Quote:
Originally Posted by ghafarbaba
1. Is the counter to buy the ferry return ticket BEFORE Indonesia immigration?
My concern is that we cannot get into Batam without a return ticket.
2. Any recommendation on which Telcomsel or XL SIM card to get? We'll mostly use it for Grab and maybe Michat/Wechat.
3. What are the best shops in Batam Centre where I can buy a local SIM card? Is this before or after Indonesia immigration?
Any help will be much appreciated!
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1. Ferry counter is ouside of the customs area, like anywhere else. You can try purchasing ticket online for to/fro. Then show booking for the ticket. If you call in with some notice, they do allow changing of the timings of your return ticket. I did encounter once seeing Chinese nationals being requested for the return ticket at batam customs, and they showed their bookings. Not sure if was an attempt by customs to bring them to side office.
2 & 3. A few bros mentioned in the recent period that the sim cards purchased in batam couldn't work on their mobiles due to some registration of the mobile phone (not sim card issue). Thus I had been activating auto roam instead. I had also been approached by another visitor on the same ferry to batam asking for help after he couldn't use the purchased sim card on his mobile phone. Ended up helping him make a whatsapp call to his friend.
If you want to still try, there are a few booths selling sim cards at the the ferry terminals upon your exit clearance. Some are just data plans which you can try. They all work well as what I recalled if you are just using for whatsapp, michat, wechat & grab.