Sak Yant: Thailand's Sacred Tattoos

Sacred tattooing in mainland Southeast Asia is usually traced to the Khmer empire, around the 9th century, building on older animist tattoo traditions. The yantra itself came from India through Brahmanism and Hinduism and was reshaped by Buddhism, which added Buddhist chants and symbols. Today it's practiced in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

The script in most Thai designs is Khom, an old script derived from Khmer, and in the north it's often Lanna. The words are mostly Pali. Traditionally the design is tapped in by hand with a long split-tipped metal rod, the khem, sometimes made of bamboo, and a typical tattoo takes around 3,000 strikes. The same sacred designs appear on cloth, on rolled metal amulets and over doorways, but the tattoo is the most personal form.

A sak yant is a commitment as much as a tattoo. Most masters ask you to keep the five precepts of Buddhism, which means no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying or intoxication. On top of these, masters set their own prohibitions, which can include adultery, abusing your parents and certain foods. For the Hah Taew, a widely published set of rules forbids hurting your parents, sleeping with another man's wife and disrespecting your teacher.

Breaking the rules is believed to weaken or cancel the blessing, and some masters say a yant's power fades over time and needs recharging, which is what the Wai Kru festival is for. The rules vary more than most websites admit, so ask your master which ones apply to your design, and take them seriously.

There are three ways to get one, and they're very different experiences.

A hand-tapped sak yant hurts more than a machine tattoo, but it's quick. A typical design takes about 3,000 strikes, and the tattooing itself is usually a short part of a long morning of waiting, offerings and the blessing.

The real risk is infection. Blood-borne viruses, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, can be passed on by unsterile equipment, so health authorities in the US, UK and Canada all advise insisting on a new, sterile needle opened in front of you and making sure your hepatitis B vaccination is up to date. Wat Bang Phra now uses machines with needles changed between people as well as hand rods, but its hygiene standards aren't independently checked. Afterward, keep the tattoo clean, out of the sun and out of pools and the sea until it heals, and check that your travel insurance covers you if something goes wrong.

Tattoos are legal in Thailand, sacred ones included. In 2011 the Ministry of Culture campaigned against tattooing sacred images on foreigners and floated a law, but a ministry official said such tattoos weren't illegal and no law followed. A private Buddhist group later put billboards on the airport highway saying it's wrong to use the Buddha as a decoration or tattoo, which tells you how strongly some Thais feel.

Placement matters. The head is the most sacred part of the body and the further down you go the less sacred it is, so sacred designs belong on the head, neck, back, shoulders and arms, never on the legs or feet. At the temple, cover your shoulders and knees, keep your head lower than the monk's, don't point your feet at him or at a Buddha image, and ask before taking photos. Treat it as a blessing you're receiving, not a service you're buying, and you'll be welcome.