Why you don't Get a Sak Yant at a Bamboo Tattoo Shop

Why you don’t get Sak Yant Tattoo from a Tattoo Artist

You do not get a Sak Yant from a Bamboo Tattoo shop if you want a real Sak Yant with Spiritual Significance. Typical Bamboo Tattoo Artists can provide a replica or artistic copy of the Sak Yant Design, devoid of any Spiritual or Traditional Cultural significance

Tattoo studios often advertise designs as “Bamboo Tattoo,” “Bamboo Needle Tattoo,” “Traditional Thai Tattoo,” or even “Monk Tattoo.” However, a true Sak Yant tattoo carries deep spiritual meaning, offering protection, blessings, and serving as a talisman to transform aspects of the wearer’s life. In contrast, a bamboo tattoo from a regular tattoo shop has no spiritual or magical significance. It is simply a decorative option for those who want the appearance of tradition without the sacred elements of the Thai practice.

Comparison and Difference between a Bamboo Tattoo and a Sak Yant Tattoo

Bamboo Tattoo (Tattoo Shop)

Purpose: Decorative only – chosen for its artistic or replica cultural style.
Meaning: No spiritual or magical significance, no real meaning as it has no Magical Text.
Process: Done by a tattoo artist in a studio, using bamboo or modern tools.
Result: A design that looks traditional but is purely cosmetic.

For more details Read What is a Bamboo Tattoo

Real Sak Yant Tattoo (Sak Yant Master or Monk)

Purpose: Spiritual and protective – serves as a sacred talisman.
Meaning: Believed to provide blessings, protection, and life-changing qualities
Process: Performed by an Ajarn (Sak Yant master) or monk, often with rituals and prayers.
Result: A tattoo that carries both symbolic power and cultural authenticity.

For detailed definition read What is a Sak Yant Tattoo

Table of Contents

Why don’t you use a Tattoo Artist or Parlor for a Traditional Thai Sak Yant Tattoo?

Many visitors to Thailand who want a Sak Yant bamboo tattoo often become confused by terms such as Traditional Thai Tattoo, Bamboo Tattoo, Hand-Poke Method, or Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo, assuming they all mean the same thing. They do not.

A true Sak Yant is created with a sacred instrument called a Kem by a trained spiritual master or Buddhist monk. Using the hand-poke method, the ink is tapped into the skin. This practice is the original form of tattooing in Thailand and is what Traditional Thai Tattoo truly refers to.

However, for those unfamiliar with Sak Yant, it’s easy to walk past a tattoo studio, see designs in the window labeled Bamboo Tattoo, Hand-Poked, Traditional Thai Tattoo, or even Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo, and believe this is where you can receive a genuine Sak Yant.

It is not.

Tattoo Shop Traditional Thai Bamboo Tattoo’s started around 2003 and are almost exclusively for Tourists

While many Bamboo Tattoo Shops in Thailand promote their Bamboo Tattoo as a Traditional Thai Tattoo using the Hand Poked method. The reality is that the true Traditional Thai Tattoo (Sak Yant’s) have never been done using Bamboo. This ‘Bamboo Tattoo’ trend started in 2003 when Angelina Jolie got her Real Sak Yant and western media reports called it a ‘Bamboo Tattoo’. As Tourists asking Tattoo Shops for a Bamboo Tattoo like Angelina – the Tattoo Artists attached a machine needle to a chopstick and created Imitation replicas to the unsuspecting tourist. Thai people will never get a Sak Yant from a Tattoo Shop and know that this is a tourist thing.

Why You Don’t Get a Sak Yant “Bamboo Tattoo” from a Tattoo Studio

Tattoo Studios in Thailand offer some remarkable skill and talent using the Bamboo Poke method of creating Tattoos, and do it for almost every design of Tattoo you could want. But a Real Sak Yant is more than just the design – it is a Spiritual Experience of a sacred pattern with a Magic Blessing to empower it. The Sak Yant is a process including making an offering, getting the tattoo and having a Blessing.

