Bamboo tattoo in Thailand (video)
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You can't ignore it in Thailand: you can walk into a Tattoo Shop on every street corner. You can of course opt for an electric tattoo machine, but that is for newbies. The real enthusiast goes for the bamboo tattoo in Thailand.
Yes, even Angelina Jolie flew to Thailand especially to have her silky soft skin treated with a chopstick including a needle and some ink.
In Thailand, bamboo tattoos are mainly found among Buddhist monks who put religious texts on their bodies. These would protect the wearer against diseases and other disasters. Nowadays, tourists can still get tattooed by monks in temples (for a hefty fee). Complete with rituals such as incense and other blessings, so that you are completely the male (or female) afterwards.
You have to sit down for it because it is a time-consuming method, with a machine it is of course faster. However, the bamboo tattoo also has advantages. It would be less painful than the regular machine method because the needle goes less deep and there is less friction. A bamboo tattoo therefore heals faster.
What are you waiting for?
Video: Bamboo tattoo in Thailand
Watch the video of a bamboo tattoo in Chiang Mai here:
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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Never wanted tattoos until I discovered the Sak Yant and went to a Wat near Udon Thani with my love. In 4 hours with, in this case steel pens, 2 beautiful Sak Yants on my back. Then the monk proved my invulnerability by hitting my back with a machete…
I am very happy with it, not very painful. Sitting still for long periods of time was especially difficult. There is a good chance that I will visit the Wat again soon. It's true, once a tattoo or in this case a Collaboration Yant, you want more.
Found a beautiful book about Sak Yant 'Thai Magic Tattoos' the art and influence of sak Yant by Isabel Azevedo Drouyer and René Drouyer. Many beautiful photos, background information and history about Sak Yants.
Not too expensive. here is one that does it for 300 thb per session..a session normally takes about 4 to 6 hours With a large tattoo you need a few sessions.but rarely more than 3 or 4…..do the math..dirt cheap for an original Thai tattoo if you ask me….Beautiful work
I have many tattoos in different places, and I recently had one done on my back like this, and honestly, it was the most painful ever of many.
I also had a beautiful tattoo on my back by a monk in bkk
I had previously had 2 tattoos placed in the modern way (elecctic).
but the real thai tattoo hurt incredibly, i was going to get 3…but it stayed at 1.
I couldn't move my arm for 3 days, it bothered me so much,
but the Tattoo is very beautiful. And my wife (Thai) also has it
I will never get a tattoo myself. But everyone has to decide this for themselves. I know a lady who came to Pattaya about 10 years ago to work at a bar in Drinking Street. No tattoo at all. A few years later also such a large tattoo on her back. Also seated at the temple the old fashioned way. It was quite painful, she told me. Which didn't stop her from taking several more afterwards. Nice lady of now 45 who cooks for me once every holiday. Usually Phat mama kii mao talay.
Two years ago I had a Sak Yant installed through “Sak Yant Chiang Mai”, an office just on the outside of old Chiang Mai. I paid, converted, about 100 euros, for the people of the office and then also for the sacrifice (in a temple just outside Chiang Mai). All in all a good price, if you count that you would pay the multiple in Belgium. I also had a private guide for that money who drove me to the temple and guided me and showed me around. I thought it was a bit more painful than a normal tattoo, although that could also be due to the location (upper back and neck), but it was indeed read very quickly. Nothing but good memories.
I actually want to go back as soon as possible, but it won't be for the first few months, sigh. Though that is another matter. LOL
Just a small correction on machine tattoo or bamboo: I also wanted to have a sak yant done with the classic method……. Couldn't because my skin was too thin.
By the way, I have another tip: in Bangkok Noi is http://www.thaitattoocafe.com are very good and I have no shares.
Khrub,
I have been coming to Thailand for about 20 years, and then you see many temples with monks who have religious tattoos.
