Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Memes of mercy for two SD men jailed in Thailand

Because Instagram photos of their butts bared at Wat Arun temple

Michelle Obama meme (altered from original #BringBackOurGirls campaign to rescue Nigerian schoolgirls)
Michelle Obama meme (altered from original #BringBackOurGirls campaign to rescue Nigerian schoolgirls)

Memes are usually captioned photos or short repetitive videos that go viral and transform to amuse, inspire, humor, or mystify people. A meme can also be only text that convey how the meme-poster feels at the time, although those aren’t as popular.

The Bangkok Post story

“Sad my friend and fashion model is in jail in Thailand now,” read a meme posted on the Facebook app by Francisco Medavog on November 29.

He posted this in response to his buddies, Travis and Joseph Dasilva, getting arrested in Thailand on November 28 at 8 p.m. (Thailand time) for taking a photo “honey-mooning” in the Wat Arun temple (Temple of Dawn) in Bangkok — and then posting the “bare-buttocks” photo on their Instagram account.

“It’s very sad they were arrested [for] doing something they love that is not pun intended,” Medavog said. “Thailand made a mistake by putting them in jail for such [a] thing.”

The Bangkok Post was one of the first English-language media outlets that broke the news in an article headlined “Americans arrested for bare buttocks at temple.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

The Bangkok Post reported that the men (38 and 36 years old) were “brought to the Bangkok Yai police station for legal action” and depicted a photo of the “Hillcrest residents” in the middle of five “immigration police” at the Don Mueang airport. The photo was taken shortly after they were arrested trying to leave the country on Tuesday.

The Dasilvas’ Instagram account, which was called “Traveling Butts,” where they are said to have posted similar photos in other parts of the world, has since been deactivated.

According to the Bangkok Post, Pol Col Jarupat Thongkomol, the chief of the Bangkok Yai police station, said that “both confessed to the act and had been fined 5000 baht ($153 USD) Tuesday night for getting naked in public,” and that they “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 would be charged with violating the computer crime law for posting pornographic pictures online and breaching Section 206 of the criminal law concerning behaviour at a religious place that insults the religion. The offence under the computer crime act is liable to a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3020 USD). The wrongdoing under the criminal law concerning religious insults may result in a jail term of 1-7 years and/or a fine of 20,000-40,000 baht ($604-$1,208 USD).”

Medavog is a San Diego–based fashion designer. Although he’s been designing mostly women’s clothing since the age of 13, two weeks ago he showcased his first men’s lineup called the “Medavog Men’s 2018 Couture Collection” with Joseph Dasilva as one of his runway models at the Brick Bar in Hillcrest.

Joseph Dasilva, standing behind Francisco Medavog, up front

“[I’ve known] them for their work as artists and performances for various charities,” he said. “Joseph just modeled my men’s collection on November 16 before [they left for] Thailand and [they are a] very kind, gay couple, always smiling and helping our community.”

Medavog then posted another meme that said, “My model at my first men’s show is being in jail now in Thailand so sad and disappointed with Asia overall on arresting Americans!” It wasn’t that popular and as of November 30 it had been taken down. Some responded to his memes by saying “good and they [the Dasilvas] [are] stupid and disrespectful [and] should know better.” Others were compassionate, and someone posted a meme of former first lady Michelle Obama holding up a sign that said #bringbackourbutts.

A later Bangkok Post report stated that the couple was then “detained at the immigration bureau in Bangkok [and] Pol Col Jarupat said police were expanding their investigation into the couple’s behaviour [sik] as police suspected they had committed similar offences [sik] … at the Wat Trai Mit Witthayaram (Golden Buddha temple) in Bangkok,” which is said to have the world’s largest solid gold Buddha image.

“No one wants to degrade sacred sites nor people’s own beliefs,” Medavog said, “obviously they are not criminals and should be treated with kindness.”

On November 28, the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reported that city human-rights commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez said the men reached out to him for assistance and he said “Though I am very disappointed in their actions, I am talking to U.S. government officials to see what assistance we can give them.”

