Girl With the...Tattoo

May 8, 2016

I received an unusual request from my friend, Jen, who was preparing to return to the US.  Her husband's international assignment with Ford was coming to an end, and she had a few things she wanted to do before leaving Thailand.  She asked if I might accompany her to a temple in Bangkok so she could get a tattoo done by a Buddhist monk.  She and a girlfriend had made plans to go get the tattoos together, but the friend backed out.  This sounded like an interesting, cultural adventure - I was in, strictly as an observer, of course.

Monk tattoos are popular with Thais and foreigners.  They are created "bamboo-style," traditionally with a sharpened bamboo stick, now using a stainless steel rod with a needle attached.  No machines are involved.  These sacred tattoos are believed to give a person the magical powers of luck, healing, strength and protection against evil spirits, using mystical, ancient geometric designs.  The chosen design must be approved by the monk.  Other friends of ours had this done before, and Jen's interest was piqued.

Jen and her driver came to pick me up early Sunday morning.  It was over an hour drive to Bangkok where we arrived at the Bangkok Ink shop that had made the arrangements for her.  We were really early for her appointment, so we took the opportunity to walk around the neighborhood, and found a little coffee shop to while away the time.  Wonderwall Kaffebar was so named, I'm guessing, because of the beautiful mural that covered one wall.

When the appointment time neared, we headed back to the shop down a little alley.  Lively Thai conversation was going on outside, and we awkwardly waited until someone invited us inside, where we watched for the woman Jen was to meet.  A smartly-dressed woman breezed in, introduced herself, and explained briefly what would happen.  She left us in the care of our translator, Trace, who would be our guide.  The shop owner helped Jen refine her selection for her tattoo and printed a picture of it to give to the monk.  She chose a simple unalome design with a lotus flower at the base.  The unalome is a single spire that weaves its way upward, representing one's journey to enlightenment.

After some more waiting, the shop's driver brought out his car (a very nice luxury sedan!), and the four of us were on our way to the temple.  This was another hour drive, as Wat (temple) Sala Daeng is on the western outskirts of Bangkok.  When we finally arrived at the temple, the grounds were packed with people and traffic was nearly at a standstill.  Finally, Trace said we should just walk the rest of the way, and we followed her into the teeming throng.  We discovered the crowds were there for a "new monk" celebration.  These parties to celebrate a young man's entry into monkhood are like wedding receptions; hundreds of friends and family, lots of food, and, (surprisingly), scantily-clad, busty young women dancing up on a stage with loud pop music blaring in the temple courtyard!

We wound our way through the crowd, around corners and down narrow alleys to a small side building.  I'm sure we never would have found this place on our own.  We removed our shoes and climbed the stairs, stepping into the stale air of a cramped, crowded room.  Trace spoke with a couple of people, and told us to wait.

Jen had chosen the VIP package, which meant no waiting.  So we jumped the queue ahead of a crowd of Chinese tourists waiting in the outer room. Apparently we had arrived late for the appointment, but the monk agreed to take us.  Soon we were let into an inner room that was even more cramped and unabashedly unhygienic-looking, but thankfully air-conditioned.  A cluttered, raised  platform spanned one wall, with a few cushions along the other walls.  A Chinese woman sat in one corner, never looking up from her cell phone.  The driver and guide went out and came back with cokes, and advised Jen to drink the coke before receiving the tattoo.  We all sat on the floor and waited.

Eventually, the monk came into the room, and I instinctively said, "So wat dee ka!" (Traditional Thai greeting).  As soon as I said it, I realized it was probably not protocol for a woman to greet a monk in such a casual manner, but nothing was said.  Ajarn (teacher) Bpum is an accomplished Sak Yant (sacred tattoos) Master and Buddha Magic Practitioner.  He is resident Master of Sak Yant at Wat Sala Daeng in Bangkok.

drawn in pen first

Jen stood facing away from Ajarn Bpum, and he drew the design on her back with a pen first to make sure it was how she wanted it.  I always heard that monks were not allowed to touch women, but he must have special dispensation to be able to do this work.  Once the designed was approved, Jen was seated on the floor and the monk sat on the platform.  Cameras were not allowed during the tattooing process.  We'd heard that bamboo-style tattoos were much more painful than those done with machines, but Jen never even winced.

When the tattoo was complete, they let me take a picture to show Jen how it looked.  This monk adds his own tattoo mark at the base of the neck to each one of his creations, and finishes it with gold leaf and some chanting over the recipient.

Lastly, Jen was instructed to present an offering to the monk, and payments were made.  The monk gave us each a tiny copper amulet that I learned later is supposed to provide protection from evil spirits, but loses its effectiveness if it is carried in a pocket below the belt - oops.

presenting offering to the monk

I was looking at this monk the entire time, thinking he reminded
me of someone.  It hit me later - Martin Clunes.

Trace indicated with some urgency that it was time to go.  We scooted quickly through the outer room and threw on our shoes outside.  As we hurried away, she said we had to leave before the Chinese patrons got angry - they had to wait in the stuffy outer room while we walked right in.  I can see how this might instill some hostility.  Back through the "new monk" party, we found the car and were on our way back to Bangkok.  More payments were made, then we found Jen's driver waiting for us outside.  Jen had kindly prepared some lunch for us, and we ate it on the way back to Pattaya.  A very interesting day, indeed.

While doing some research for this post, I read about a bizarre and fascinating aspect to these tattoos.  An annual event is held to recharge the magic in these sacred tattoos, called the Sak Yant Wai Kru Festival. Thousands of believers gather in the hot sun to renew the power of their tattoos, and many enter a trance and become their tattoos: tigers, monkeys, old men, etc.  Chaos appears to be a large part of this ceremony, as people scream, writhe, and rush toward the front stage where guards are stationed to stop them.  They are brought out of their trances by having their ears rubbed.  Click "Sak Yant Wai Kru Festival" above to see for yourself.