Batam Info / Interest / Help Thread

[Lingo]

Let's pray hard for a miracle..that the virus will disappear soon...otherwise, the endgame is very unpleasant !!!!

[nono1973]

For those who are holding ferry tickets like the below, do note that YOU DO NOT NEED TO TO TOP EXTRA S$10 for weekend travel to Batam anymore.

Hehehe...Horizon Ferry finally bowed.

Take note of the expiry date too, its on 31st May 2020 now. The above ticket is the coupon version for Horizon Ferry. If readers who arent sure how the coupon work, then read the below link :

https://thesbf.shop/showpost.php?p=19...ostcount=14420

Everything is the same stated on above links, except this time round, no need pay extra S$10 for weekend travel to Batam (works on 2-way travel). Makes travelling to Batam on weekends cheaper but not for weekdays travelers like myself.

[BFOMF5]

Originally Posted by nono1973

Location is at the Golden City area, i think. Quite a distance from the main city area. Shouldnt be too difficult to find with google,hehehe...
...

According to GMap it suppose to be around the "Sea forest" area but I just missed it.
Anyway the trip around Nongsa was quite interesting.


For last 20days base in batam...
Have explored...
Rempang area
visited p.tunjuk.
Also "go-around" Singapore
by taking route...
Btm-tbk-putri Houbour-stulang Laut-btm

Got time then post details

[Naka_Timo]

Originally Posted by Nulgath

News dated on 10th March from the Jakarta Post :


In Singapore’s neighbor Batam, malls empty, ferry trips reduced as virus fears lurk

Yes, this virus thing will give Batam a big hit. However, got good got bad too.

Now fuck house so many gals waiting for customers to book them.

Mall all that no biz, maybe is a good time to get better price for it too.

[Lingo]

Hahaha!!! Enjoy while you can..soon you will be confined to your room and DIY..hehe!!!

[nitecrawllerr]

Originally Posted by Naka_Timo

Now fuck house so many gals waiting for customers to book them.

Pokoknya boking fees for cewek must be slashed.

[nitecrawllerr]

Originally Posted by nono1973

And the very same touter has been rejected no less than twice. Cant even eat with peace of mind there,hehehe...

I simply told her, this is Batam's culture,hehehe...like what it is in Singapore 30 over years ago. See, how Singapore has improve over those years and once a while, get a taste of the past also not bad. .

My experience were with those "buskers" coming to my table while having my food. There were once within half hour 3 diff buskers came to "entertain" me. Quite irritating at time.

[PervMonk]

Most likely going on Sat late noon after work. Hope can have some fun there with discounts

[BFOMF5]

Sindo cfm CUTS
4 trips each to n from BTC
3 Trips each to n from SKP
Majestic no cut yet for
HBF <> BTC n
HBF <> SKP
But cfm Cut
4 trips each to n from Tanah Merah <> BTC

Both Ferry counters staff advice customers current trip(those hv not cfm cut) are subjected to cancellation any time, safer to call to check daily.

Still try gathering info for JB side.

Appreciated any inputs for compilation later.

[nitecrawllerr]

Originally Posted by PervMonk

Most likely going on Sat late noon after work. Hope can have some fun there with discounts

Not to pour water on u. Sekali no ferry departing from btm. How? Kiddin....

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by Nulgath

Within walking distance of the Batam Center ferry port, which connects Indonesia and Singapore through a one-hour boat ride, the Mega Mall Batam Center looks a lot quieter than usual.

What used to be a view of cars competing to find parking spots is now a vacant lot. This is the most favorite stopover for Singaporeans who visit Batam to buy what they need before going back home across the Singapore Strait.

However, the game changed at the end of January, when Singapore announced its first COVID-19 coronavirus case and embarked on an extensive public health emergency campaign, including travel restrictions and self-quarantine requirements after trips.

There are 2 sides of the coin, on one side this pandemic has filter most of the people heading to Batam for shopping,clean spa massage, fishing, golf, water sports etc etc.

But on the side of the coin, it also brings down the pricing in one way or another for most things. Who knows, some wise ladies/OKT/Mami may just choose to bring up their standard of service too? So as to bring in more return-customer in months to come...hehehe...

