A San Diego couple is facing criminal charges in Thailand for posting photos of their exposed backsides in front of Buddhist temples.
Local
The photos were posted on the Instagram page "Traveling Butts," and went viral from there.
Their San Diego housesitter, Nyx Blue, told NBC 7 that Joe and Travis DaSilva are in Thailand to celebrate their honeymoon, one year after they married.
They were scheduled to return to San Diego on December 5, but Bangkok police may have changed the couple's plans.
Thailand is known as the land of smiles, but after the DaSilvas posted their bare-backside selfies, few are laughing.
"I was totally shocked, I had no idea,” neighbor Rick Edgil said after seeing the photos.
“Personally I don't think it's an international incident, but different people have different standards," Edgil said.
The Bangkok Post reported the couple was arrested at Don Mueang airport Tuesday night and charged with getting naked in public.
The housesitter who answered NBC 7's questions, but stayed behind the screen door, said they are innocent.
"They didn't know it was a temple. It’s just like a building," Blue said.
But not just any building. The two were standing in front of Wat Arun, The Temple of Dawn, and Wat Pho, home to the golden reclining Buddha. In the land of 10-thousand plus temples, these are considered two of the holiest places.
"Overdramatic to be honest with you," Blue said. "Over simple dramatic thing. A simple butt."
However, the drama is now playing out in online newspaper comments. Some Bangkok Post readers wrote, "You can die," and "There's a gun behind your back."
The "Traveling Butts" Instagram page has since been taken down. Blue said bare bottom photos are a gag the DaSilvas pull just about everywhere they travel.
As for Edgil, a retired San Diego police officer, he said people should be more cautious when they travel.
"I don't want to get involved with law enforcement in any way shape or form, so I pretty much toe the line when I travel," said Edgil.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, Edgil said he sees a lesson for people to learn.
The housesitter said the DaSilvas are currently looking for a lawyer to represent them in court.
The DaSilvas reportedly face a maximum penalty of a $150 fine, which may not seem that steep, but it is equivalent to about 4,881 in Thai Baht.
