyone here, – admits the Russian, who is now in Bali. – Allegedly, according to the denunciation of their own, since the villa is private, there were only Russians and Belarusians in it. They took everyone away on the grounds that gambling is prohibited in Bali. But this casino is banned, and at home you can play whatever you want. Everyone heard, but no one saw. Therefore, we sat down with our company, thought and decided that the Balinese authorities themselves spread such rumors – they scare us away like flies.

At the same time, the Australian publication, whose citizens also love holidays in Bali, quoted an influential Indonesian politician, Mr. Panjaitan, who noted the benefits of a policy of “scaring away problem tourists.” According to the speaker, “it is low-income tourists who make brawls and brawls, offend locals, including government officials, spoil the rest of others and negatively affect the reputation of the resort.” As a measure against objectionable guests, the politician proposed to impose a tax on all foreigners arriving in Bali in order to “cut off the poor and problematic” and attract “quality ones”. The proposal found support in the regional legislative council of the province of Bali, whose chairman proposed at the same time to expand the deportation program, immediately expelling from the island for any violations, without waiting for their recurrence: “We need tourists, but respectable ones, and not those who throw tantrums and riots” . And the head of the Indonesian immigration service, Silmi Karim, said that in the first 3 months of 2023, 620 foreigners were expelled from the country for three main reasons: illegal stay (misuse of visas and residence permits), violation of public order, inappropriate behavior and non-compliance with Indonesian norms.

“Here they don’t hide that they want to get rid of “mass” tourism,” says a Russian-speaking guide from Nusa Dua (a district of the island. – Auth.). – Namely, from long-steers without extra money. Especially for them a series of bans. For example, you can’t ban foreigners from renting bikes at all, but you can require a driver’s license issued in Indonesia.

– And can, within the framework of the “policy of scaring away” the objectionable contingent, they deliberately spread rumors?

– I don’t know about rumors, but hotel staff have already received instructions to instruct guests on how to behave on the island, with an emphasis on the intolerance of local authorities to unrest. The slightest offense – and in prison. Billboards are already being put up that a campaign is underway to stamp out the riots.

– If they introduce a tax, whatever it may be (the amount has not yet been specified. – Auth.), It will really turn many of our people away from Bali, – says a relocant from Moscow, who settled on the Indonesian island. – Taking into account the fact that already now they are thrown out of here at the very first anonymous denunciation. And they themselves admit that “not all cases of violations have been proven, since the flow is too large.” It’s like with that poker: what does the state gambling ban have to do with what happens in a private house?! The deportation can be challenged in the local court, but the Russians do not have the money for this, and that’s what they’re counting on. In general, as soon as the inconvenience finally outweighs the convenience, we will move to neighboring regions.

However, the neighbors, apparently, “prepared.” Thai Phuket suddenly stunned potential guests with the message that “64 people suffer in road accidents on the island every day.” On April 8, in the wake of an accident with Russians (on Saturday, two brothers aged 36 and 32 flew off the road in the center of the island on a bike, the elder died, the younger was in serious condition), the Thai Road Safety Committee officially announced that since the beginning of this year, on Phuket roads 38 people died, and 6422 were injured – and mainly through the fault of “unorganized” tourists. And the Indian Goa has moved from words (recognition of the fact of attacks by local personnel on foreign guests) to deeds – the revocation of licenses from hotels. The state police report said that establishments “not equipped with surveillance cameras, 24-hour security and personnel files” are closed. Simply put, the most budgetary “guests” that the “objectionable contingent” loves so much.