Tag Archives : Living in HK

Taxis:

Taxis in Hong Kong may be booked privately through taxi companies or via third party apps. Below is a comprehensive list of taxi services around the territory…

Via Ed Jones, AFP.

Red Hong Kong Island/Kowloon taxis:

• Hong Kong Taxi Centre – 2574 7311
• Taxicom Vehicle Owners Association – 2529 8822
• Chuen Lee RadioTaxi Association – 2398 1881
• Hong Kong Taxicab Call Centre – 2186 6866
• City Taxi O.D. Association Co. Ltd – 2343 3189
• Fraternity Taxi Owners Association – 2527 6324
• Royal Motors Taxi Company – 2571 2929
• Happy Taxi Operator’s Association – 2728 8282
• Hong Kong & Kowloon Radio Car Owners Association – 2760 0455
• Hong Kong & Kowloon Rich Radio – 2729 1199
• Hong Kong Kowloon Taxi & Lorry Owners Association – 2572 0097
• Pak Kai Taxi Owners Association – 2728 2281
• Abbo Taxi Owners Association – 2383 0168
• Rights of Taxi (Si Hai) Telecommunication Center – 2332 2571
• Sha Tin Taxi Service Association – 2332 2571
• The Kowloon Taxi Owners Association – 2760 0411
• The Taxi Operators Association – 2362 2337
• United Friendship Taxi Owners & Drivers Association – 2760 0477
• United Radio Taxi & Goods Vehicle Association – 2332 2477
• Wai Fat Taxi Owners Association – 2861 1008
• Wai Yik H.K. & Kln. & N.T. Taxi Owners Association – 2776 7885
• Wing Lee Radio Car Traders Association – 2397 0922
• Wing Tai Car Owners & Drivers Association – 2527 8524
• Yik Sun Radiocabs Operators Association – 2394 0111

Unbiased guide to computer repair: Most of Hong Kong’s computer centres (Mongkok, Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po) offer electronics repair. The most affordable we have found for computers is ‘Computer Hospital’ at the Golden Computer City in Sham Shui Po. Unlike some repair shops, they service computers on site (as opposed to shipping them to Shenzhen) – they are also decent bet for cheap 2nd hand laptops and tablets.

It is not especially easy to find. Head to exit D2 of Sham Shui Po MTR and continue along the road facing you. After 20 seconds, you will spot the staircase pictured above opposite some mobile network stores. The address is: 1/f Golden Computer Centre, 94 Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po.

It is not uncommon in Hong Kong to receive several junk/marketing calls per week, or even per day. Following the tips below will reduce them to zero.

Gov’t Registry: Add your number to the government ‘Do Not Call’ registry by calling 1835000 from the number you wish to register. It is an automated process and will prevent pre-recorded ‘robocalls’ only. It is also meant to block junk faxes. Check the status of your number on their website.

Transferring money from Hong Kong back to your home country is cumbersome and expensive. Exchange bureaus are a rip-off and banks offer poor rates, even before charges are imposed on sender and recipient accounts. There are two banking options which offer free international transfers of sorts…

…HSBC Premier offer free worldwide transfers for eligible elite customers, whilst Citibank has free transfers between Citibank accounts globally. If you’re not with Shittybank or HK’s Bullshit Corporation, you could convert your wealth to Bitcoins or withdraw hoards of cash to get your money home…

…Peer-to-Peer currency exchange is the next best option for the rest of us. Xoom and Transferwise are big players but neither deal in HKD, leaving Currencyfair. You can check the day’s rates on their website and calculate the savings involved – most of the savings come from fees.

Updated: Oct 2013 – this is a non-biased, no bullshit independent guide…

Tips for finding cheap flights out of Hong Kong…

• For traditional airlines, use Google’s Matrix software to find out the base prices of your flight – all agencies use this booking engine and the database is for reference only (you cannot book though it). Results include tax. Once you have identified a flight you wish to buy, search for it on the airline’s own website and reserve a seat – usually the price is the same as quoted on the Matrix and you will be better placed to make adjustments, cancel or select seats by booking directly.
• Also check with local comparison engines Zuji, Webjet and Priceline (beware results rarely include tax). Skyscanner is also a good option – state your destination as ‘everywhere’ or use the map tool if you are unfussed about where you want to go but want to check prices. Blog readers also suggested Kayak, which is particularly good for multi-stop flights.

• Some discount low-cost airlines will not be listed on the search engines. Depending on your destination, consider Cebu Pacific (Philippines) Peach (Japan), Dragon Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Jetstar (launching soon), and, in particular, Air Asia. Air Asia have hubs in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok which may offer cheaper onward flights than heading from HK.

image via eirth.com

Sick of HSBC? Spent the summer navigating their ATM Card farce? Whilst the bank has promised to rectify their ATM omnishambles, it may be time to break free. Whist HK has yet to catch up with ethical banking trends seen abroad, below is an up-to-date, no-bullshit, unbiased guide to the two least-worst alternatives. There are over 150 banks operating in the territory – however, Hang Seng is a write-off (as it is owned by HSBC), and the remainder either offer a worse level of service than HSBC, are ‘built-on-quicksand‘ China-owned banks or do not provide an internationally recognised ATM card.

Best Banks for Foreigners in HK:

This leaves Citibank or Standard Chartered – neither current account is perfect, but both beat HSBC in terms of features. Standard Chartered is great in that all bank transfers within HK are free, no matter who the recipient banks. Also, like with HSBC, you can buy currency via internet banking. However, there is a HK$28 charge for using non-JETCO local ATMs or any overseas ATMs.

Citibank only offers currency transfer at branches and does charge a fee for transferring cash to a competing bank in HK. However, they open late (till 7pm) and you will get a Visa Debit ATM card with free ATM withdrawals at any bank, local or overseas. They also offer free international transfers to Citibanks abroad.

Bizarrely, despite bearing the appropriate logo, the Citibank Visa Debit ATM card cannot be used for online transaction (or to pay by mail/phone) – it may only be used in-person. This anomaly has been confirmed in the small print and by existing customers – it means that there is still no ‘true’ Visa Debit card on offer in HK.

Standard Chartered Basic ‘Easy Banking’ Account:

Hong Kong is arguably the cheapest place in the world for new and used cell phones. Below is an unbiased guide to the four main options for bagging an affordable device in HK…

AST Global – Although they have a limited range, the cheapest deals for new, unlocked phones (and lots of other tech) is AST Global. They are online only and can deliver to your nearest MTR station. Customers can pay online or in cash and still receive the usual year-long manufacturer’s warranty. Their website isn’t the slickest, and be sure to inspect your goods before handing over cash, but all products include a 3-day money-back guarantee if you keep the packaging. This store is unbeatable on cameras too – cheaper than any of the arcades in Mongkok or Sham Shui Po…

Sin Tat Plaza – Many Hong Kongers head straight to Sin Yat Plaza on Argyle Street in Mongkok. Walk straight along the road out of MTR exit D2 – it will appear on your left (no English signage). Once it was notorious for rip-offs and fake models, but things have been cleaned up in recent years, and – along with Sham Shui Po – it is a great place for second hand mobiles too.

Best viewed over at Google Maps, this map shows some of HK’s popular and lesser-known markets and malls. Blue represents general shopping, pink is electronics, orange is living things, and green is food/medicine…

Posted with permission from Reddit-user Jort, the map will slowly expand to include more shopping hotspots and wet markets. Many of the electronics arcades may not be news to locals, but – for humble foreigners – these malls can be hard-to-find and often lack English signs.

Update: You can now access local news, for free, at Hong Kong Free Press http://www.hongkongfp.com