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karenannehope
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 25
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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 Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:34 pm Post subject: South Africans needing practical info |
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Hi my partner and I are arriving in Taiwan end November. We have organised a flight with a one day stopover in HongKong where we plan to get 60 day tourist visa's.
Firstly, is one day long enough to organise a visa? (we arrive early in the morning and leave early the following morning)?
We have been told that we have to have a letter of invitation from someone living in Taiwan and NT100,000.00 EACH in our bank accounts to be eligible for a visa - is this correct?
We have also been told that we can borrow the money, deposit it in a bank account and get our bank to write us a letter saying that we have it, then give the money back and just present the letter....
Do we need to get a visa for Hong Kong?
Does the Hong Kong airport have a luggage lockup and is it safe to leave our stuff there while we arrange visas. Also, can anyone recommend somewhere cheap, clean with easy access to the airport for us to stay in Hong Kong?
Finally, if anyone has any South African-specific info to give us - please let me have it.
Thanx stax
I look forward to hearing from you.
Karen |
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A.K.A.T.D.N.
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 3:53 am Post subject: |
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Whoever gave you this information about the bank account must be Chinese. You come, you go. . .the money is yours either way.
A letter of invitation has to do with working for a specific school. Yes, to get a 60 day visa I believe you need this, but then again, maybe you don't. It takes a couple of days, from what I've heard.
Sounds like someone's trying to trap you. I don't know about lockers being available at HK airport, but if you've got a return or onward ticket to Taiwan, maybe you can just leave the luggage at the check-in counter.
No places are cheap in HK, except the hostels. There are plenty of them, all withing train's distance. The train runs up and through the airport. Make sure you don't get taken for a ride at the hostels.
South Africans are ubiquitous here. They're often Western-centric and make a lot of rude remarks about the Chinese. Make sure you don't convey a sense of anti-Americanism for us ugly Americans, or sound impathetic to Apartheid. The South Africans here have done enough of that all ready. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:59 am Post subject: |
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Ignore what AKATDN wrote, especially the nonsense about aparteid etc. He's a newbie with an attitude and has annoyed a lot of people here. I wouldn't accept anything he tells you, especially the offensive stuff. He's looking for attention, it seems.
I don't see a lot of South Africans posting on this site. I'm not sure why. However, if you need South African specific advice, you may want to try www.forumosa.com That site attracts a much larger cross section of Taiwan expats. They also have excellent sections dealing with the sort of questions you have. Good luck. |
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A.K.A.T.D.N.
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 6:34 am Post subject: |
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| TaoyuanSteve wrote: |
Ignore what AKATDN wrote, especially the nonsense about aparteid etc. He's a newbie with an attitude and has annoyed a lot of people here. I wouldn't accept anything he tells you, especially the offensive stuff. He's looking for attention, it seems.
I don't see a lot of South Africans posting on this site. I'm not sure why. However, if you need South African specific advice, you may want to try www.forumosa.com That site attracts a much larger cross section of Taiwan expats. They also have excellent sections dealing with the sort of questions you have. Good luck. |
Steve,
The nonsense I've spoken about is only firsthand experience of working with South Africans. Therefore, I'll give you, and this newbie, some quotes.
"I hate it when the Chinese offer me food. . .I hate Chinese food, but I don't want to tell them," after some sweet student offered a South African guy some rice cakes, and this he said right in front of her face.
"I don't trust them. . .Get paid every two weeks," A South African gal told me when I took her job over upon leaving. The manager was steps away. A nice introduction for me.
"The Chinese have no sense of order or discipline. . .They're ridiculous!" and "I had one kid in class I held by his feet because he wouldn't shut up!!" Then again, he said, "The girls always want to hug me. . .so I think their fathers don't give them enough love!" Two Chinese adult men, with family's, were within sounding distance.
"What people don't hear about is the POOR, WHITE PEOPLE IN SOUTH AFRICA. . .You know why we had Apartheid, BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO VIOLENT! WE HAD TO SEPARATE THEM. . .NO, THE NEWS DOESN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THAT!" What news, the white, South African news?!
About Bush: "All he wants is the oil. . .Americans have the power. . ." just like me, sitting next to the guy, wanting to spit fire.
I could go on. Can't remember every word. DO I WANT ATTENTION!! WHAT THE HELL FOR!! I THINK A LOT OF NZer's, and now SOUTH AFRICANS, HAVE TO RID THEMSELVES OF THEIR WESTERN-CENTRIC MENTALITY! WHY?
Because I'm tired of the lax laws here against bi-racial comments, that's all! Is this wanting attention? Well, I think that the next job I take will be like the last one I rejected, when I told the lady I would no longer work with NZers due to one woman's remark that "The reason we don't have enough students is because of the American dollar!"
