Wat Bang Phra Location
- หมู่ 3 นฐ.4014 Bang Phra, Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom 73120
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How to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok
Where to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok
The Sak Yant Tattoo is an awesome Cultural and Spiritual experience that has never been easier to get for yourself. Find out where is the best place to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok Thailand. List of Sak Yant Tattoo Temples and Sak Yant Masters in Bangkok
Get a Sak Yant Tattoo Bangkok Thailand
Your options for getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok consist of the following
1) A Monk at a Sak Yant Bangkok Temple | Wat Bang Phra
2) An Sak Yant Master Ajarn in Bangkok at their Samnak
3) Via a Sak Yant Bangkok Tour Company or local guide who can take you to either and translate for you
4) Do NOT get a ‘Modern Take’ (Fake) Sak Yant from a Tattoo Artist
Following are details of the some of your options when getting a Traditional Thai Sak Yant in Bangkok, Thailand. First is Wat bang Phra, the most famous Sak Yant Tourist Attraction, and then a list of some Sak Yant Arjans in Bangkok, Thailand.
You should however NEVER get a Sak Yant from a Tattoo Shop. Not only are they fakes with no spiritual value, they usually cost several times more as they cater to nativity of Tourists who fail to investigate and plan ahead of time. When you want to know how to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok, with access to Real Sak Yant Masters, there is just no reason to pay more for a fake Sak Yant. How to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok is easy, following is the best place for this
1) How to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok? Wat Bang Phra the Sak Yant Tattoo Temple
Wat Bang Phra Temple is just 50 km out of Bangkok is the world famous Sak Yant Temple in Bangkok
Generally you will arrive around 8am and buy your offering, then sit and wait with other people. Men and women are divided into two groups, the Men get their Sak Yant from a Monk, while the women are usually sent to an Ajarn on a different floor.
The Sak Yants are done in groups of about 20 people. When the previous group is complete, the monk blesses the next batch of offerings observed to be between 18 and 30 people at a time. Sometimes at busy times the year the day can end without you having an opportunity to see a Monk for a Sak Yant at Bangkok famous Temple.
Many of the blog posts you will find on the internet are from people who went to Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple. It is from these sources of information you will be warned about the unhygienic repetitive use of the same needles, ink that contains snake venom and charcoal, No choice of Sak Yant Design (The Monks Choose) and other such practices that tend to occur when you are part of a mass group with limited time. By being prepared you can avoid most of these concerns.
Wat Bang Phra Temple is a globally recognize institution, with many Ajarns crediting their start to the Sak Yant Temple. Wat Bang Phra holds yearly the Wai Kru ceremony where thousands of Thais go to get their Sak Yant Re-blessed; (often being possessed by the animal spirits of the Sak Yant). Wat Bang Phra is the number one choice of many Thai’s and tourists alike in the Bangkok area.
Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple in Bangkok is the central icon of the Sak Yant world, and while they have been slow to modernized to meet the hygiene standards of the western world, it remains the most popular and well known Sak Yant Temple in the world
Is Bangkok’s Sak Yant Temple (Wat Bang Phra) for you?
Wat Bang Phra Temple is the birthplace of modern Sak Yant Tourism. It is without a doubt one of the best places to get a real Sak Yant in Bangkok. Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple holds a special place in the eyes of many Sak Yant enthusiast, as it was the place where they first received their Sak Yant. Often a person will remain with the same Sak Yant Master for most of there Traditional Thai Tattoo’s and before Sak Yants in Bangkok became widely available Wat Bang Phra was the only choice available. Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple also has the most famous lineage of Sak Yant Monks primarily due to it’s age and promotion of Sak Yant Masters of the past quests in blog-posts.
However despite or perhaps due to it’s fame, Wat Bang Phra might not be the best option for many people. They have been criticized, for remaining in the past, with inconsistent hygiene standards, long waits, separating couples and a reputation for some of the more crazy aspects of the Sak Yant Tradition. Not to mention the time and distance needed to travel without the guarantee to getting a Sak Yant while in Bangkok
Over Crowding at Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple
It is not uncommon for Wat Bang Phra to have 40-100 people a day to receive a Sak Yant. This means customers are often crowded together on concrete floors, intense heat and have to wait sometimes all day.
It is not uncommon for a person to not have time to receive a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok from Wat Bang Phra their first attempt.
Although post Covid with less tourists crowded into the rooms this should not be an issue any longer until tourism in Thailand returns.
Inconsistent Hygiene at Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple
Many blog posts written about getting a Sak Yant in Bangkok at Wat Bang Phra often talk about the unsafe way in which tattoos are applied.
This is for 3 main reasons,
- The Monks believe the Magic of the Sak Yant protects from un-sterilized practice.
- Just too many people going for time to replace each needle
- Many people only give the Temple offerring (not giving a Monk Donation). It is the latter that allows choice of design and pays for new ink and needles
No Couples Experience at Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple
Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple in Bangkok does not allow females to get a Sak Yant at the Temple by a Monk.
Males and females are separated for their Sak Yant Temple experience which does not allow the opportunity for couples or people traveling together to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok together.
While this is not an issue if your a male tourist getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok, it does put a damper on the experience for couples and families.
Sak Yant Rules from Wat Bang Phra Temple
- Do not eat Star fruit, Pumpkin, or any other ‘Gourd’ type Vegetable.
- Do not be anybody’s Lover who is already married
- Do not slander anybody’s Mother
- Do not eat food from a Wedding, or Funeral banquet.
- Do not eat left-Overs.
- Do not duck under a washing Line, or an overhanging building.
- Do not duck under a Banana Tree of the type Thaanii (classed as important to avoid).
