Batam Info / Interest / Help Thread

[iicycold]

Originally Posted by nono1973

I like that music video too.

Nice real life photos, by the way.

Watch out for mine...and coming soon.

U like it? Good!

Camping 4 yr version.

Originally Posted by nono1973

Batam is at its busiest,the Batam thread will be at its quietest.

Tink u r rite,btm shld be crowded nw w the home-cming ferry back 2 sg.

Btm thread is quiet today,dn't tell me u r in...?

[iicycold]

Originally Posted by Black Page

Most people here do not understand that girls working in joints are not things (with variable "quality") ...

I'd say mani dn't undstd hw 2 treat another human (both sexes) w respect,but wen it cms 2 talkin abt usin "quality" 2 describe batches of girls, diff culture frm different parts of the world put thg in words differently & much often dnt reli meant 2 be disrespectful 2 any1.

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by tomcat007

No offense to anyone... But, please enlighten me, why is Delta Spa being considered a tourist trap?

Going to ask you a few questions before answering. My question/s actually self-answers itself tho and my reply is going to be a long one on this,hehehe... (anyone who didnt like it,kindly click on the ignore button,thank you)

____________________________

1. Have you been to Altalanta Men's Spa? How much was the price for 1.5 hour massage inclusive of room? Answer is 250k for normal room or 370k for its VIP room as stated on their PRICE LIST. Clean and clear,right? End of the all sessions, do you pay anything more than from the stated pricelist? Answer is obviously what you already knew,no.

2. Now we come to Octopuss,how much was its pricing for their room including massage + 1 free HJ and use of facilities? Here we go :

(price shown on above brochure were a little outdated and inaccurate as of date)

End of session/s,do you also pay anything more than whats stated on the PRICE listed? Another obviously answer,No. Just like in Altalanta men's spa, right?

3. Now we approach Delta Spa,do they have a PRICELIST to start off with? Simple answer please,Yes or No. Ok,answer is no...they didn't have an actual pricelist BUT I know you are going to say that THEY will tell you verbally the price of xx amount for 1 session and xxx amount for the 3 sessions etc, and at the end of all session/s,did you check your receipt and are you paying the total add up of X amount which was verbally spoken to you? Here's the receipt I found online becos i have lost mine from a long time ago but STILL, it is going to reflect what I am trying to explain to you about this place being a tourist trap later :

(price shown on above receipt were a little outdated as of date)

My next question,did you pay the verbally stated amount right? Or did you actually pay higher than the verbally stated amount by the GROs? Look closer at the 5% service charge right below the bill. Today,the amount can be more than 5% since that receipt is almost 4 years old. You can say that the 5% (or more today),is an insignificant amount but well...my question remains, did you pay the "same amount" as was told verbally told? (since they dont have a price list) Thats not including all the other upselling tho. (note : i don't factor in exchange rate of nearly 4 years ago)

i wrote the above base on my understanding on your theory by not having 1st,a pricelist and later,the customer were ask to pay a higher verbally quoted price upon leaving. Batam's Delta Spa fits all your criteria of a tourist trap,hehehe...not right?

The difference between a tourist trap and a non-tourist trap pricing from my own perspective is, the amount that I am suppose to pay has to be CLEAR,no rubber-band pricing (aka hidden cost). And obviously,that amount on Delta Spa isn't CLEAR. 5% on the bill 3 over years ago is 5k for every 100k spent and the more you spent,the higher the 5% can adds up in rupiah. I also see a similarity in Delta as in Windsor when they start trying to UPSELL. The part where nearly all windsor food court's stalls trying to push all their food menu to their customers.

My same question remains. Am i still paying the said-price? or the said price plus 5% more? (as of date of stated receipt)

In Windsor,there was no price on its menu,but I can bargain down if the price don't feel right or i query them...Delta Spa? I cant. I book a room at 460k from hotel,i pay 460k when I checked out. I don't pay 460k plus tax plus service charge plus any other thing/s. This theory is applied to any other things w/o a price listing and that was verbally agreed upon.