But also tourists with all kinds of tattoos, from pictures, bhuddas and cartoon characters. Those “tribals” have also been in fashion for a while, but that is already “out”
I think: "why not"
But first I turned on my light and started on the internet.
I came across Rosanne Hetzberger's site. She wrote an article in the NRC:
“Tattoos, the ultimate contempt for the body”
Of course I'm curious, because a tattoo is great, isn't it?
Read the story in its entirety! Consequence: No, I will never have a tattoo placed on the largest organ of my body.
Everyone is in charge of their own skin and I allow them to decide for themselves, so I will not judge anyone with their "eternal" decision
I am also attached to the Sak Yant tattoos. I have 4 on my body now
Ha Taew (5 lines on shoulder) most common
the 9 line, (in from center of the neck)
the tigers, (Thai Boxers wear those a lot)
and a rarer one that I haven't come across anywhere else)
The past 4 trips 1 each time, and I'm already looking for the next one, because I keep liking the images.
They are all set with machine (which really makes the lines a bit tighter and more refined) But definitely want to have one set in the traditional way.
And really it's just what you like. One thinks it's mutilation, the other art. I think it's beautiful, although I know that they will look much less beautiful in 20 years. But well, by then my body also looks (even) less beautiful.
I have been a regular visitor to Thailand for years now (4 months a year) and in recent years I have started to delve into Buddhism. Since I already have quite a few tattoos (machine and none (sak yant) the desire to have myself tattooed in the traditional way grew. I found a Sak Yant Master and got into conversation with him. I spent 2 days with him, ate and visited a temple together and performed a number of rituals together. .had many conversations about my life and my personality. On the third day of our meeting he made a number of designs that he thought would suit me. In his small temple/home I was tattooed for the first time on both shoulder blades with a stick (bamboo). No air conditioning like in a normal shop and just sitting on the floor. Believe me that was far from comfortable. While tattooing he said prayers... unintelligible of course but this put me into a kind of trance which did reduce the pain (because it is certainly not painless) somewhat. Tigers have appeared on both my shoulder blades with different symbols on both sides. The days after, 6 more tattoos were applied, which now makes a total of 8 on my back. I will also travel to Thailand again at the end of the year and will definitely visit him again. I do think that if you take a sak yant, you should also know the meaning of the tattoo and not just a random picture from a book because you like it. It has a lot of value for me and also respect for Buddhism
I'll throw a spanner in the works if I may:
You may think it's a misplaced prejudice, but I think tattoos are ugly.
And I know that people say that they don't just do that, and that there is a whole story and meaning behind it that they want to tell you, whether asked or not, that they want to be "seen" and that they think it's all very beautiful.
Fine, live and let live and above all do what you cannot leave undone.
But I do wonder what these people are missing in their lives and what possesses them to have their backs covered in childish drawings in places they can't even see properly.
Entire representations wrapped around an arm or calf, slightly faded and partly covered by body hair that seems to be there only to attract attention?
If the images and texts are so beautiful, why not print them and hang them above the bed? Then they are beautiful and clearly visible and the print is much nicer.
I'm probably the only one who really gets turned off by someone once those ugly tattoos become visible, right?
Especially when someone is covered in dirt up to their neck or even further.
Yes, but it's art! Bullshit, people may call it art, fine, but not for me.
If those ugly tattoos are really put in “visibility”, for example on the forehead or in another visible place with the clear intention of showing them off and trying to attract attention, I find that vulgar and I associate it with being antisocial, and I avoid those people anyway.
Again, everyone should do whatever they want, if people want to get completely covered in dirt, that's fine with me, as long as I have an opinion about it...
Pimwarin, of course you may find them ugly just as much as someone else finds them beautiful.
My objections to tattoos are that they become illegible in the long run and that blue/black is so often dominant. And then I don't find anything beautiful about them anymore.
The (un)nice thing is that some people proudly have the Sak Yant done as an initiation into Buddhism, but disapprove of a headscarf or burqa.