Two American tourists fined 5000 Baht for 'butt selfie' at Thai temple

[Kadilo]

2 hours ago, Dagnabbit said:

They knew full well the importance of their chosen venues. Their display an obvious reference to@nal sex & was way beyond.......

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Obvious reference.? How?

Did they have a placard hanging around their backside saying “Poke Here if you want anal sex?

Dont you think you are exaggerating this a little too far?

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

Obvious reference.? How?
Did they have a placard hanging around their backside saying “Poke Here if you want anal sex?
Dont you think you are exaggerating this a little too far?
 
 
 

Well beyond exaggeration. Inflammatory homophobic hogwash more like.

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[manarak]

Thailand was too lenient IMO.

They were very disrespectful for the sole purpose of self-gratification.

5000 baht is less than the plane ticket costs.

 

 

[Jingthing]

Thailand was too lenient IMO.
They were very disrespectful for the sole purpose of self-gratification.
5000 baht is less than the plane ticket costs.
 
 

Your information is very dated. They are in prison now and possibly facing charges that would result in potentially several years in prison.

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[manarak]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Your information is very dated. They are in prison now and possibly facing charges that would result in potentially several years in prison.

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okay  - was replying to the thread's OP, as the thread is still current... maybe should be closed with a link to the new thread with updated info then.

 

anyway - while the 5000 baht were too lenient, years of prison seem much too harsh, but jumping from one extreme to the other is a classic in Thailand.

 

I would have said to make it memorable and very inconvenient for the two.

20.000 baht each, 3 days police custody, and court hearing timed to make sure they miss any flights they had... that would be about right. maybe one week of community service on top.
prison is over the top - I think prison should be reserved for crimes against people and property.

Edited December 5, 2017 by manarak

[Kadilo]

25 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well beyond exaggeration. Inflammatory homophobic hogwash more like.

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26 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well beyond exaggeration. Inflammatory homophobic hogwash more like.

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Yes I agree. I’m amazed this thread is still running. The very worst of TVF

[owl sees all]

13 minutes ago, manarak said:

okay  - was replying to the thread's OP, as the thread is still current... maybe should be closed with a link to the new thread with updated info then.

 

anyway - while the 5000 baht were too lenient, years of prison seem much too harsh, but jumping from one extreme to the other is a classic in Thailand.

At first I thought 500bt fine a 'bon voyage' goodwill message and on your way lads. And here's a little something 'cause we made you miss your flight.

 

After reading all the posts (a lot by JT), and losing sleep over it all, I've changed my mind.

Edited December 5, 2017 by owl sees all

[Jingthing]

The updated info has been mentioned several times here already.
I agree of course.
Several years in prison for what they did is draconian.

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[Jingthing]

Yes I agree. I’m amazed this thread is still running. The very worst of TVF

I'm not surprised at all. Part for the course here really.

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[Jingthing]

Lethal Gassy Bum Trumpers

I suppose that's coherent to you.

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[sjaak327]

So people think a two year PRISON sentence for a prank is appropriate. Oh my god. Absolutely unjust and unreasonable. A fine should be all that they get, they should not even have been arrested, providing they pay the fine on the spot. The Thai have seriously lost it. I hate people that takes themselves to serious, time to get a sense of humour and stop being self important. 

[isaanbanhou]

Update:

 

 Travis and Joseph had a bowl of cold rice soup for breakfast and dinner. Travis found a chicken bone in his, Joseph the eternal optimist says that maybe tomorrow there will be a little meat on the bone.

 

Travis said it gets hard sleeping with so many men in the room. Joseph said this is not the time or place for that now. The Swiss guy, Romono, says he noticed and doesn t want to sleep beside Travis anymore.

 

Goodluck , the Nigerian, confided with the two married men from California, that he is really a Nigerian prince. Goodluck is trying to get Romono's wife out on bail. If  his friend can come up with the bail money, Goodluck says she work for him at a small  restaurant he owns on Soi 11 Sukhumvit.  He will keep her passport until she works of the debt.

