Jakarta - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Not that I have encountered, just keep regular street smarts. - Dec 2023
COVID was/is a nightmare here. Schools have been on-line for 19 months. GI infections, dengue, rashes etc. It's a tropical island in the developing world and you will have diarrhea :) - Oct 2021
Not really. - Sep 2020
While there is petty crime, it's not targeted against expats. We feel very safe and have never had any challenges. - Feb 2018
Theft. A friend had her purse stolen from the seat beside her while having lunch in a posh mall. Household help often steal and most are not remorseful about it. I knew of many cases of staff lying about family members being sick or dying in order to get money. But I never felt threatened personally. - Jan 2015
For such a large city, it is really very safe. Take the normal precautions. Hold on to your purse in public places. Be careful using BB or I-Pad while walking on the street. Sometimes your househelp taking some items is a challenge. However, break-ins and car thefts are not so common. - Jan 2013
There is a growing level of intolerance of minority cultures and religions, but the perceived threat of terrorism feels pretty low -- it is there, but just as likely as any other big city. Otherwise, petty crime can be a concern -- like any big city. - Jun 2012
terrorism:hotel and church bombings, made more unsettling by how genuinely nice most indonesian people are. - Jan 2012
People were friendly to Americans, even if they did not agree with our policies. It could have been easy to get lulled into thinking there was no terrorist threat, when in general, RSO advises you to be alert and pay attention to your surroundings. (I don't want to scare anyone. That doesn't mean you can't be alert while also having a good time while out and about.)We almost got through our tour without any terrorist issues, but then the Marriott bombing happened shortly before we left in 2009. That rattled people. As for crime, the buses, which we were advised not to take, are supposedly filled with pickpockets. I suspect there is some petty theft and other crimes of opportunity. However, I think we in the embassy community were largely insulated from that. We briefly shared a maid with some other people, and she stole items from all of us. We knew people whose home was broken into. Overall, though, the embassy community did not seem to be that affected by crime. We were more concerned with poor building codes. There were a few stores and malls that we avoided because we were concerned about the lack of exits in case of an emergency. - Jul 2011
People talk about the bombing of the Marriott because it is at the edge of living memory in the ex-pat community. People are cautious. - Jul 2011
Security is much better than the press would have you believe. That said, there was a targeted attack on two luxury hotels with ex-pats in July 2009 that was very serious. - Dec 2010
General awareness has increased significantly since the bombings of 2009. - Nov 2010
Jakarta is much safer than one would imagine listening to the international media. I felt safe walking around any part of the city at any time of day. For the most part, criminals do not target foreigners as in other countries. I feel safer in Jakarta than I do in Washington, DC or Amsterdam. - Jul 2010
Yes, be aware of your surroundings, know where you are going. Take transportation you trust. That being said, I have never felt unsafe in Jakarta. - Mar 2008