UPDATE

On December 8th, the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reported immigration police were readying the Dasilvas for deportation.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Melissa Etheridge, The Imaginary Amazon

Events April 1-April 3, 2024
Next Article

Flowering pear trees in Kensington not that nice

Empty dirt plots in front of Ken Cinema
Michelle Obama meme (altered from original #BringBackOurGirls campaign to rescue Nigerian schoolgirls)
Michelle Obama meme (altered from original #BringBackOurGirls campaign to rescue Nigerian schoolgirls)

Memes are usually captioned photos or short repetitive videos that go viral and transform to amuse, inspire, humor, or mystify people. A meme can also be only text that convey how the meme-poster feels at the time, although those aren’t as popular.

The Bangkok Post story

“Sad my friend and fashion model is in jail in Thailand now,” read a meme posted on the Facebook app by Francisco Medavog on November 29.

He posted this in response to his buddies, Travis and Joseph Dasilva, getting arrested in Thailand on November 28 at 8 p.m. (Thailand time) for taking a photo “honey-mooning” in the Wat Arun temple (Temple of Dawn) in Bangkok — and then posting the “bare-buttocks” photo on their Instagram account.

“It’s very sad they were arrested [for] doing something they love that is not pun intended,” Medavog said. “Thailand made a mistake by putting them in jail for such [a] thing.”

The Bangkok Post was one of the first English-language media outlets that broke the news in an article headlined “Americans arrested for bare buttocks at temple.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

The Bangkok Post reported that the men (38 and 36 years old) were “brought to the Bangkok Yai police station for legal action” and depicted a photo of the “Hillcrest residents” in the middle of five “immigration police” at the Don Mueang airport. The photo was taken shortly after they were arrested trying to leave the country on Tuesday.

The Dasilvas’ Instagram account, which was called “Traveling Butts,” where they are said to have posted similar photos in other parts of the world, has since been deactivated.

According to the Bangkok Post, Pol Col Jarupat Thongkomol, the chief of the Bangkok Yai police station, said that “both confessed to the act and had been fined 5000 baht ($153 USD) Tuesday night for getting naked in public,” and that they “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 would be charged with violating the computer crime law for posting pornographic pictures online and breaching Section 206 of the criminal law concerning behaviour at a religious place that insults the religion. The offence under the computer crime act is liable to a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($3020 USD). The wrongdoing under the criminal law concerning religious insults may result in a jail term of 1-7 years and/or a fine of 20,000-40,000 baht ($604-$1,208 USD).”

Medavog is a San Diego–based fashion designer. Although he’s been designing mostly women’s clothing since the age of 13, two weeks ago he showcased his first men’s lineup called the “Medavog Men’s 2018 Couture Collection” with Joseph Dasilva as one of his runway models at the Brick Bar in Hillcrest.

Joseph Dasilva, standing behind Francisco Medavog, up front

“[I’ve known] them for their work as artists and performances for various charities,” he said. “Joseph just modeled my men’s collection on November 16 before [they left for] Thailand and [they are a] very kind, gay couple, always smiling and helping our community.”

Medavog then posted another meme that said, “My model at my first men’s show is being in jail now in Thailand so sad and disappointed with Asia overall on arresting Americans!” It wasn’t that popular and as of November 30 it had been taken down. Some responded to his memes by saying “good and they [the Dasilvas] [are] stupid and disrespectful [and] should know better.” Others were compassionate, and someone posted a meme of former first lady Michelle Obama holding up a sign that said #bringbackourbutts.

A later Bangkok Post report stated that the couple was then “detained at the immigration bureau in Bangkok [and] Pol Col Jarupat said police were expanding their investigation into the couple’s behaviour [sik] as police suspected they had committed similar offences [sik] … at the Wat Trai Mit Witthayaram (Golden Buddha temple) in Bangkok,” which is said to have the world’s largest solid gold Buddha image.

“No one wants to degrade sacred sites nor people’s own beliefs,” Medavog said, “obviously they are not criminals and should be treated with kindness.”

On November 28, the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reported that city human-rights commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez said the men reached out to him for assistance and he said “Though I am very disappointed in their actions, I am talking to U.S. government officials to see what assistance we can give them.”

UPDATE

On December 8th, the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News reported immigration police were readying the Dasilvas for deportation.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Next Article

OSHA rules wall falls our fault

Who, U.S.?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.