RadarTabanan and BeritaBali report that an Enforcement Team of the Preventive Task Force for Operation Pekat Agung 2026, operated by the Bali Provincial Police, raided The Banana Men’s Spa at Jalan Drupadi 69, in Seminyak, Kuta, on Monday, 27 July 2026, at 10:30 pm.
The Spa, operating within Bali’s sizable “Pink Economy” catering to LGBT travelers, is suspected by police of providing male prostitution services by operating “a venue for crimes against public decency and illicit sexual activities.”
During the police raid, five spa employees were taken into custody, and various pieces of evidence were seized, including electronic transaction devices, administrative documents, transaction records, mobile phones, promotional materials, and cash. The five spa employees are currently listed as witnesses.
Police are now actively seeking the Spa owner, identified only by the initials AC, for questioning. The owner reportedly fled the scene during the police raid.
”To date, the spa owner is still being sought. The duration of the spa’s operations is still being investigated. The case originated from public reports expressing concern over spa activities suspected of providing same-sex ‘extra’ massage services,” said the police spokesperson.
All detained individuals and the seized evidence were immediately taken to the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Bali Regional Police.
A spokesman for the Bali Provincial Police, Senior Police Commissioner Ariasandy, said police suspect that the Banana Men’s Spa is operating as an illicit gay spa offering male prostitution services in violation of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) Law Number 1 of 2023 regarding public decency. Office Ariasandy assured the press that the case under police investigation is being handled professionally and transparently. Adding: “Investigators are still examining the roles of each detained party and gathering further evidence.”
Police continue to question five male therapists identified by the initials DW, SPP, MKN, AKI, and REH.
Police investigators are examining the five therapists’ mobile phones to expand their evidence files and track transactions.
Continuing, Ariasandy urged the public to report any suspicions they may have regarding unlawful practices in their neighborhoods to help police maintain public order and security in Bali.
”This case is being handled while upholding the presumption of innocence until a court verdict with permanent legal force is reached,” he concluded.
Pink Dollar Tourism in Bali in an Increasingly Inimical Atmosphere
The recent raid on Banana Men’s Spa brings into sharp focus the increasingly unfavorable stance taken by the Indonesian government on all things LGBTQ+. Legislation is now being discussed on a national level to strictly criminalize homosexuality, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently officially identifying the LGBTQ+ culture and lifestyle as a non-military national threat on a level equal to that posed by terrorism, separatism, and online gambling.
Source: matamatapolitik.com and NOW Bali
worth more than US$320 billion annually.
Meanwhile, Bali has a significant number of mainstream accommodation providers, villas, bars, spas, wellness establishments, and tour operations that specifically cater to the LGBTQ+ market segment.
Internationally, the global LGBTQ+ travel market is estimated to have an annual value exceeding US$320 billion. By comparison, and to put this global value in context, the very large Chinese outbound travel market is estimated at US$167 billion annually.
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