Because the Sak Yant is a treasured part of Thai Culture, it is considered disrespectful to get a Sak Yant Tattoo from a Tattoo Parlor when the Tattooist is not trained in the magical traditions or follows the ritual of the Sak Yant.

Following are some of the reasons you do not get a replica or artistic copy of sacred Thai Culture in from a Bamboo Tattoo shop or artist.

Authenticity of Thai Culture

1) Why it is Disrespectful to get a Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo from an Artist at a Studio

Thailand has strict laws and regulations, with fines in place, to protect sacred Buddhist sites and activities. For Thai people, these traditions are a source of deep pride and form an essential part of their national identity.

Tattoo artists who imitate or misrepresent these sacred practices by offering fake versions to tourists operate outside the ethical standards of mainstream Thai culture. Some tattoo shops may even claim that creating a bamboo-style tattoo in a Sak Yant design is acceptable, suggesting locals will admire you for embracing their culture.

This is not true.

Spirituality of the Sak Yant Tattoo

2) The Spiritual Rituals of the Sak Yant Process

If you are seeking a truly magical and spiritual Traditional Thai Tattoo, it only makes sense that the person giving it must be spiritually qualified to do so. A Sak Yant Ajarn is much like a shaman in other cultures, offering a variety of spiritual services, with Sak Yant being just one part of their practice.

The power of a Sak Yant does not come from the ink or design alone – it comes from the personal spiritual energy of the Sak Yant Master and the sacred rituals performed during the process. Its power is maintained by following the Sak Yant Rules of conduct after receiving it. Without the Ajarn’s training, knowledge, and spiritual purity to properly charge it, a tattoo is not a true Sak Yant.

Tattoo artists, while often talented in their craft, generally do not live by the strict discipline required of Sak Yant masters. They focus on art, not on spiritual practice or ritual. This becomes clear when a tourist receives a so-called “Sak Yant” in a busy tattoo studio, surrounded by people chatting on their phones. A genuine Sak Yant experience is meant to be sacred and personal – not just another tattoo session.

Traditional Thai Sak Yant Tattoo’s are More than Just The Design

3) The Real Sak Yant is more than just the Design

When receiving a Sak Yant tattoo, its meaning is created through three interconnected elements. While the design itself carries significance, the final meaning can sometimes be personalized by adjusting the text, prayers, and blessing. The three elements are:

1. The Design
The design is the visual image of the Sak Yant. Each design carries its own traditional meaning, but if you prefer a particular style, the master may adapt it to incorporate specific Kata (prayers) and blessings, shaping the overall intention of the tattoo.

2. The Kata
The Kata refers to the sacred prayers and mantras recited silently by the Sak Yant master during the tattooing process. These invocations charge the design with spiritual energy. The written text around the design is also part of the Kata, though it is often drawn incorrectly in images found online. Only trained masters know the correct inscriptions, ensuring the authenticity and power of the Sak Yant.

3. The Blessing Ritual
At the end of the tattooing process, the Sak Yant master performs a blessing to “charge” the tattoo with its spiritual and magical power. This ritual is so essential that many Thai people return to their master each year for a re-blessing, keeping the power of the Sak Yant strong.

Authenticity of Real Sak Yant Tattoo Design

4) The Sak Yant Tattoo design is purposely drawn incorrect

Nearly every Sak Yant image you find online or in tattoo catalogues is drawn incorrectly—some even include false spells or copyright marks from Sak Yant masters. This was originally done to protect authentic designs from being copied by those who lack the knowledge to use them properly.

Unfortunately, this method has not been very effective. Tattoo artists generally cannot correct these errors, nor do they usually care. Many justify offering such designs as “sacred-inspired art,” regardless of whether the details are accurate.

To be fair, many tattoo shops are open about this. If asked, they will often admit that what they provide is only an artistic imitation of a Sak Yant, applied with the hand-poke technique but without any spiritual value.

For those who only want the look of the tattoo, this may be enough. But a replica cannot be blessed or recharged later, and some Sak Yant masters or monks may even refuse to place a genuine Sak Yant on someone who already has a fake one.

