Indonesia
- World News
Bali to partially re-open to travellers from select countries next week
A government minister in Indonesia has confirmed the island of Bali will partially re-open to arrivals from certain countries. However, the list does not currently include Australia, a significant tourism market for Indonesia prior to the pandemic. According to an AFP report, Luhut Panjaitan says that from October 14, Ngurah Rai International Airport will open for arrivals from South Korea,…
- World News
Indonesian officials look to Phuket sandbox amid tentative re-opening plans for Bali
Tourism officials in Indonesia are monitoring the Phuket sandbox as they consider gradually re-opening Bali to foreign tourists. According to an AFP report, a final decision on re-opening the normally hugely popular island of Bali could happen today. However, the country’s tourism minister, Sandiaga Uno, says any re-opening will have to proceed with caution. “My recommendation is that we move…
- World News
TAT pushes for Indonesia, Malaysia to be added to approved list for Phuket sandbox
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says there is demand in the Malaysian and Indonesian markets, but both countries are currently off the approved list for the Phuket sandbox. The Bangkok Post reports that Sophon Tantayotai from the TAT’s Jakarta office says Indonesians are allowed to travel abroad but cannot avail of the Phuket sandbox, instead having to quarantine for 14…
- World News
Bali to re-open for international yachts with fully vaccinated crew, passengers
The director of a Bali yachting firm says Indonesia is preparing to ease entry restrictions for yachts and fully vaccinated crew and passengers. Thomas Taatjes from Asia Pacific Superyachts says foreign nationals will be required to present proof of Covid-19 vaccination when applying for a visa. “Foreigners who apply for the visa must have a certificate showing they are fully…
- World News
Indonesia converting motorbikes to electric, aims for all e-vehicles
A new program is launching today in Indonesia to convert normal petrol-fueled motorbikes into electric vehicles to try to make Indonesian transportation more eco-friendly. Indonesia’s Energy Ministry announced the plan to make a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation and they have already converted 10 motorbikes. The plan intends to convert 90 more motorbikes by November for a total of…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: High of 20,920 new cases and 160 deaths
A record high of 20,920 new Covid-19 cases and 160 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA has recorded 664,442 Covid-19 cases. Over the last 24 hours since the last count, the CCSA recorded 17,926 recoveries. Thailand now has 213,910…
- World News
Indonesia extends Covid-19 disease control measures for another week
Covid-19 restrictions in Indonesia are being extended to August 2 as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to rapidly spread. Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the extension yesterday, adding that the government will gradually adjust restrictions. Since the start of the pandemic last year, Indonesia has reported 3.1 million Covid-19 cases and 83,279 coronavirus-related deaths. With a recent spike in…
- World News
Man with Covid-19 disguised as his wife to board flight
Stories have been going viral about how after lockdowns and travel restrictions, airlines are struggling with defiant and badly behaved passengers. But an Indonesian man who is infected with Covid-19 went to extreme measures to sneak aboard a flight this week disguised by dressing up as his Covid-19 negative wife. The man who had tested positive for Covid-19 swapped identities…
- World News
Covid-19 crisis unfolding across several Asian nations
Just as the US and Europe are gradually emerging from the devastation brought by Covid-19, the pandemic is wreaking havoc across Asia. Earlier this week, Indonesia overtook India as the epicentre of the virus, reporting over 54,000 new infections and 991 deaths in a single day. Just a month ago, daily new infections were averaging 8,000. Indonesian officials are concerned…
- World News
Indonesia surpasses India as Asia’s Covid-19 hotspot, with over 54,000 new cases
New daily infections in Indonesia have surpassed India’s recent daily numbers, giving the country the dubious honour of being Asia’s new Covid-19 hotspot. The highly-contagious Delta variant is wreaking havoc in Indonesia, with health officials concerned that it is spreading rapidly across Java and Bali, which have been plunged into partial lockdowns. However, according to a Thai PBS World report,…
- World News
Bali to deport 4 tourists for not wearing masks, breaking disease control orders
Four tourists in Bali are being deported after they apparently did not follow local disease control measures during their stay on the resort island in Indonesia. Some didn’t wear face masks while the other, who was infected with Covid-19, apparently left a quarantine hotel during her mandatory isolation period. Covid-19 has been on the rise in the Southeast Asian country,…
- World News
Bali plans 5-year visa scheme for digital nomads as island stalls reopening
Digital nomads in Bali will be granted a 5-year visa, according to Indonesia’s tourism minister. The government is waiting until the Covid-19 situation improves before reopening the island to foreign tourists. To revive the tourist island’s economy after the pandemic, tourism officials hope to attract more digital nomads, online-based business owners and people who work remotely. Under a proposed scheme,…
- World News
BTS meal closes Indonesian McDonald’s amid Covid-19 fears
McDonald’s in Indonesia was the site of a BTS-inspired frenzy that forced them to close at least 13 stores for fears of a Covid-19 outbreak. The world-famous Korean Pop band partnered with the world-famous American burger joint to make a BTS meal deal that had rabid K-Pop fans swarming the restaurants. After yesterday’s release of the BTS meal deal, 5…
- World News
Indonesian submarine salvage efforts called off
After the tragic search for Indonesia’s missing submarine ending in finding it had sunk with no survivors April 21, the government has officially ended attempts to salvage the sub. The KRI Nanggalla 402 was engaging in live torpedo trainings but disappeared in April with 53 crew members aboard. Days of frantic searches and hopes for survivors came to a close…
- World News
Bali officials run out of patience with badly-behaved tourists
The Indonesian holiday island of Bali has lost patience with misbehaving visitors, with several tourists being deported for their high-jinks. Singapore’s Channel News Asia has been documenting the activities likely to get you kicked out of Indonesia – don’t say you haven’t been warned. Bali locals are not in the mood for jokes as their country continues to do battle…
