This is my first post so a big hello to everyone! 
I’ve found Forumosa to be an excellent resource for getting all that crucial information about living it up in Taiwan, wow what a cool place.
However after trawling through the forums for ages I still haven’t an answer to a specific question I have concerning “proof of available funds” for doing a visa run to Hong Kong [What, another Hong Kong visa run question! Are those critters never-ending? I told you we should have never opened that hatch Larry… :no-no: ]
Here’s a quick background to my situation: I’m South African, living in Taipei. Finally got myself a English Teacher job but due to various delays involving authenticating my university degree, my school has be unable yet to apply for my work permit and my 2 month tourist visa is to run out this Wednesday 27th May. So I’m gonna do a visa run to Hong Kong this Tuesday 26th May to get another 1 month tourist visa (Degree will be ready about start of June then my school can apply for work permit —> resident visa —> ARC etc., so 1 month is all I need)
However I’m in a bit of a tricky spot for meeting the “proof of available funds” requirement. For South Africans, one is required to have funds of R20000 (about 72000NT) to apply for 1 month visa. Now I have 80000NT available for this, however it’s all in cash [no, I won’t give you my home address 
]. I don’t have a bank account yet but my school will be helping me open one this Friday (22nd). So it seems that these are my options for meeting the funds requirement:
A. Bring all that cash to the Hong Kong Visa Office and show it to them [now that could be fun… 
]
B. Put all the money into my newly opened bank account and have a statement printed out (However the South African visa site says I have to show bank statements of three months so this may be a bit dodgy, can it still be accepted?)
C. Convert the cash into travellers cheques (this is what I used for getting my first visa)
D. The South African visa site says “Proof of available funds for the visit to Taiwan (…or a receipt for foreign exchange purchased)” Now as I mentioned in C, I had all these travelers cheques when I first came into Taiwan and have exchanged all of them, have saved the receipts and the total amount exchanged is over the 72000NT mark. Now could I bring my wad of cash along with these receipts and say this is the money from the exchanges? Will they accept this as proof?
E. I have heard of some people using a credit card. Now I’ve never had a credit card before, so this might be silly but: could I get one from my newly formed bank account in the short time available?
So as far as I am aware these are my current options. I will greatly appreciate it if anyone would offer their advice/experience on what is possible or what is the best option (as in the mostly likely one to get me my visa), or if there’s something I missed.
Oh, and in case this is helpful, the approach I’m going to use is that I have been traveling around Taiwan, seen many cool things, had a great time etc. (all true), and now my visa is to expire but I still haven’t done everything I wanted to (also true) and would like another month to explore Taiwan some more.
Ok, cool, thanks so much everyone!