You CAN’T turn right on a red light.
You CAN drink in public (as long as you don’t end up urinating all over a local or anything).
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… and pick toe cheese in the MRT trains!
But don’t bring meat!
Extra points for examining the booger carefully while rolling it between your fingers and then deftly flicking it away.
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Doesn’t bother me as much as the sound of smacking lips as someone eats something with their mouth open.
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I always ask people to look for my little green balls, never found them!
Hmm, you must be ball-less.
Some may be repetitive of the above:
Don’t turn right on red if driving. This may come as a surprise to Americans.
Don’t make a left turn if riding a motorcycle; use a two-stage turn.
Don’t drive after any amount of drinking; even if you’re not drunk, police often do sniff tests.
Don’t use, smuggle, buy, sell, grow, or otherwise be involved with drugs. Even (and especially) pot; people take it verrrrrrry seriously here.
Don’t overstay your visa by even one day; it will cause major headaches in the long run.
Don’t insult anyone publicly, even in your mother tongue.
Don’t work illegally. 25 years ago the authorities turned a blind eye to it; today not so much.
Don’t speed. Fines are hefty. Use the Waze app to get warnings of where speed cameras are.
Among the foreigners I’ve heard of who have gotten in serious legal trouble here, the main reasons were public insulting, marijuana, and drunk driving. The first of these generally leads to a costly, lengthy morass of legal misery; the latter two have led to tragedies including murder, suicide, and accidental death.
Apart from public insulting and foreigners taking part in political demonstrations, Taiwan is a paradise of free speech, unlike most of Asia. And as said before, you can drink in public; just don’t become a public nuisance or drive when you do so.
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