November 2nd, 2009
The Art of the Bangkok Tattoo
Getting ink. That is the way many people refer to the process of getting a tattoo. When decided on whether or not to get a tattoo, many people take into consideration just what kind of image they would be happy with seeing on their body for the rest of their lives. In Bangkok and the neighboring beach town of Pattaya, the shops are plentiful and the artists all talented and gifted, have their own style, and this is one of the reasons, that once that choice is made, that many people travel to the two cities in Thailand to ‘get their ink done’.
As far as the tattoo trade goes for the best, Bangkok. Hotel accommodations are plentiful which is great as there are a few festivals that happen each year that bring tourists to the city in droves. In Bangkok, the tattoo has religious significance that runs deep, and has been part of the culture for thousands of years. Just outside of the city there is a temple, Wat Bang Phra. (http://www.sak-yant.com/) The monks at this temple are covered, their entire bodies, in tattoos, and they are master artists of painting on skin. The Flying Tiger is another name for the Wat, and different from the ideas on tattooing in the West, the meaning in Thailand is much more rich in nature, more spiritual.
The tattoo in Thailand is for protection, blessings from above, good luck. The tattooed are not expressing themselves, they are seeking themselves. When devotees travel to the monastery to have their tattoos touched up, it is not for the aesthetic purpose, but for the purpose of being re-blessed by the monks. These monks are often honored with incense, flowers and other gifts. The belief in the protective attributes is so strong that if the right master, creates the right tattoo, the person will even be safe from bullets. It is not just tattoos themselves, it is the prayers that are bestowed upon the one getting the tattoo that are the protective element. For as the monk works, he chants, putting all of his energy into the person he is working on. Many travel to Thailand on spiritual journeys of various kinds, and the tattoo is one of those journeys.
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