- Do not cross a single head bridge; Large or Small bridges are not Forbidden
- Do not sit on a Ceramic Urn (Common in Thailand). Especially a Cracked, or Broken one.
- Do not let a Woman Lie on top of you, or sit on top either.
- Do not permit a Man to be brushed by the blouse or skirt of a Woman, or crossed in Front of; Especially during the Menstruation Period
How to Get to Wat Bang Phra Sak Yant Temple Bangkok
2) Best Place to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok? Sak Yant Arjans
What is a Sak Yant Ajarn?
An alternative to getting your Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok is with a Sak Yant Arjan. Ajarns (also called a Sak Yant Master) is usually a former Monk who has decided to follow the Magical Arts as a career choice after leaving the Temple and life as a Monk. Sak Yant Arjans create their own Samnaks (Blessed and Holy rooms for Magical work), tend to have greater skills than Monks.
Sak Yant Masters in Bangkok are no longer supported by the Temple and higher living costs, so prices vary depending on location and design size. However the Ajarn will often either speak English or have staff that do, and can talk with the customer and get their views on which Sak Yant Tattoo they would like or think best for them.
A second advantage of visiting an a Sak Yant Master Ajarn is the standards of hygiene are similar to those of any professional tattoo studio. The reasons many have an aversion to going to Wat Bang Phra are not of any concern with when getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok with a Sak Yant Master. The Ajarn will use a new steel tip for each session and change the ink. However the price of using a private session with an Ajarn in Bangkok will be comparable to using a regular Tattoo Studio. Except Ajarn Noo Kanpai, who after providing the Sak Yant Tattoo for Angelina Jolie now charges thousands of dollars for a private session.
Arjan Sak Yant Masters located in other parts of Thailand like Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai can be considerably cheaper than getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok. Many people find that they can fly to Chiang Mai, get a Sak Yant and spend a few days for the same cost as going to an Ajarn for a Sak Yant in Bangkok city.
Following are a few Ajarns for those unable to travel and need to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok city
Ajarn Fluke Sak Yant in Bangkok
369 Phattharaniwet Samakkhi Village
+66 95 558 8578
Ajarn Fu Sak Yant in Bangkok
Soi 6, Rarm Intra Road
+66 85 736 9784
Ajarn Neng Sak Yant in Bangkok
288/296 Phueng Mi 50/24 Alley
+66 85 075 9061
Ajarn Ta Sak Yant in Bangkok
147/7 Sukhumvit 4 Soi Samahan
+66 95 251 8767
3) Why People Don’t get a Sak Yant in Bangkok Much Anymore
Increasingly more people are deciding they Don’t get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok, as they discovering the alternatives in other parts of Thailand. Not only is getting a Sak Yant in Northern Thailand considerably cheaper, the spirituality of the Sak Yant Experience in a big, dirty and noisy city is somewhat lacking
As many people are discovering other parts of Thailand, they are finding that Bangkok is not the best place to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Thailand. For more details you can read the article Why you Don’t get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok
Below is just a few reasons briefly describe some of the issues when getting a Sak Yant in Bangkok that you will not find in other parts of Thailand.
Fake Sak Yant’s by Tattoo Studios
When you want to find How to get a Sak Yant in Bangkok, the internet is often the first place to look. Sadly in the last few years, many Tattoo Studios are offering fake Sak Yants.
The Sak Yant Tattoo Studios are creating websites with very good information about Sak Yants, often paying for adverts to appear at the top of search results.
While some Tattoo shops for Sak Yants do actually have real Sak Yant Masters – it is difficult to distinguish the real Sak Yants on offer with the scams.
You can find out more at Why you don’t get a Sak Yant from a Tattoo Studio
Sak Yant in Bangkok cost a lot more
The cost of a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok (or Phuket and the Islands) are considerably more than getting one in Northern Thailand.
Partly this is due to the higher cost of living in Bangkok, but also due to the higher number of Tourists who go to Bangkok and the beach cities in the South of Thailand.
A Sak Yant that might cost you US$60 in Chiang Mai for example, might start at $150 in Bangkok or Phuket and can be as much as $250.
Spirituality in a Big, Dirty and Busy City?
The Sak Yant Tattoo is a Magical and Spiritual experience. This is often diluted when you have to navigate your way through the touts and scammers in Tourist cities like Bangkok and Phuket.
There is nothing worse than being taken to scam Tailors, Jewelers or other Temples when you are trying to get to Wat Bang Phra or a Sak Yant Ajarns Samnak.
Northern Thailand on the other hand, is surrounded by rice fields, Temples and mountains, and does not have touts and scammers. Making the mood of getting a Sak Yant a truly Spiritual and amazing experience (At half the cost)
4) Other places other than getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok? Sak Yant Chiang Mai
For those people who want a more imitate Sak Yant Experience, where hygiene standards are similar to those found in the West; for 1/3rd to 1/2 the price of getting a Sak Yant Tattoo in Bangkok – then Chiang Mai, Thailand is the place to go.
Sak Yant Chiang Mai is a co-op of many local Monks and Ajarns, coming together to provide guests with knowledge and awareness of what they are doing before getting a Sak Yant.
Sak Yant Chiang Mai has the benefits of providing from a single location the ability to go to either a Temple with a Monk or obtain a Sak Yant from an Ajarn in the holy samnak from a central location in Chiang Mai city.
Read More: How to get a Sak Yant Tattoo in Chiang Mai
Want to Get a Sak Yant?
Sak Yant Chiang Mai is Thailand’s leading Sak Yant provider – Over 10 Independent Sak Yant Masters working in Hygienic and comfortable Samnaks