(note : taxi drivers at ferry terminals today learned this theory from Sillyporean,so they also come up with a price list menu nowaday BUT this dont mean most of them who use THAT method are not tourist trap either)

My definition of a tourist Trap :

I have said this before,and i am repeating them again with the same perspective i have before.

Batam Delta Spa is just like another Yun Nan Hair Loss salon or Beijing 101 in Sillypore. They make things look cheap in appearance to draw your attention or allow the customers to feel very well-worth the price in appearance BUT how much will their customers have to ultimately pay IF they are looking for the things they are REALLY AFTER? And lastly,will a NEW customer be render a lousier standard of service if they were to reject all their upselling and/or anything extras the massage girls attempt to sell? Will i get a black faced massage girl in my room? It would be for those who wish to know to try to find out,hehehe...

Alternatively,anyone can also visit Yun Nan or Beijing 101 in Sillypore which is going to have the same effect as in going to Batam's Delta Spa. Joining the FREE China shopping tour group or visit Taiwan's tourist gift shops where they sell deity statues or stone marble ornament, eg, Pi Xiu, Qi Ling etc to unprepared tourists also can get the same feel too.

(sample of what they sell to tourist in taiwan)

Yes, I am categorizing Batam Delta Spa similar to the like of Yun Nan,Beijing 101,shops in Taiwan that sells deity ornament to tourist (S$5 item on the street sold to tourist at S$50) and the China shopping tour packages where tourists has to meet a certain shopping quota (or be dump behind by their tour guide) under the same nature of trap meant for tourist. Those are not scams,they are traps,and if no tourist were caught in those traps,the one who lay them will likely 'chu pattern'.

For me to go to Batam Delta spa,i have only one plain simple solution (for myself only) which I often use.

I go for ONLY 2 sessions which will not entitles me for the free hj (which as a matter of fact, isnt really free to start with either) and i will just negotiate with the girl/s directly. Nothing more,nothing less,take it or leave it as my "expectation" is already on NOT having any happy-ending since only 3 sessions gives me a free hj and i chose not to take it up. If the girl plays by the company rules for a non-private-negotiation on the happy-ending,then lets be it...i will just walk out w/o the happy-ending after all my 2 sessions is done up. No hot stones,no vip room,no whatever aroma oil blah blah blah. i still believe if they are open to the option of taking off their clothes with roaming for some extra fee,i dont see why i cannot negotiate privately for a happy-ending. And the girls can forget about trying to upsell me anything, becos i usually will ask them to keep quiet (by nicely showing the sign language "shh...") AFTER they turn me down on my private negotiation on happy-ending and if they were to ever expect any tipping from me due to their good massage service,then they should not keep talking on their upselling for starter.

Ever wonder why Delta Spa price keep increasing in such high frequency (once every less than a year)? And Octopuss Spa seems to follow suit nowaday?(but not in such high frequency) Hehehe... my answer base on my own observation is simple becos Sillyporeans allows them to hence i say,Batam Delta spa..is a confirmed tourist trap and not for newbies, unless they wish to pay 'school fees'.

I rarely see batam locals in Delta Spa ,so their main source of income were definitely not from locals.

Just a simple observation of my own.

(note : i am mainly talking about Delta Spa in Batam and not any other Delta in other parts of Indonesia)

[tomcat007]

Duplicate Post

[nono1973]

continue from my previous post... (due to the 10k word limit)

Originally Posted by tomcat007

Personally, I always ask for full details before making decisions. If they don't prompt, I'll prompt them. This is from the training i got from an accountant friend that I used to cheong with.

Before reading on,allow me to disclaim that my reply to the above were solely opinion of my own and there is no right or wrong. Its just how i would get my things to work in my own way/s. Different people get things done differently.

