Traditional Thai tattoos

[Tee Sok]

A video of power transmission linked with sak yant, quite intense!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wRoyvXMb8k&feature=related

and a book on sak yant that looks very interesting and well done
Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic, Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan: Amazon.co.uk: Joe Cummings, Dan White: Books

[george stando]

The topic of sak yant has really grown over the years. Would like to check out the book. I was looking at this one a while back but never got it.

Amazon.com: Tattoos of Indochina: Magic, Devotion, & Protection (9780764316791): Michael McCabe: Books

[Tee Sok]

That one looks interesting too, the two traditions have many things in common.

[sportmuaythai]

A video of power transmission linked with sak yant, quite intense!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wRoyvXMb8k&feature=related

Hey! Tee Sok, have you got a Sak Yan yet? I've been tempted several times, but my wife and my girl friend frowned on it.
Where are you presently located? Ajarn Neng from you U tube has office on Sukhumvit93, near BTS OnNuch station.
www thaisakyant .com

[Tee Sok]

Hi sportmuaythai! I was in BKK in Silom but I am back home now.
Thanks for the address, I may check that out next time. I heard ajarn Thoy is also
doing a great job with sak yant.

It s funny you mentioned your wife not wanting you to get a sak yant, my girlfriend
is against it as well. I was told it is a no no for police officers and the military and that
it can even prevent you from getting a job, no matter how good you are.
I might go for an invisible sak yant like my teacher!

[sportmuaythai]

I heard ajarn Thoy is also
doing a great job with sak yant.

It s funny you mentioned your wife not wanting you to get a sak yant, my girlfriend
is against it as well. I was told it is a no no for police officers and the military and that
it can even prevent you from getting a job, no matter how good you are.
I might go for an invisible sak yant like my teacher!

Ajarn Thoy office is not far from Ajarn Neng's. It's on Soi Onnuch.
Yes, what your girl friend said is very true. Sak Yant is regarded as taboo in modern Thai society.

[Tee Sok]

Yes another book, even if this one looks more like a photo book. It s been said before and I couldn t agree more, sak yant has become a fashion. I hope it will not loose its meaning and spirituality, its essence.
SACRED SKIN |  Thailand's Spirit Tattoos

[Tee Sok]

The book is an indepth journey through an art that has been around for thousand years.
The focus is on the sak yan of southeast Asia,
especially of Thailand. The often complex yan or tattoo designs and
the writings are examined, explained and shown through very beautiful
pictures.
The spiritual and magical aspects and practices are vital to this art, and are essential
for the yan to be effective. Both the master and the disciple have to be and
remain focused and lead a moral life, very often following Buddhist precepts and
rules, or the tattoo can and will loose its power. It's what is done with it, not the
tattoo itself that gives power.
Various masters have been interviewed and explained their art, talked about
their teachers, their apprenticeship and practice. The insights they provide are
colourful and often go beyond the art itself, as some of them have lead an ascetic life
and practice in a state of trance.
Then the book moves on to talk about and show the practice in the Lanna region
of Thailand, in Laos and in Cambodia, where Eh Phoutong was also interviewed and
talks about his tattoos and the powers they give him in the ring.

As with any work that is done with heart and passion, it's the art itself that does
the talking, not the author. It is what happens with this book, difficult to put down!
Plus the pictures and the tattoos themselves are a real treat for the eyes!

Sacred Tattoos of Thailand: Exploring the Magic,Masters and Mystery of Sak Yan: Joe Cummings,Dan White: 9789814302548: Amazon.com: Books

[george stando]

Thanks Tee Sok!
Will have to check it out thanks for the review

[Tee Sok]

Just read this from the sak yant facebook page, even if the inverstigation is still ongoing
I think it was just about time a thing like this happened, egotic and money hungry individuals
just ruin it all:

From the Bangkok Post...."A Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai has filed a fraud complaint against a
renowned tattooist with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), alleging massive embezzlement
of funds intended for a statue of a revered monk.

On Thursday, the abbot of Wat Mae Takhrai, Phra Thianchai Suphathutho, me
t with DSI chief Tarit Pengdit and laid the charge against the skin artist known as Ajarn Noo Kanpai.

Phra Thianchai said he and Ajarn Noo had planned to construct the world's largest image of Luang Phor Tuad
at his temple. Between them, they had raised about 400 million baht for the undertaking.

Construction began in 2008 but since then only 50% of the foundation work had been completed, the abbot said.

The National Office of Buddhism had questioned the delay.

Phra Thianchai said he had asked Ajarn Noo to transfer the rest of the funds so the temple could
complete building the statue. However, only 19 million baht had been wired into the account.

The senior monk asked that the authorities investigate the case.

Mr Tarit accepted the complaint and promised an investigation."

[sportmuaythai]

This is new to me, but I've not been following news lately. Money breeds greed. Most cult entrepreneurs have influential devotees, and can be manipulative. I think the term caveat emptor has been warned on this thread.

[Johntlp]

The whole tattoo thing has become So commercial. The prices also have skyrocked so none of this is really surprising

[Tee Sok]

That is true, but if what the article says is accurate then that goes beyond, a nice fraudulent scheme at the expenses of a temple and monks!

[sportmuaythai]

If you're keen on getting tattoo, and can get into Cambodia, or even around Buriram and Surin, it may be worth your while to seek Khmer tattoo masters. Many of well known Thai tattoo masters cut their teeth on Khmer rituals.

[Tee Sok]

I think it is an interesting alternative, the research discussed in the book and Eh Poutong say there are little to no masters left in Cambodia, mainly because of the khmer rouge.
An art is dying on one side and the same art being overpublicised on the other....

If you're keen on getting tattoo, and can get into Cambodia, or even around Buriram and Surin, it may be worth your while to seek Khmer tattoo masters. Many of well known Thai tattoo masters cut their teeth on Khmer rituals.