In Reply to: why did they change it anyway? posted by sitas_pacar on Saturday, 26. February 2005 at 12:48 Bali Time:
Actually, you can still get a 60 day tourist visa. It just costs money now and must be organised in advance.
Ostensibly, the voa fee goes towards fighting terrorism. The west gave them that excuse, and they ran with it.
Most tourists stayed less than 30 days anyway. Many of the 60-day "tourists" were conducting business.
Australia (and many other countries) charges Indonesians a fee just for applying for a visa, and many are refused. Why expect Indonesia to remain generous when they are not offered the same deal?
Imposing a fee hasn't stopped tourists flooding in, so it's free money. Who's going to turn down free money?