Real Sak Yants are Cheaper than Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo 'Art'

5) Real Sak Yants are often cheaper than a Tattoo Studio copy

This really depends on the location and fame of the Sak Yant Master. Generally however the price of a real Sak Yant from a Sak Yant Master is cheaper than a tattoo artist will ask. The Sak Yant process also involves the offering, respect, chanting of magical spells during the application and final blessing. These steps are not done by tattoo studios.

Angelina Jolie’s Sak Yant Master now commands a higher fee than any tattoo studio will ask. Most other Sak Yant Masters will charge a price less or similar to the local tattoo parlor. In the North of Thailand in Chiang Mai you can obtain the Sak Yant for almost half the price of the local tattoo artists will request.

Tattoo Artists Lack Knowledge of the Sak Yant Design

6) You get to know what your Sak Yant means from a real Sak Yant Master

On Sak Yant forums and Facebook groups, most posts are from people asking what their tattoo means. This happens for many reasons—sometimes because they visited a Sak Yant master who didn’t speak English and didn’t bring a translator—but more often because they received the tattoo from a shop that cannot explain the meaning of the design.

When you go to a genuine Sak Yant master (and can communicate with them), they will ask why you want a Sak Yant, discuss possible designs, and explain any modifications. If you use a guide, translator, or Sak Yant service, they will usually make sure you fully understand both the process and the meaning of your tattoo.

By contrast, tattoo artists offering “traditional Thai bamboo tattoos” typically provide only a simple one-line explanation. In reality, the true meaning of a Sak Yant comes from the sacred text within the design. Since tattoo artists are only copying text they do not understand, they cannot explain what their replica really represents.

Why Sak Yant Tattoo’s Should be done by Real Sak Yant Masters

Sak Yant Tattoos are a Sacred Spiritual Traditional Tattoo that include the design, the magical application and a final blessing. The magic comes from the personal power of the Sak Yant Master which takes years of spiritual training. This spiritual power is written in ancient magical texts which are purposely created wrong in Sak Yant Designs. Without any training in Sak Yant, the Tattoo artist can not change the magical text or bless their ‘bamboo tattoo art’. It is disrespectful to the Thai culture to provide or wear fake Sak Yants which hold such reverence to the Thai People.

Important Note:

Some Tattoo Shops and Tattoo Artists will be upfront and honest and tell you that their tattoo is an “Artistic replica” that has no meaning it is just a nice tattoo. And there is nothing wrong with this if you wanting to get a meaningless replica representation of Thai culture.

Although many Tattoo Shops will not tell you this, or only tell you this if you ask, and use the following methods to try and attempt to lure in naive tourists.

Tattoo Artist Odd Justifications for making fake Sak Yant designs for Tourists

With the rapid development of AI, it has become very easy to simply ask “Is a Bamboo Tattoo the same thing as a Sak Yant” and get an abbreviated response similar to this page.

Many Tattoo artists have taken to social media attempting to explain (to each other – not to Tourists) why they have no moral or ethical concerns about making Imitation or Fake Sak Yant’s for Tourists. … such Gems as….

I get the needles and ink blessed by Monks so that makes it magical (It Doesn’t)

It is the attempts by the customer to live a good life and that belief they have provide power for the fake tattoo and that makes it Spiritual. (While this is a good point and does relate to many spiritual designs, the bottom-line is the purpose of a magical and spiritual tattoo is to have a holy man make it. Not so much to rely on your own beliefs having the power to make something meaningless not meaningless)

Because I (the Tattooist) make a replica of something I respect, it is an honor to have the fake Sak Yant because I appreciate and respect the real thing. (Not sure, this is just odd logic, or self delusion)

My Replica Sak Yant designs look better, with cleaner lines and I don’t try to scam people by taking them to Temples and use Monks. (Actual claim made by a popular Bangkok Tattoo Shop – real Sak Yant’s by Monks are somehow a scam)