Two American tourists fined in Thailand for ‘butt selfie’ at temple

BANGKOK — Thai authorities have fined two American tourists for public indecency for posing for a "butt selfie" in front of a famous Buddhist temple, police said on Wednesday.

The two, who police identified as Joseph Dasilva, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, were arrested late on Tuesday at an airport in the capital, Bangkok.

They were each fined 5,000 baht ($154) for baring their buttocks for a picture taken last week at Bangkok's Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn.

"The two American citizens have admitted taking the picture," district police chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told Reuters.

While Thailand has a reputation for racy night life, the predominantly Buddhist country is deeply conservative and revealing clothing is frowned upon while public nudity is considered offensive.

The main structure at the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok is seen in thie photo taken on March 25, 2017. Roberto Schmidt/AFP

The two men had an Instagram account called traveling_butts which showcased similar selfies taken at tourists sites around the world. The account had more than 14,000 followers but on Wednesday it had been deleted.

Jaruphat said the two would also be fined for a similar picture taken at another temple in Bangkok.

They were being held at an immigration detention center while police considered a possible violation of Thailand's Computer Crime Act, as the photograph was uploaded online, Jaruphat said. — Reuters