A California couple was busted in Thailand for taking a nude “butt selfie” in front of a renowned Buddhist temple, local police said Wednesday.
Joseph Dasilva, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, of San Diego, were nabbed by cops at a Bangkok airport late Tuesday for dropping their pants in front of Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn, in a photo they posted on social media.
“The two American citizens have admitted taking the picture,” district police chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told Reuters.
The offending photo was posted on the pair’s popular travel Instagram account, @travelling_butts, which followed their adventures, and bare bottoms, at famous locales all over the globe.
The account had reached 14,000 followers before being shut down Tuesday.
Both Travis and Joseph Dasilva admitted to baring their behinds in front of the temple and were fined $154 each for public nudity, authorities said.
They are being held by authorities at an immigration detention center.
“Once they are through with the charges, the Thai immigration police will revoke their visas and push for deportation,” he said. “They will also be blacklisted from coming back to Thailand,” the deputy spokesman of the Thai immigration police, Col. Choengron Rimpadee, told the BBC.
But Thai government and police officials say the pair could be facing more serious charges. Police are also considering whether the pair violated Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, which bans uploading pornographic pictures, and is punishable by up to five years in jail, Bangkok Post reported.
The couple also may have violated a law regarding religious insults, which could land them in the slammer for one to seven years.
San Diego Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez said the men have reached out to him for assistance, San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reported.
“Though I am very disappointed in their actions, I am talking to U.S. government officials to see what assistance we can give them,” he said.
While Thailand is known for its racy nightlife, the country is predominantly Buddhist and deeply conservative. Revealing clothing and nudity in public are generally found offensive and frowned upon.
People visiting the Buddhist Temple of Dawn are expected to dress modestly and signs posted outside advise them to cover their shoulders and legs.