__________________________

Most accountants I knew ONLY have a fix mindset that 1+2=3. Those a little more flexible ones MAY also know 2+1 can also be equal to 3. BUT,they will NEVER be able to get 1+1=3 with a 'fixed formula mindset'. To get 3,most accountant's mindset can ONLY be either 1+2,2+1,0+3,3+0 etc, and it cannot be something else with 2 much lower numeric add together?

1+2=3 will be others paying an openly listed price of 460k for a deluxe room, and 510k during weekends,whereas i am paying 460k for a non-deluxe suite room at a fix rate ,be it weekends or not. I dont limit myself ,or fix myself to a certain fix formula barring myself from going beyond that limit. 460k for my suite room isnt my limit,remember my aunties and uncles also staying in Family room with queen bed plus 1 in-room super single bed at 460k under my name. There's also a friend of mine who stays in a junior suite at 460k too. To me, 1+1 can become 3 and 0.5 + 0.5 can make it to 3 too,hehehehe...and i have yet to add in the break down of the free room voucher.

Be it hotel room,be it booking girls, be it massage places or massage girls, tippings of most kind ,Indo chinese girls etc etc etc in Batam,i try not to be bound by a fix law (or fix rule). I dont like to set a limit to myself and i believe having self-control,being humble,being nice,contantly watching out not to underestimate others and/or overestimate myself, having a deeper understanding of my environment and the people around will bring me further than my current 0.5+0.5=3.

(eg,i didnt expect a few small insects caught in my room could give me so much privileges in Biz Hotel too)

Batam is like a game to me,my RPG...hehehe...and I enjoy customizing my game environment (but not the humans in it) to suit myself and seldom the other way around.

(sorry,i am just being long-winded here,again...hehehe...)

I was looking thru the old Batam thread for some back dated info when I find the below done up by another bro in this forum,hehehe...pretty relevant of what I like to do in Batam...

(taken from one of bro Leo's post if i dont remember wrong)

Above pic don't really mean anything and it is just for laugh only. *smile*

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by tomcat007

That's when Delta Spa just started operations in Batam and I'm pretty sure that I paid the verbally quoted price, plus whatever small change that I told to keep anyway. I'm quite sure of that because they just started operations and are heavily talked about in this forum. Heavily talked about also meant that are quite aware of the prices for the 02 and / or 03 sessions and what they provide. Hence, if the amount quoted by the cashier is different from the quoted amount, I will know.

Looks like i am talking about a different timeline there. I forgot you were in Batam nearly triple of my time. Meaning when the time Delta is open for business,i havent step into Batam yet.

Originally Posted by tomcat007

Ok, now I get it why you categorized them as tourist traps for the unsuspecting tourist. In fact, most don't mind cos when converted to SGD, the amount is negligible. But, it doesn't meant it's right. Like one of my staff... She paid the 60k taxi fare from Harbour Bay to Nagoya because, to her, it's just slightly more than $6, based on today's exchange rate. But, what she didn't factor in is that, for the same distance, taxi in Singapore don't cost that much. Haizzz... Must educate her in this.

This is the biggest problem i notice in Batam. Everything in Batam today is so dirt cheap (to most),just like Sillypore 30 over years ago. And today's Sillyporean is trying their very best to make Batam like Sillypore of today (they already successfully make that happen in Bintan). Not that most Sillyporean couldnt afford $10+ per short taxi trip,or tip S$50 to S$150 to any Batam girls or even pay S$150+ for massage with special service (since they already paid about this amount for nearly most of the lower-end Sillypore entertainment). So,definitely its not about affordability for MOST Sillyporean traveling to Batam. Its their mentality that needs to get adjusted.

One day,i may do a write up on how a 10 year old kid can also go to Batam for a 2D1N holiday trip alone by carrying lots of money with him (maximum cash limits can be up to S$20k per pax,hehehe...). It would be quite close to how any adults who would walk-through in Batam,hehehe... <10 year old kid Batam Walk-through guide> sounds like a good name for the story,hehehe...