But they fired her at her eleventh month. |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| Nothing you've written justifies your ignorant generalizations and prejudices. Grow up. And, btw, YOU TOO are a newbie. How long have you been in Taiwan again? The original poster hasn't said anything to provoke your stupidity. |
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wombat
Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 134
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| Whoever gave you this information about the bank account must be Chinese. You come, you go. . .the money is yours either way. |
The tone of the above quote seems to suggest that as you consider the information to be incorrect, that it must have been a 'Chinese' who made the remark. Reading between the lines it would appear that you may feel that the 'Chinese' don't know what they are doing, and that as a foreigner you do. This is extremely condascending and is a very negative and rude generalization to make.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| South Africans are ubiquitous here. They're often Western-centric and make a lot of rude remarks about the Chinese |
Oh, like the rude remark that you made about Chinese people above. By this generalization logic then all South Africans and Americans are rude.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| A letter of invitation has to do with working for a specific school. Yes, to get a 60 day visa I believe you need this, but then again, maybe you don't. It takes a couple of days, from what I've heard |
Well that makes no sense. 'You need this...but then again maybe you don't'. The answer is that you do not need a letter of invitation to secure a 60 day visa, but if you are dealing with the Hong Kong office then it may be an advantage to have one. The down side is that to secure such a letter you would need to sign a contract with a school first, and if you haven't already arrived in Taiwan then it would be unwise to sign on with a school site unseen.
If at all possible obtain your Taiwan visa back home. You have a much greater chance of securing a 60 day visa for tourism purposes.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| It takes a couple of days, from what I've heard. |
You can apply for and receive a visa for Taiwan at the Hong Kong office within one office day. Provided that you get there first thing in the morning and request same day processing, you can pick up your passport and visa before closing the same day. If you are going to be in Hong Kong overnight then of course you can pick it up the next day before lunch.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| Sounds like someone's trying to trap you. I don't know about lockers being available at HK airport, but if you've got a return or onward ticket to Taiwan, maybe you can just leave the luggage at the check-in counter. |
Do you even think before you post here AKATDN? You cannot check in to a flight until two hours before the flight leaves. How exactly would one be able to check their baggage in and leave it at the check-in overnight or even all day? This is not the purpose of check-in, and I am sure that the staff would laugh at the suggestion.
I would suggest that lockers would be fine. You will of course have your passport on your person, and considering the level of security and surveillance at most modern airports, it is highly unlikely that the lockers would be targetted by thieves. No guarantees of course, but I am sure that your valuables would be safer in a locker at the airport than being carried around on public transport.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| No places are cheap in HK, except the hostels. There are plenty of them, all withing train's distance. The train runs up and through the airport. |
I have never stayed in a hotel or hostel in Hong Kong so cannot give first hand advice here. I can say however that there is an information desk prior to customs at the Hong Kong airport with English speaking staff. They have lots of brochures about everything in Hong Kong and even have a little slip of paper with the Taiwan visa office written in English and Chinese. I am sure that they could recommend accomodation within your budget.
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| Make sure you don't get taken for a ride at the hostels. |
Umm....duhhh!!!
| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| South Africans are ubiquitous here. They're often Western-centric and make a lot of rude remarks about the Chinese. |
I disagree. Yes, there are some rather intolerant and unreasonable South African's but no more than the intolerant and unreasonable Australians, Canadians, New Zealands, Poms, and Americans. The fact is that these behaviors are personality traits and are not dictated by ones nationality. |
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Ki
Joined: 23 Jul 2004
Posts: 475
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| Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2004 1:39 pm Post subject: |
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Wombat's advice is certainly the one to follow so far.
Check to see the visa office is open all day for the day you are wanting to go there. I think five days a week it is open for a full day, one day is a half day, and one day is closed. It also has a habit of changing its times during holidays. One day is enough (for a full day) but there is a surcharge.
Don't get the train from the airport. The bus is much cheaper and will take you directly to Nathan Road in Kowloon where all of the cheap hostels and guest houses are. Sorry, I forget which bus to take.
Are you trying to organise a visa for work purposes or a 'student visa'? If you are going the student route you need proof of taking student classes and being enrolled in more. You also need a return ticket to LEAVE Taiwan. It is also handy to have the contact details of a friend in Taiwan. Also if you are going the student route then DON'T get a letter from your employer. Remember you are in Taiwan to study, NOT to work. If you are getting a visa through work then ignore this advice.
You are also right about needing a statement to prove NT$100,000 in your bank account but you don't actually need the money in your account when you apply.
Not sure for South Africans but you generally have it good in a lot of countries. As long as you have a return ticket to leave Hong Kong you should be right with regards to visas when you arrive.
Every airport I have been to so far, including HK, has some type of left luggage locker. Some are reasonable and some are expensive.
You should be fine with regards to safety but be careful.
Ki. |
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markholmes
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua
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| Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| If you take one piece of advice away from here let it be the bit about ignoring AKATDN. |
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karenannehope
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 25
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Mon Oct 11, 2004 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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TuyuonSteve, Wombat, Ki and Markholmes - thanks a lot for your replies! Don't worry, I don't take any notice of AKATDN and his/her ilk. I'm just looking forward to a totally new experience - which I don't intend to spoil by being judgemental about anyone.
Take care and let me know if you think of any other useful info.
Cheers, Karen |
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