During our last trip to Thailand, I got a Thai tattoo. Ning’s one brother took us to Wat Bang Bhra. The Wat is about 2 hours drive from where we were staying out side of Bangkok. We where there only about 2 hours to get our Thai tattoos.
Wat Bang Phra is well known for its tattooing. Every year in March the Wat has a tattoo festival . A thousand plus people go to get tattooed and pay homage to the monk that built the temple and to the monk that tattooed them.
This is the Monk that put my attoo on.
Ning’s brother has a friend that is head of the immigration office in Bangkok that is a big believer of the power of the Thai tattoo, and has a lot of them. We meant him at the temple and had lunch together. He had called the monk ahead of time so he knew that we were going to see him. I do not think that you need to make an appointment for a tattoo, but he wanted to use a certain monk for the tattoos.
Ning’s brother and I are to get a tattoo each. After lunch, we went and had to buy a tray each that had flowers and cigarettes to give to the monk before getting our tattoos. We also were given an envelope to put any amount of money in it to give the monk after he was done tattooing. The tray was an offering to Buddha, and help in the cost for the upkeep of the Wat as was the money given in the envelope.
I will say that at first I was concerned with needle cleanliness. The ink used is Chinese charcoal ink made with alcohol. There was not going to be anything living in it. The monk also cleans the needle very well before using it. After seeing this, I had no longer any worries. Plus Nings brothers friend assured me that all was clean.
The tattoo is put on with a straight 2-prong needle, not a tattoo machine. So basically you are getting jabbed a lot of times to get your tattoo. The monk said that there would be more pain than a regular tattoo machine. I find that it was no worse than a regular tattoo, but the monk took it easy on this foreigner, that is what I was told.
Thailand tattoo
The monk getting ready to tattoo me.
My tattoo healed faster than any other tattoo that I have ever gotten. I have 3 that was done the machine way. I think it is because there is not the skin damage done like there is done by a regular tattoo machine.
When we go back to Thailand next time, I will more than likely get another tattoo. I will keep all my tattoos on my back so that they can be covered up and not seen. The tattoo that got this time is a protection tattoo. It is said to protect me from any harm.
Thailand tattoo
My healed tattoo.
My Thai tattoo was healed in 4 days. No scabs to deal with either. My brother in-laws tattoo healed just as fast as mine. He got a tiger tattooed on his back. The tiger is the sign of the temple. The monk that built the temple, meditated for 20 years in the Thai jungle. It is said that a mother tiger with her cubs came up to him and did no harm to him at all.