 

All things considered Travis and Joseph are doing quite well, they are making friends and are a little surprised how quickly they have adapted to prison life. " It's not what I expected" Travis said " And I saw that Bridgette Jones movie, so I had  a good understanding of Thai culture before I came here"

 

They were a little concerned that they would be discriminated against for being gay. But Goodluck said " you two disrespected the religion of 93.6% of Thai people, Thais hate you for that,  most don t even know that your gay, they just think your tingtong farangs"   This brought great comfort to Travis and Joseph.

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, hyku1147 said:

Thou art being a wee bit anal retentive.

If you jolly fellows would lighten up, then you might earn acceptance from 96% of the Earth's population.

Jolly fellows? Santas? 

Based on the mountain of vile homophobia I'm seeing on many sites now in response to the Butt Tourists incident that stupidly conflates their rear end faux pas as representing all gay people, you're being entirely too optimistic.
Gay people should get real if they think differently. They (huge numbers) hate us, they really really hate us. These haters are always looking for new excuses to justify their hatred even more. 

If a majority person does something wrong or stupid, it's just on them.

When it's a person from a unpopular minority, it's ALL of them.

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Jingthing

[sanemax]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Jolly fellows? Santas? 

Based on the mountain of vile homophobia I'm seeing on many sites now in response to the Butt Tourists incident that stupidly conflates their rear end faux pas as representing all gay people, you're being entirely too optimistic.
Gay people should get real if they think differently. They (huge numbers) hate us, they really really hate us. These haters are always looking for new excuses to justify their hatred even more. 

If a majority person does something wrong or stupid, it's just on them.

When it's a person from a unpopular minority, it's ALL of them.

 

So, how many posters have said that you did it ?

[tonray]

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

If a majority person does something wrong or stupid, it's just on them.

When it's a person from a unpopular minority, it's ALL of them.

In Thailand, all white farangs are viewed as one. Whenever I travel to Issan some enterprising guy at the airport or in the cab asks me if I want him to drive me to places where I can hook up with Brown Skin girls. When I went to Laos last year the Tuk Tuk guy in Savannahkhet told me he could take me to have sex with Vietnamese girls after I drop my app of at the consulate.....they view all of us by the behaviors of some of us. The English speaking Thai lady outside of the Sala Daeng BTS asks me if I want girls whenever I get off the stairs...then when I say no, she asks if I want boys. My sexual preference is not the issue...the issue is I am a white foreigner in Silom so I must want to pay for sex. 

 

Stereotyping in Thailand, get in line.

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, tonray said:

In Thailand, all white farangs are viewed as one. Whenever I travel to Issan some enterprising guy at the airport or in the cab asks me if I want him to drive me to places where I can hook up with Brown Skin girls. When I went to Laos last year the Tuk Tuk guy in Savannahkhet told me he could take me to have sex with Vietnamese girls after I drop my app of at the consulate.....they view all of us by the behaviors of some of us. The English speaking Thai lady outside of the Sala Daeng BTS asks me if I want girls whenever I get off the stairs...then when I say no, she asks if I want boys. My sexual preference is not the issue...the issue is I am a white foreigner in Silom so I must want to pay for sex. 

 

Stereotyping in Thailand, get in line.

You thought I was talking about Thais? 

[tonray]

Just now, Jingthing said:

You thought I was talking about Thais? 

Let me guess...you are worried about what Americans think about you ? The same imbeciles who support serial abuser Donald Trump and pedophile Roy Moore ? Give it up....America will always harbor hate and prejudice...it's who we are apparently and if there ever was any doubt about that, the Trump presidency has shown me why I can never go back to live in my country of birth.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, tonray said:

Let me guess...you are worried about what Americans think about you ? The same imbeciles who support serial abuser Donald Trump and pedophile Roy Moore ? Give it up....America will always harbor hate and prejudice...it's who we are apparently and if there ever was any doubt about that, the Trump presidency has shown me why I can never go back to live in my country of birth.

