A couple of videos of young women dancing without shirts at a traditional Thai festival have gone viral – and despite the fact that this festival is one honouring Thai goddesses that are often depicted dancing without shirts, authorities have condemned the act, fining the dancers and threatening the photographer with jail time.

The Ministry of Culture website has also changed its depictions of the festival in response to the outcry, as seen above.

Says Global Voice:

“The photos and videos of the three girls dancing bare breasted in Silom, Bangkok immediately went viral and generated intense debates on Thai culture and morality. The girls were slapped with a 500 Baht ($17) fine while the person who uploaded the video received a 100,000 Baht ($3,320) fine and a possible prison term for up to five years in violation of the Computer Crimes Act.”

The video itself was taken in Silom, Bangkok, during the Songkran Water Festival. The video shows a couple of young women topless and surrounded by drunk men – which doesn’t really seem like the sort of thing that would “destroy the image” of Thailand, as the Thai Ministry of Culture has it; as a result, the Ministry plans on sending out educational handbooks on Thai youth culture.

Link to the video above. Obviously NSFW.

[Global Voice]