There are already some level risk for those people going for the ladies in Batam. COVID-19 coronavirus just bring that level of risk higher. Most risk-takers are often careful people, unlike others who goes to Batam for other activities (like shopping,clean spa massage, fishing, golf, water sports etc etc),hehehe...careful people just have to be more careful. And these group of people apparently already knew how to do that.

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by Leoric

Surprise to be caught in a full ferry yesterday.

People are still visiting Batam, just not as many as during holiday season.

Lucky you,hehehe...which is why i chose to take business class if i am going during weekend. Aunties and uncles too.

Do keep in mind that from 14th to 22nd of March is school holiday, hence expect even more people going to Batam.

I already have a dozen aunties and uncles cancelling their Batam trips, hence end up with some extra ferry coupons. In case you guys want it, just let me know.

And in order to encourage more aunties and uncles to join me to Batam, i have done the following preparation. (trying to keep them the safest possible from viruses since they were mostly over 60)

1. I will be bringing my non-contact key-chain thermometer along,hehehe...not the gun-type which is rather bulky.

Not forgetting some CR2032 coin batteries as well. By the way, this key-chain thermometer thingy is super accurate, i tested it myself...hehehe...but the price to pay is high battery consumption rate.

2. For every 3D2N trips with me, each of them will be given 5 pieces of pinky mask,hehehe...

Yes, i upsized the quantity. Uncles will get the blue color ones,hehehe...

3. Each staying hotel room taken will be clean with Dettol. I will work this out with the hotel housekeeping staffs .

One room 60ml bottle size will be more than enough to clean up the room for that 3D2N,hehehe...

4. Before boarding the ferry to Batam, every auntie and uncle will given 5 pieces of alcohol wipes...

...for use on the ferry and during the 3D2N trip. Which i think should be sufficient for them to carry around with.

5. Throughout the trip, i will be carrying along a 500ml hand sanitizer with me,hehehe...

...just for them (or anyone) to use whenever needed.

NEA says the below ingredients were effective Against Coronaviruses :

https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/...on-of-covid-19

Other than the key-chain thermometer and masks, the mention stuffs above all contain enough concentration of ingredients to work effectively against the coronaviruses.

Not forgetting some rags, some panadol (cold and flu version), Po Chai pills and Andrographis, Doxycycline, Amoxicillin, etc etc.

Will also bring them to supermarket in Batam to buy some Life Buoy body wash too.

Will also be bringing in extra face masks for use during massage too. Or at least be given to the the massage therapist and as well as for aunties and uncles to wear so as to help both party feel safe (psychologically),hehehe...i will also be equipped with pen-size alcohol spray as well (to spray on mask after throwing it away).

The eat more fruits with vitamin C no need to emphasis here since i already know where to get those in Batam.

Now, throwing in all those free stuffs in will definitely inflict extra cost to my Batam trip.

Mask pink : S$0.04 each

Mask blue : S$0.10 each

Dettol 60ml : S$1.00

70% Isopropyl Alcohol wipes : S$0.21 each

500ml hand sanitizer : S$6.95 each

Brand new rag : S$0.10

CR2032 battery : average about S$0.55 each

################################

Optional 4ply mask from Vietnam : S$0.50/S$0.56 each
(in case they are not well)

Optional 3ply mask from India/China/Malaysia : S$0.30/S$0.40 each
(in case they are not well)

*price stated above is the price i buy

I have no more plans to buy mask from Indonesia Batam since around February anymore, as it is now becoming MORE expensive than what i can get in Singapore online. The reason why i am giving out 2 ply mask to aunties and uncles is becos since they arent unwell, why need the more heavier duty 3ply/4ply ones which makes them harder to breathe? (yes, i am trying to cut cost...can think it that way,hehehe...)

Just remember, basic mask in Singapore during normal time used to be between S$0.22 to S$0.35 each (at Watson, Guardians, NTUC etc) during non-corona-virus time. Let them earn a bit more during this crucial time,its ok on my part. But if its being price is too far out, then i would rather not pay for it.

(example)

To each its own.

