Wat Bang Phra

Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Chai Si, about 50 km west of Bangkok, is the temple most people mean when they talk about sak yant. Its late abbot, Luang Phor Pern, who died in 2002 at 79, made its tattoos famous, and its monks still tattoo visitors daily. You arrive early, around 08:00, buy an offering set of flowers, incense and cigarettes at the temple, take a number and wait to be called in groups of about 20. The monk chooses the design, and the first is usually the Gao Yord, the nine spires, on the upper back.

Monks don't touch women, so women are tattooed with a glove and transparent ink. Both hand rods and machines with changed needles are used, but hygiene isn't independently checked, so ask for a new needle. Once a year, on a Saturday in March set by the lunar calendar, the Wai Khru festival draws thousands of devotees to have their tattoos re-blessed. It's a working monastery, so cover your shoulders and knees.