thaimodelarrestfeat

Most of us have probably experienced a moment or two where it was necessary for us to take a step back and reflect on actions leading to undesirable consequences, even if those actions might have seemed like a good idea at the time.

We’re sure this is exactly what two Thai models are doing after a “tasteless” video of them dancing in front of one of the country’s most sacred monuments in skimpy attire hit the web and went viral, leading to large-scale public backlash and their arrest by local authorities.

Considered a world monument and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, located in Ayutthaya, Thailand, is one of the region’s most famous temples and a major tourist destination.

With close to 95% of the Thai population identifying as Buddhist, it’s just one of many beautiful temples you’ll find around the country. A number of these temples, Wat Chaiwatthanaram included, are places where the Thai Royal Family has exercised religious ceremonies and cremations in the past, and are held in high esteem by the country’s citizens.

In fact, almost all of the temples in Thailand have a strict dress code for visitors, and even tourists will be asked to change into more appropriate attire temples have on hand for guests to borrow if they show up wearing any of the following:

thaitempledresscode

With that in mind, it seems like dancing in front of the sacred temple in skimpy clothing should have come as an obvious no-no for two native Thailand models, Thannicha Nampanya (28) and Nithikarn Chotethanapong (30), but it appears that wasn’t necessarily the case.

After being spotted taking suggestive photographs and shooting the dance video above in front of the famous temple on June 12, they were later taken into custody after their dance video went viral, which was met with open criticism from all sides of the Thai public. Before being questioned by police, the girls were required to take part in a ceremony asking for forgiveness at the temple, and are now facing possible charges of up to a month in prison and a 10,000 baht (approx. US$285) fine.

Both women gave excuses to the tune of “girls just want to have fun” when asked why they would ignore their land’s laws and traditions, saying that they “didn’t know any better”. They did, however, apologize for not considering how their actions would set a bad example and could be potentially damaging to Thailand’s image.

If the models were trying to execute a publicity stunt then they certainly succeeded, but probably not in the way they had originally intended. Though even if the video hadn’t let to dire consequences, we have to be honest when we say that their dancing skills leave something to be desired. (That said, they could have been worse…)

Let this be a friendly reminder that before visiting another country you might want to brush up on some of its cultural no-nos lest you end up in deep trouble over a little “harmless fun”.

Source: Coconuts Bangkok, YouTube/4GPlus_
Top image: YouTube/4GPlus_
Insert image: MooreTravelTips.com