Taiwanese YouTuber mistaken for Taliban member in India
A Taiwanese YouTuber was allegedly mistaken for a member of the Taliban while travelling in India. The confusion apparently happened at a restaurant, where influencer Alisasa was having a chat with the owner. She says she told the owner she was from Taiwan, which the restaurateur mistook for Taliban. Incredulous netizens, did not quite believe the tale, and reached out to the operator for verification.
YouTuber Alisasa explains an unforgettable mix-up during her trip to India.
Alisasa
YouTuber
I remember one time at a restaurant in India, the owner asked me “Where are you from?” And I said “Oh! I’m from Taiwan.” And he was like “Taiwan?” I said, “Yes, Taiwan.” Then he confirmed again, “Ta-li-wan?” At that moment I thought… Well… His pronunciation was a bit off, but I let it slide. I just said, “Mmm, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Taliwan, Taliwan.” But the look on the owner’s face suddenly changed like…
She told the owner of the restaurant she was from Taiwan, which he misheard as “Taliban,” the ultraconservative militant group in Afghanistan. The tale caught fire on the internet.
Internet users say the misunderstanding doesn’t seem likely, as “Taiwan” is only two syllables long and Taliban has three syllables. They also say Taiwan is usually just confused with Thailand. But Alisasa insists that her story is real.
She posted the location of the restaurant saying “I swear to God I’m telling the truth. Some Indian’s don’t even have the word ‘Taiwan’ in their heads.” But a netizen actually contacted the restaurant to verify the story.
But the owner of the restaurant says he had never made any statements about Taiwan, nor had he ever confused or referred to Taiwan as “Taliban.” As if that weren’t enough for Alisasa, sports commentator Shih Ming-chin added fuel to the fire, saying that if he were asked if he is from Taliwan, he would have absolutely said “No, no, no! It’s Taiwan.” Meanwhile, in the comments, travel YouTuber Outside Richie posted a highlight reel of him discussing Taiwan with Indians.
Most Indians in Outside Richie’s video seemed to have a positive image of Taiwan. Alisasa has since backpedalled, saying that her awkward conversation was with an employee at the restaurant, not with the owner.
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2025-04-07
