Police on Wednesday were preparing serious charges with possible imprisonment for the two American men who were arrested on Tuesday night for posting photos of their bare bottoms taken at Wat Arun.
Pol Col Jarupat Thongkomol, chief of the Bangkok Yai police station, said on Wednesday that both confessed to the act and had been fined 5,000 baht for nudity in public. The fine was the heaviest permissible for the offence.
The station chief also said police were preparing more charges against the Americans, because they posted their photos on the Internet and took photos of their naked body parts at a religious site.
They could be charged with computer crime and religious insult, Pol Col Jarupat said.
The offence under the computer crime act could mean a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht. Violating the criminal law concerning religious insults could mean a jail term of 1-7 years and/or a fine of 20,000-40,000 baht.
After their arrest at Don Mueang airport on Tuesday night, police identified the two men as Joseph, 38, and Travis, 36.
San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) identified them in its report as Joseph Dasilva and Travis Dasilva, a married couple from San Diego, and reported that they were seeking assistance from their city administration.
Media reported they had a social media account called "Traveling Butts" with similar pictures taken at various tourist destinations.
