Job Discussion Forums

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

hi there

an anerican i met a few days ago told me that his local bank account had been frozen and that he could not use his local ATM to get money...when i asked why he told me that that's because his KITAS has exipred and once the KITAS is over, he has no access to his bank account....Now that sounds weird to me but then again this is indonesia, anything is possible...do u know anything about this? can we keep our local bank acount here (wth money in) and use our local ATMs as before once we no longer work here?

thanx

gugelhupf · Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 575 Location: Jabotabek

Well, I'm still using a bank account (Bank BII) that I opened 3 years ago and I have had 2 KITAS's expire in that time with no problem. I also have a BII credit card that keeps on working, although they are very stingy with my credit limit. A colleague of mine has a BNI bank account and has similarly had no problems to date.

Many ATM PIN numbers now need to be changed to a 6 digit number - maybe that's why your friend can't get his card to work.

Gurusome · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 58

My BCA credit card still works. I don't have a savings account in Indonesia.

But considering it costs a retarded amount in bank fees to maintain the account from overseas, I use it as little as possible. And there would be no point at all in keeping the account if I wasn't going back to Indonesia soon.

Perhaps there were other issues going on with the guy you met. Like, if his Kitas had expired, why was he still in Indonesia? Was he overstaying, or had he left and returned for a holiday? Perhaps his card had expired and he couldn't get a new one without a Kitas. You can't open a new account without a kitas. Perhaps his bank had merged with another one to form a whole new bank.

He didn't happen to ask you to buy the drinks, did he? Maybe he was just broke or stingey and using that story as an excuse.

derya · Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 39

i've just been to my bank (lippo), and asked them about it..they said that there is no such thing and as long as i have my bank account and ATM card i can use it...

this guy i met was terminated by the school so i guess that means no KITAS anymore right? i mean he did not complete one full yr...so he went out of the country and came back again to look for another job..

maybe u r rite gurusome...might be an excuse

anyways thanx for the feedbacks Smile

happy_me · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:17 am Post subject:

Someone is full of it! I have never had any thing like that, and i have not had a KITAS for the last 2 years, and the bank never ask to see anything but a passport or the police ID.

laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

One thing the banks in Indonesia will never mention is they will charge around 50,000 - 100,000 rp to close an account. However no local I have ever met has been charged anywhere near that much which leads me to believe it is a hidden bule charge they hope we will never ask about before opening the account. I was told by a bank Danamon manager that this charge was only if I skipped the country and didn't close the account. But when I did close the account I was charged this. And still living here. Have not opened an account since. Feel safer with my money under the bed.

wannaBguru · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 110

dont close the account. use the atm, internet, or go in the bank and withdrawl all the money except for about 10,000rp. they will close the account automatically when they withdrawl the monthy maintenance fees. a lot bigger headache for them and cheaper for us.

the guy was lying about his account. i have left the country for periods of a couple of years and my accounts and money were still there when i returned. sounds like aother broke teacher