An American man who went viral on social media for advertising a plot of land in Kintamani has been deported from Bali after immigration officials determined his activities violated his stay permit, The Bali Times reported.
According to the Denpasar Immigration Office, the 34-year-old man—known solely by his initials SR—departed via I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Thursday, November 12, at roughly 9:20 p.m.
The deportation concluded an investigation that began in late July after a video circulated on Facebook. The footage showed SR promoting a 5,400-square-meter plot of land overlooking the mountainous landscape of Kintamani in Bangli regency.
In the English-language video, the American described the mountain views and suggested the property could appeal to developers interested in building villas or hotels. He also claimed he spent approximately five years persuading the landowner to make the property available for sale.
The promotion raised questions about whether a foreign national could legally carry out property marketing activities under the terms of an Indonesian tourist or visitor stay permit. Denpasar Immigration summoned SR for clarification on July 30, but he failed to attend the initial appointment.
Following further inquiries, Denpasar Immigration Office head R. Haryo Sakti confirmed on Friday, November 13, that officers found SR engaging in activities inconsistent with the purpose for which his stay permit had been issued. Authorities applied deportation as an administrative immigration measure under Article 75(1) of Indonesia’s Immigration Law No. 6 of 2011.
Ramdhani, the top regional immigration official for Bali, backed the punitive measure by stressing that expats and visitors must abide by all local regulations while residing or operating inside the nation.
Officials have refrained from disclosing the precise classification of SR’s residency documentation or whether the real estate listing ultimately resulted in a transaction. The established infraction pertains strictly to how he used his permit rather than any determination that the real estate listing itself breached legal sale guidelines.
This expulsion represents the most recent update regarding an incident initially covered by The Bali Times in August while authorities were still looking into the widely shared real estate video.
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