- World News
Covid-19 Indonesia: Indian variant, reused swabs, holiday travel ban
Indonesia is experiencing an average of 5,000 new Covid-19 cases each day over the past week, and the Indian variant has now arrived as well. The Health Ministry confirmed this week that 2 patients had been infected by what has been identified as the B.1.617 variant of the Coronavirus, commonly known as the more contagious Indian strain. Indonesia is often…
- World News
YouTubers in Bali may be kicked out of Indonesia after face mask prank
2 YouTubers in Bali, Indonesia may be getting kicked out of the country after posting a video of one of them breaking local mask-wearing regulations. The local government has seized Josh Paler Lin and Leia Se’s passports and are facing deportation as a result of posting the video, which shows them entering a grocery store with Se being turned away…
- World News
Thailand and Bali race for Southeast Asia’s 1st digital nomad visa
The popularity of the digital nomad lifestyle has been skyrocketing and with Covid-19 teaching many businesses that telecommuting works, it will only increase. Now, Thailand and Indonesia are in a slow-motion race to lure these lucrative travellers with the first digital nomad visa in Southeast Asia. Currently, many people work online from their beach houses and tropical Villas on Thai…
- World News
Search teams zero in on suspected location of missing Indonesian submarine on last day of its oxygen supply
Search teams say they are focusing on an area where the missing Indonesian submarine could be located. The area of interest is about 40 kilometres north of Bali, where oil has been found on the surface of the water. The head of the Indonesian military’s central information unit says the oil is near a dive point and where an object…
- World News
PM Prayut will skip ASEAN summit addressing Myanmar situation, says he needs to deal with Covid situation
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will skip out of attending the Asean summit in Jakarta, Indonesia this Saturday, saying he needs to stay to deal with the country’s Covid-19 situation. The summit was to specially address the worsening situation in the neighbouring country of Myanmar, which saw a military coup February 1. The decision for PM Prayut to skip out is…
- World News
Indonesian submarine with 53 crew on board missing off Bali coast
The Indonesian navy is scouring the waters off Bali after losing contact with one of its submarines, with 53 crew members on board. The country’s defence ministry says the submarine was due to carry out scheduled torpedo exercises, when it requested permission to dive yesterday morning. “After permission was given according to the procedure, the submarine lost contact and could…
- Transport News
Travelling from the UK? Here’s some details on restrictions….
As the summer holiday is just around the corner, many in the UK are wondering if and how they will travel abroad during the Covid pandemic. Despite it being against the law to travel abroad for holiday and leisure in the UK, those who need to travel may want to know what requirements certain countries have in order to enter.…
- World News
Indonesia to introduce new GeNose Covid-19 test for foreign visitors to Bali
The Indonesian government says that from next month, it will allow the use of the GeNose Covid-19 detector for foreign visitors to the island of Bali. This will replace the previous requirement for a negative PCR test or antigen rapid test obtained within 2 days of arrival. From April 1, foreign visitors will be able to take the GeNose Covid-19…
- World News
Suicide bombers attack Indonesia cathedral, at least 20 injured
At least 20 people were injured in an explosion at a cathedral in Indonesia believed to have been cause by 2 suspected suicide bombers involved in an Islamist militant network. The blast went off at 10:30am, just after the Palm Sunday Mass had just finished at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassa, a major port city in South…
- World News
North Korea severs ties with Malaysia over “unpardonable” US extradition
The reclusive country of North Korea has confirmed a severing of diplomatic ties with Malaysia after its one-time ally agreed to extradite a North Korean citizen to the US. According to the Bangkok Post, Pyongyang has described the extradition as an “unpardonable crime”, accusing Malaysia of responding to US pressure with blind obedience. The country’s foreign ministry has announced that…
- World News
Indonesian police may have found officer missing since 2004 tsunami in mental health facility
Officials in the Indonesian province of Aceh believe they may have found a police officer who has been missing since the Indian Ocean tsunami struck 16 years ago. The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami was one of the world’s worst recorded natural disasters, killing around a quarter of a million people in several countries around the Indian Ocean. Aceh was the…
- World News
Indonesia designates 3 areas of Bali as Covid-19 ‘green zones’ to welcome foreign tourists
In a move that Thai officials may watch with some interest, the governor of Bali, Indonesia, has designated 3 areas of the province as Covid-19 “green zones” to welcome international tourists. The popular tourist destinations of Ubud, Sanur, and Nusa Dua, have all been labelled “green zones” as Indonesia takes tentative steps towards re-opening its borders. Bali governor, Wayan Koster,…
- World News
Indonesian and Thai foreign ministers meet with Myanmar counterpart, seek peace after coup
To seek a peaceful solution in Myanmar after the country’s military seized power, foreign ministers of Indonesia and Thailand met with the new, military-appointed foreign minister of Myanmar Wunna Maung Lwinat at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport for a brief, 20 minute discussion. Both the Indonesian and Thai counterparts say they want peace, but the Indonesian foreign minister says Thailand has…
- Covid-19 News
World Tourism hotspots re-opening – success or failure? | VIDEO
The world of tourism has been turned upside down, not just in Thailand but around the world. Globally, it’s certainly the hardest hit industry from the coronavirus pandemic, shutting down hotels, tour companies, grounding aeroplanes and putting millions out of work. Before we look at the latest situation, and predictions for Thailand, let’s take a quick tour of some of…
- World News
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, erupts
The most active volcano in Indonesia, Mount Merapi, erupted yesterday, shooting rocks and a cloud of ash into the sky and streaming a river of lava down the side. Local residents within 5 kilometres of the volcano evacuated the area due to the risk of lava flows reaching the roads. Officials say the sounds from the eruption could be heard…
