One of the first acts by the disrespectful Americans after being told charges were being withdrawn was to re-start the Instagram account that landed them in trouble.
Apparently unrepentant, the same-sex California couple who flashed their buttocks at two temples and posted the photos online have been kicked out of Thailand.
Police made no comment, but their release after nearly two weeks locked up was reported by the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News (SDGLN), which has been following the adventures of the disrespectful duo.
Joseph Jay Dasilva, 38, and Travis Larry-Spackman Dasilva, 36, were arrested on Nov 28 after authorities found photos of their Bangkok adventure on their Instagram page.
Immediately after their release from the police lockup, the Dasilvas resurrected the Instagram “travelling_butts” account that led to their arrest and internment.
They were fined 5,000 baht last week for public nudity after they posted a photo of themselves flashing the Temple of the Dawn, Wat Arun.
Authorities debated whether to charge them with posting pornography, a Computer Crime Act offence that could have resulted in a prison sentence of up to seven years.
According to SDGLN, the men appeared in court but the judge “threw out those charges and sent them back to immigration police to be processed for deportation”.
There was no immediate confirmation from Thai police.
When they were arrested, Pol Col Cherngron Rimpadee, deputy immigration police spokesman, said, “Tourists should have respect for places of cultural, historical and religious importance because it is simple good manners.”
“They are in a clean but cold (sic) cell and sleeping on the floor,” the publication quoted the Dasilvas’ friend Robert Rodriguez, who had been in touch with them.
“He adds that the married couple could get word they are going home in as little as 24-hours to as long as five days, it depends on how long it will take to process them,” the publication added.
The Dasilvas received little love from the Thai or California public after their arrest for disrespecting the Buddhist temples and religion.
Social media in California supported their safe return but most commenters frowned on their actions
“People would probably expect the straight community to have a feeding frenzy upon hearing this news – which they did – but it was the unsupportive responses made by the LGBT community that surprised many,” according to SDGLN, which all along stressed the arrest “was not an LGBT issue”.
Early Monday, the top comment on the website said:
This isn’t a gay vs stright issue. This is, ‘I’m an American being dumb and thinking I can get away with it.’ While I don’t think it is a stoning offence (or prison for that matter), I do think that that the level of arrogance shown is unreal.