*please DO NOT pm me to seek interest on wishing to buy any of the stated items above (i am not a re/seller), as i only keep enough for myself and for those more elderly uncles and aunties who joined me in my Batam trips.

** Price for face mask and other coronavirus essentials is like the stock market, often have ups and downs. One just need to camp on the online market to keep eyes open big big to get the best and better deals. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of free ones too.

*** avoid quoting the whole post if you are replying to me. Thank you..

[nono1973]

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

We can always choose not to go and patronize those willing to serve us with diligence....

Agreed with you.

This is the problem with almost all the Batam's massage shops (as well as other service sector too). And in my own opinion, its a rather major one,hehehe...that is when business becomes very good or at times too good, standard drops...sometime quite tremendously.

Just my experience.

Originally Posted by Hurricane88

Maybe have to consider when my next trip...

My solution would be, let their business drop a little so as to bring about a better standard of service? My question mark in the sentence is becos i do not know if it will work,hehehe...

Most boss and owner of those smaller/medium sized service sector business in Batam dont take in feedbacks/opinion from customers, that could just be one of the key issue on them unable to take keep good service consistently.

Just sharing.

Originally Posted by nitecrawllerr

I suppose they earned enough leow. No need revenue fm tourists.

Many of their customers come from other parts of Indonesia (in tour groups). Meaning their customer could be mainly Indonesians.

Next time if you are ever in Batam, try places like Namii (harbour bay), Tui Na (opp BCS) and maybe even Favorite Massage (diagonally right side of BCH main entrance or Harapan Baru hotel).

Quality of massage is on par, if not better than Sports massage. Yes, i dare say this loud here its BETTER becos it suits me most in those places consistently. And more important key thing is, its cleaner and feel more upscale as compare to Sports massage too.

Price wise, hehehe...i am a more stingy man when it comes to this kind of thing in Batam, and i would say, its almost the same in term of pricing and i feel i am getting more than what i can get from Sport Massage.

7 years in Batam, if i didnt remember wrong, i have only been to Sport Massage twice. Both times were all with friends. Perhaps its due to where i stayed in during my time in Batam, hence seldom go there (need to be fair when sharing my experience).

Originally Posted by Kaboon

More to come from Indonesia to Singapore soon (for treatment)...

Sometime, its really hard to say who from which country brought what virus or bacteria to another country.

Originally Posted by Kaboon

Sinkies visit Indonesia as much as Indonesian would have visited Sg.

Some Indonesian blame Singaporean and Japanese of bringing in the virus, then Singaporean and the Japanese blame who? China? Then China blame who? The Bat? Bat blame who? Blame God? God blame who? The man/woman in China who ate the bat? But the man or woman who ate the bat probably already died.

So how? Blame here blame there, problem still cannot solve.

Singapore happens to have part of the solution, and Indonesian man came to seek it. Which also happens to be the only way to solve part of the problem.

Originally Posted by Kaboon

Just learn that society in most of the other countries who went through the first stage of coronavirus all become panicky.

Hehehe...so the lesson here is, dont laugh at people just yet and pass any judgement on a group of people from any country.

Kiasu isnt just a Singaporean's trend. May happen to any country in the world too.

Originally Posted by Kaboon

Singaporean not the only one. Even society the like of Japan, USA, Europe cannot escape toilet paper hoarding. At first people were still laughing at Singaporean.

The solution/s (on the DOs and DONTs) :

https://thesbf.shop/showpost.php?p=19...ostcount=16006

Practice good hygiene habits.

Plus my own add-on solution, by boosting immunity.

https://thesbf.shop/showpost.php?p=19...ostcount=15916

The rest will need to leave it in the hands of heaven/fate.

[Lingo]

Quite surprised , nono, elderly people still want to visit batam...presidents, ministers , stars, are getting infected ...they have the best protections money can buy.....???

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by Lingo

Quite surprised , nono, elderly people still want to visit batam...presidents, ministers , stars, are getting infected ...they have the best protections money can buy.....???

Scared then stay home...not right or left...

I will just live normal life.. .virus is everywhere...not a death sentence...also we have no idea when we will submit NRIC...

if you google how many died in traffic accident per year and how many died from flu yearly...compare to covid-19 death then you realised just another virus...