British Expat Gets ‘Taiwan’ Tattooed on His Face While Drunk

A British expat living in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, is in deep regret after realizing that the Chinese characters for “Taiwan”, and one of its pro-independence flags were tattooed on his forehead and chin.

While the Briton, identified as Paul, 32, has been living in Taiwan for 13 years, he disagrees, understandably, with what turned out of the two-hour tattoo session.

In a Facebook post, the man said that he got “very very very drunk,” and is “now well aware of how stupid it was to get done.”

He had the tattoos inked at a 24-hour parlor in Kaohsiung on Oct. 18, the Taiwan Observer reported.

According to the outlet, he has a long history of supporting Taiwanese independence, and is locally known for owning a pub and an athletic club in Yancheng.

By Saturday, Paul ended up seeking help from another tattoo artist, who failed to provide a remedy, but turned to the internet for help.

The expat’s story has since drawn mixed reactions from netizens, with many blaming the tattoo artist for his lack of professionalism and ethical conduct. Others blamed nothing else but alcohol.

The 32-year-old’s Taiwanese wife is reportedly displeased with the results.

In defense, Wei Cheng, the artist responsible for the tattoos, told reporters that the there was no misunderstanding over the procedure.

“Though reeking of alcohol, the man spoke clearly and answered my questions without ambiguity. We discussed where he wanted to place the two characters before I asked him again, ‘Do you really want to tattoo it on your face?’ He insisted that was what he wanted,” the Taipei Times quoted him as saying.

For now, Paul — whose heart remains committed to Taiwan’s independence — has no idea how to get the tattoos removed from his face.

Taiwan News reported that Paul was later arrested on Monday at 12:42 a.m. for drunk driving. He was asked to do a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol level of 0.82 milligram/liter.

Paul was released without bail after being questioned and placed in a detention cell, where he broke a toilet and then passed out due to exhaustion.

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