The ending moral of that story might likely be, to spend lesser than a 10 year old kid who hold lots of cash in hand,not every sillyporean can...to spend more than him/her, ALL Sillyporean also can,hehehe...

Originally Posted by tomcat007

Any plan for December trip? I'll be there from 3/12 to 5/12. Hotel also confirmed already.

Not yet tho. Hehehe...i just got back (again).

[tomcat007]

Duplicate post

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by tomcat007

You just got back? You're there this last 2 days?

Yes,was with the uncle and aunties ,staying in xxx hotel. Simple trip with some temple visit,massage and some groceries at the mall. May have to make another such trip either Dec or Jan before CNY 2017 becos they say they wish to buy some CNY stuffs from Batam.

They almost want to smuggle this guy back home,hehehe...

...take a closer look.

I have to keep scaring them that its against the law,hehehe...

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Going to ask you a few questions before answering. My question/s actually self-answers itself tho and my reply is going to be a long one on this,hehehe... (anyone who didnt like it,kindly click on the ignore button,thank you)

(..........................)
Etc. Etc. Etc. about what is a "tourist trap"

I don't know what is Nono's job in his real life, but for sure he would have success as Chair of one of those associations defending the customers'/consumers' rights...

[Black Page]

Originally Posted by iicycold

I'd say mani dn't undstd hw 2 treat another human (both sexes) w respect,but wen it cms 2 talkin abt usin "quality" 2 describe batches of girls, diff culture frm different parts of the world put thg in words differently & much often dnt reli meant 2 be disrespectful 2 any1.

Yes definitely. I did not mean to be harsh too versus those who used the term "quality". I just could not refrain to notice it.
(and yes I am not Mr. Right: me too I like OWE and using girls )

[Leoric]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Most accountants I knew ONLY have a fix mindset that 1+2=3. Those a little more flexible ones MAY also know 2+1 can also be equal to 3. BUT,they will NEVER be able to get 1+1=3 with a 'fixed formula mindset'. To get 3,most accountant's mindset can ONLY be either 1+2,2+1,0+3,3+0 etc, and it cannot be something else with 2 much lower numeric add together?

1+2=3 will be others paying an openly listed price of 460k for a deluxe room, and 510k during weekends,whereas i am paying 460k for a non-deluxe suite room at a fix rate ,be it weekends or not. I dont limit myself ,or fix myself to a certain fix formula barring myself from going beyond that limit. 460k for my suite room isnt my limit,remember my aunties and uncles also staying in Family room with queen bed plus 1 in-room super single bed at 460k under my name. There's also a friend of mine who stays in a junior suite at 460k too. To me, 1+1 can become 3 and 0.5 + 0.5 can make it to 3 too,hehehehe...and i have yet to add in the break down of the free room voucher.

I'm curious,wat would happens if one day u were to be charged the same like any normal person who visit batam. It'll be interesting to see how u would react.

[StarCity]

Originally Posted by nono1973

(taken from one of bro Leo's post if i dont remember wrong)

Above pic don't really mean anything and it is just for laugh only. *smile*

You did remembered wrong.

The photo posted by u was made by me in the old thread,not from bro Leo. I dedicated it to u for the fun of it & i'm glad to see u use it here. It was however quoted again later by bro leo.

Originally Posted by StarCity

Well said,bro nono.

Who likes to pay more & enjoy less? Or whoever likes to pay more & then pretend to enjoy more? There are so much more in wat u said that it reminds me of the Newton's Law. So i took a min to make the below dedicated just for u.

[fde83]

It's too early but any bros in batam for countdown of the new year.

[roguesat]

Any cheongsters heading to Batam today (22nd November)? I am going there today for a 1 night stay..

[tomcat007]

Originally Posted by fde83

It's too early but any bros in batam for countdown of the new year.

I might consider being there for the countdown since it's a long weekend.