I was talking in general. Look at the global English language coverage of this incident including Thailand based. Most of the comments are from westerners. The most vile obscene disgusting homophobia you can imagine. So many don't take the incident for what it is about two people. It's their excuse to express that it represents everything they already hate about gay people. 

[mauGR1]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I was talking in general. Look at the global English language coverage of this incident including Thailand based. Most of the comments are from westerners. The most vile obscene disgusting homophobia you can imagine. So many don't take the incident for what it is about two people. It's their excuse to express that it represents everything they already hate about gay people. 

How can you say that, i am sure that if it was 2 lesbians doing that, the uproar of the high moral brigade would be the same.

 

[isaanbanhou]

30 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I was talking in general. Look at the global English language coverage of this incident including Thailand based. Most of the comments are from westerners. The most vile obscene disgusting homophobia you can imagine. So many don't take the incident for what it is about two people. It's their excuse to express that it represents everything they already hate about gay people.

Look at the gay media outlets and read the comments.  The two married men from California have not endeared themselves to the gay community either.  Holding hands and smiling after they were arrested?   Their disrespect to Thai culture causes Thais to look down on all farang straight or gay

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, mauGR1 said:

How can you say that, i am sure that if it was 2 lesbians doing that, the uproar of the high moral brigade would be the same.

 

There was a similar case in Cambodia. Two sisters. Fined and banned. End of. They were straight so no hate. But you're right, homophobes generally are cool with lesbians as they often get them hot. 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Jingthing

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

So people think a two year PRISON sentence for a prank is appropriate. Oh my god. Absolutely unjust and unreasonable. A fine should be all that they get, they should not even have been arrested, providing they pay the fine on the spot. The Thai have seriously lost it. I hate people that takes themselves to serious, time to get a sense of humour and stop being self important. 

I agree, but excessive and unrealistic punishments have always been part of the culture here, often in conjunction with absurdly low fines.

 

This case is somewhat unprecedented in that it is effectively a social media "crime", and there's a new act in place to prosecute such things... a few years ago the situation wouldn't have existed. The perps best chance of a way out is ironically the same social media that got them in trouble in the first place. 

[Jingthing]

I have no predictions on this but I suppose it's pretty obvious there are two basic ways this could go.

 

The full court press and send them to prison for a long term.

 

(OR)

 

Let things calm down for awhile (weeks or even months) and then quietly let them leave with the fine and ban and maybe an additional fine.

 

I think the majority of the Thai public would probably approve a more harsh punishment but as the story fades from attention and is replaced with new things to focus on, that could allow a face saving chance to get them out of here.

 

I don't think expat or international opinion about the punishment really matters either way. They did a really stupid thing so they are being widely condemned, but the issue is the punishment, reasonable vs. draconian. 

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

11 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

I agree, but excessive and unrealistic punishments have always been part of the culture here, often in conjunction with absurdly low fines.

 

This case is somewhat unprecedented in that it is effectively a social media "crime", and there's a new act in place to prosecute such things... a few years ago the situation wouldn't have existed. The perps best chance of a way out is ironically the same social media that got them in trouble in the first place. 

They aren't in a position to do any social media. What do you mean then? 

[lamyai3]

33 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

They aren't in a position to do any social media. What do you mean then? 

Social media on their behalf (probably from the US), which embarrasses the country by showcasing it's over the top sentencing. It hasn't happened yet, but if lobbying was to occur I would expect it to very publicly attempt to shame the country on the appalling conditions in Thai prisons etc. High level social media exposure quite often steers policy here. 

[isaanbanhou]

2 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

Social media on their behalf (probably from the US), which embarrasses the country by showcasing it's over the top sentencing. It hasn't happened yet, but if lobbying was to occur I would expect it to very publicly attempt to shame the country on the appalling conditions in Thai prisons etc. High level social media exposure quite often steers policy here. 

