A San Diego couple, who travel the world posting photos on their ‘Traveling Butts’ Instagram account, have been arrested in Thailand for posing at a famous Buddhist temple with their rear ends exposed, police said
Joseph, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, were on vacation in the Southeast Asia when they decided to visit the Temple of Dawn, or Wat Arun, in Bangkok. Visitors to Thailand’s Buddhist temples are expected to respect local culture and religion, and dress modestly.
The couple, who are infamous for taking risque photos of themselves around the globe, dropped their pants to expose their rears and posted the photo to their Instagram account.
Joseph, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, decided to take this half-naked photo while visiting Wat Arun temple in Bangkok
The Dasilvas were leaving Thailand to return back the US on Tuesday, when they arrested at Don Mueang International Airport.
Someone had spotted their photo and reported them to local police.
They were each slapped with a 5,000 baht ($154) fine for indecent exposure and district police chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told Reuters the pair faced another fine for snapping a similar picture at another Thai temple.
Thongkomol warned they could also face the much more serious charge of violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act after the image was uploaded online. If convicted, they could face up to five years in a Thai jail.
The grinning pair were arrested at Don Mueang International Airport by immigration police
The married couple, who also posted pictures of themselves at another Thai temple, were slapped with a fine for indecent exposure
Thai police said they would also be fined for exposing their rears in this picture at another temple
The Dasilvas’ Traveling Butts Instagram account was deleted on Tuesday after their arrest. At the time it had around 14,000 followers.
M.G. Perez, a San Diego friend of the married couple, told the San Diego Union Tribune that he’d become concerned when he saw Travis Dasilva had put out a plea for help on Facebook
‘Anybody know any diplomats in Bangkok. Or know any lawyers in Bangkok,’ hr wrote. ‘Or anyone from the U.S. who can help?
‘We are stuck at a polixe (sic) station. Call a senator or something. I dunno howuch (sic) longer I’ll have my phone.’
Perez said the couple took the bare bottomed photos because ‘that’s how they express themselves artistically’, adding that ‘It is not about judgment. It is about their safety and figuring out how to get them back home.’
San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez told SDGLN that he was trying to assist the Dasilvas after they reached out to him for help.
The couple had posted a plea for help on Facebook after they were arrested on Tuesday
Friends of the Desilvas (pictured at Machu Picchu) said that they flashed their butts as a form of ‘artistic expression’
It appears that the pair have since been released as they have set up a new Instagram account and reposted many of the offending images. Here they are pictured flashing their rears in front of the White House
The body proud couple have countless pictures of themselves showing off their derrieres online
The move has sparked a backlash on social media with many slamming the pair as ‘disrespectful’
‘Though I am very disappointed in their actions, I am talking to U.S. government officials to see what assistance we can give them,’ Murray-Ramirez said.
However, it appears the couple were released on Wednesday and are now heading home after they created a new Instagram account, named Travelling Butts, and have even reposted the offending Thai photos.
‘Starting a new account, other one got deleted,’ the wrote. ‘Traveling the World, cheek to cheek. Follow us!’
The move has sparked a backlash on social media with many slamming the pair as ‘disrespectful’.
Thai police have not commented on the release of the pair.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the couple for comment.
Thailand, and Bangkok in particular, has a reputation as a party destination. But most of Thailand remains a conservative and Buddhist country where people are expected to dress moderately and act respectfully when visiting places or worship.
Public nudity is considered offensive.