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Popular content creator SkiesTV, also known as Joshua, recently shared a disheartening experience of being denied entry into Bali despite spending a considerable sum of $6,000 on his ticket, which left his fans shocked.
Joshua, who is a resident of Antigua and Barbuda, faced a unique challenge when he attempted to obtain a Bali Visa to enter Indonesia due to the smaller size of his country, which led to the authorities questioning residents leaving for larger countries.
Despite this, Joshua applied for the visa online, but the process took an unexpected turn when he discovered that physical presence was required to secure the Bali Visa. To resolve this, he received an email from the Bali Embassy instructing him to show customs agents that he had an appointment with the embassy.
However, upon arriving at the Bali customs, Joshua was faced with unwarranted scrutiny and was directed to sit in a corner while the customs agents conducted checks, despite presenting all the necessary documents to the customs agent’s manager.
When Joshua attempted to explain his predicament, the manager reportedly dismissed him, instructing him to stay silent and not to talk. Despite having the documentation to support his claims, Joshua was informed that he would be sent back to his last stop.
He expressed his frustration at the lack of communication between the customs officials and the Bali Embassy, and questioned why they didn’t make a simple call to verify his information, considering the substantial investment he had made in his trip.
Joshua had traveled alone while his family continued ahead due to ticketing complications, and he was left in disbelief at the treatment he received after investing a significant amount in his journey.
As he heads back to Malaysia, en route to Tokyo and eventually Antigua, his followers are left wondering about the potential impact of this incident on his future travel plans and the broader issue of profiling and communication breakdowns at international borders.
This is so ridiculous, disheartening and wrong at every turn that this leave me shocked. This is a matter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up vigorously, as it has the potential to get really nasty if not addressed from a diplomatic untrammeled viewpoint! I may say no more for the time being, as I do not want to be labeled a busybody! I will see how this develop. All I would say is that monkey knows what tree to climb! I hope the Foreign Affairs Minister pay close attention to how the residents of Antigua and Barbuda are treated.
And yet Antigua welcomes everybody…. I’m big on treating people how they treat me and I hope the appropriate Antiguan autorities are taking heed.
This is not even a situation of miscommunication or language barrier! This is a complete disgraceful behavior as to how our residents and citizens are viewed in the international fora. I hold no brief for Joshua and I do not always welcome his cryptic and cynical remarks as a content creator, but he has cut out a niche for himself and he has a good group of followers! That much he should be given credit for! The treatment meted out to him however, is nothing short of a disgrace to his dignity and the way we as small islanders are treated, berated and mocked and scorned! This matter should be taken up at the highest diplomatic level!