 

The Thai government will simply replace gay farang tourist with gay Chinese tourist.

 

scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2095807/eat-play-love-why-chinas-gays-see-thailand-land-smiles-and-second

thestar.com.my/news/regional/2017/11/10/gay-chinese-tourists-flock-to-thailand-for-fun-acceptance

 

The Chinese are better behaved and lack the sense of entitlement that the men from California enjoy.  

[sjaak327]

1 hour ago, isaanbanhou said:

 

The Thai government will simply replace gay farang tourist with gay Chinese tourist.

 

scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2095807/eat-play-love-why-chinas-gays-see-thailand-land-smiles-and-second

thestar.com.my/news/regional/2017/11/10/gay-chinese-tourists-flock-to-thailand-for-fun-acceptance

 

The Chinese are better behaved and lack the sense of entitlement that the men from California enjoy.  

The only sense of entitlement I see are people that cannot take a joke. I am sure the local gay scene will be thrilled by those Chinese gay tourist, it simply means more establishments go bankrupt. This government is excellent at shooting itself in both feet, as witnessed by one idiotic measure after another. 

 

This being just one example. And if they go through with this, it won't be just foreign gay tourists that go elsewhere, it will be straight tourists as well. 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by sjaak327

[isaanbanhou]

55 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

The only sense of entitlement I see are people that cannot take a joke. I am sure the local gay scene will be thrilled by those Chinese gay tourist, it simply means more establishments go bankrupt. This government is excellent at shooting itself in both feet, as witnessed by one idiotic measure after another. 

 

This being just one example. And if they go through with this, it won't be just foreign gay tourists that go elsewhere, it will be straight tourists as well. 

 

 

Perhaps I missed the joke you speak of. What I saw was a photo and an news article of two men arrested for breaking a Thai law smiling and holding hands.

 

China is already the third largest market for pink tourism and we have all seen the number of Chinese tourists explode over recent years. Thailand is not a democracy in a western sense. The people on top make the decisions regardless of the affect on the small man. 

 

A simple google search of gay  tourism in Thailand will result in numerous articles which warn gay tourists that Thailand's acceptance of the gay lifestyle is limited compared to western countries and that Thai's are generally conservative in nature.  Bangkok has not had a Pride Parade in 11 years.  These two men have insulted the Thai people, I can't see any motivation for those in power to show any cultural sensitivity to the arrested.  

[sjaak327]

8 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

Perhaps I missed the joke you speak of. What I saw was a photo and an news article of two men arrested for breaking a Thai law smiling and holding hands.

 

China is already the third largest market for pink tourism and we have all seen the number of Chinese tourists explode over recent years. Thailand is not a democracy in a western sense. The people on top make the decisions regardless of the affect on the small man. 

 

A simple google search of gay  tourism in Thailand will result in numerous articles which warn gay tourists that Thailand's acceptance of the gay lifestyle is limited compared to western countries and that Thai's are generally conservative in nature.  Bangkok has not had a Pride Parade in 11 years.  These two men have insulted the Thai people, I can't see any motivation for those in power to show any cultural sensitivity to the arrested.  

The joke is showing their butt of course. And that's all it is a joke. The fact that the Thai are 'offended" speaks volumes. No sense of humour, a sense of self importance that does not reflect well on them at all. This has nothing at all to do with gay lifestyle. 

 

Those in power should show they are reasoned human beings, no one should be incarcerated over this. Nowhere in the world.

[owl sees all]

39 minutes ago, isaanbanhou said:

These two men have insulted the Thai people, I can't see any motivation for those in power to show any cultural sensitivity to the arrested.

Insulted the Thai people eh! If you say so. 

 

They have offended a couple of over-the-top authoritarian religious nuts who are showing everyone how diligent they are.

 

They are turning Thailand into an even bigger joke than it is now.

 

Get a life; take a little humour into your miserable lives.

Edited December 5, 2017 by owl sees all