Wat Bang Phra

Buddhist monks at Thailand’s Wat Bang Phra temple give Sak Yant tattoos to anyone who gives an appropriate offering to the temple. Every March, thousands of people gather at the temple about 30 miles west of Bangkok to renew the power of their tattoos and get new ones.

Photos by Antonio Zambardino on assignment for Vice News
Photo editor Irene Opezzo

Devotees praying in silence at Wat Bang Phra temple.Tattooer monk in the Wat Bang Phra Temple receive another man desiring to get a Sak Yant tattoo. Wat Bang Phra, is a holy Thai place for sacred tattooing, it's a temple in the district of Nakorn Chaisri, about fifty Km Nort-West of Bangkok. Temple Wat Bang Phra, is also the resting place of Guru and Great Master Luang Por Phern, whose statue is therein preserved. Thousands of devotees flock to the temple all year round to get a Sak Yant, an ancient tattoo believed in Thailand, to be drenched with magic power. There are no written records of when the temple was founded. However, its name means temple of some monks. Holy Sak Yant bearers should comply with twelve weird “commandments” first of which is a simple Do not be adulterous. Three is do not cross under a banana tree of the Dtaanii variety. Nine, If you eat a banana, then you must not bite it; Break the banana into bite sized pieces and put them in your mouth. Ten, do not have sex with a menstruating woman. The list goes on and can be read here. These tattoos can be made of geometrically ordered lines of magic mantra or depending on the case, represent an animal. Designs preferred are fabled creatures such as tigers, simian, swan, lions. Like amulets they protect from harm and bad luck. As they loose their power during the year, the Sak Yants can be re-activated by the monks and in occasion of the holy festival in March. On that day an “active” tattoo can possess the body of its recipient and make him act like the animal the tattoo refers to. On the day of the festival the devotees run towards the statue in hordes when the master chants the “Kata Hua Jai” and would just really hurt themselves if a security perimeter was not in place to stop them. There are very to almost no women who get lost in the Sak Yants trance on that day. They say it's because women are mentally stronger.Devotees in trance have started running towards the statue of Great Master Luang Por Phern. Wat Bang Phra, is a holy Thai place for sacred tattooing, it's a temple in the district of Nakorn Chaisri, about fifty Km Nort-West of Bangkok. Temple Wat Bang Phra, is also the resting place of Guru and Great Master Luang Por Phern, whose statue is therein preserved. Thousands of devotees flock to the temple all year round to get a Sak Yant, an ancient tattoo believed in Thailand, to be drenched with magic power. There are no written records of when the temple was founded. However, its name means temple of some monks. Holy Sak Yant bearers should comply with twelve weird “commandments” first of which is a simple Do not be adulterous. Three is do not cross under a banana tree of the Dtaanii variety. Nine, If you eat a banana, then you must not bite it; Break the banana into bite sized pieces and put them in your mouth. Ten, do not have sex with a menstruating woman. The list goes on and can be read here. These tattoos can be made of geometrically ordered lines of magic mantra or depending on the case, represent an animal. Designs preferred are fabled creatures such as tigers, simian, swan, lions. Like amulets they protect from harm and bad luck. As they loose their power during the year, the Sak Yants can be re-activated by the monks and in occasion of the holy festival in March. On that day an “active” tattoo can possess the body of its recipient and make him act like the animal the tattoo refers to. On the day of the festival the devotees run towards the statue in hordes when the master chants the “Kata Hua Jai” and would just really hurt themselves if a security perimeter was not in place to stop them. There are very to almost no women who get lost in the Sak Yants trance on that day. They say it's because women are mentally stronger.Devotees in trance have started running towards the statue of Great Master Luang Por Phern. Wat Bang Phra, is a holy Thai place for sacred tattooing, it's a temple in the district of Nakorn Chaisri, about fifty Km Nort-West of Bangkok. Temple Wat Bang Phra, is also the resting place of Guru and Great Master Luang Por Phern, whose statue is therein preserved. Thousands of devotees flock to the temple all year round to get a Sak Yant, an ancient tattoo believed in Thailand, to be drenched with magic power. There are no written records of when the temple was founded. However, its name means temple of some monks. Holy Sak Yant bearers should comply with twelve weird “commandments” first of which is a simple Do not be adulterous. Three is do not cross under a banana tree of the Dtaanii variety. Nine, If you eat a banana, then you must not bite it; Break the banana into bite sized pieces and put them in your mouth. Ten, do not have sex with a menstruating woman. The list goes on and can be read here. These tattoos can be made of geometrically ordered lines of magic mantra or depending on the case, represent an animal. Designs preferred are fabled creatures such as tigers, simian, swan, lions. Like amulets they protect from harm and bad luck. As they loose their power during the year, the Sak Yants can be re-activated by the monks and in occasion of the holy festival in March. On that day an “active” tattoo can possess the body of its recipient and make him act like the animal the tattoo refers to. On the day of the festival the devotees run towards the statue in hordes when the master chants the “Kata Hua Jai” and would just really hurt themselves if a security perimeter was not in place to stop them. There are very to almost no women who get lost in the Sak Yants trance on that day. They say it's because women are mentally stronger.Devotees clearing the square and approaching the stage and statue of grand master Luang Por Phern. Wat Bang Phra, is a holy Thai place for sacred tattooing, it's a temple in the district of Nakorn Chaisri, about fifty Km Nort-West of Bangkok. Temple Wat Bang Phra, is also the resting place of Guru and Great Master Luang Por Phern, whose statue is therein preserved. Thousands of devotees flock to the temple all year round to get a Sak Yant, an ancient tattoo believed in Thailand, to be drenched with magic power. There are no written records of when the temple was founded. However, its name means temple of some monks. Holy Sak Yant bearers should comply with twelve weird “commandments” first of which is a simple Do not be adulterous. Three is do not cross under a banana tree of the Dtaanii variety. Nine, If you eat a banana, then you must not bite it; Break the banana into bite sized pieces and put them in your mouth. Ten, do not have sex with a menstruating woman. The list goes on and can be read here. These tattoos can be made of geometrically ordered lines of magic mantra or depending on the case, represent an animal. Designs preferred are fabled creatures such as tigers, simian, swan, lions. Like amulets they protect from harm and bad luck. As they loose their power during the year, the Sak Yants can be re-activated by the monks and in occasion of the holy festival in March. On that day an “active” tattoo can possess the body of its recipient and make him act like the animal the tattoo refers to. On the day of the festival the devotees run towards the statue in hordes when the master chants the “Kata Hua Jai” and would just really hurt themselves if a security perimeter was not in place to stop them. There are very to almost no women who get lost in the Sak Yants trance on that day. They say it's because women are mentally stronger.

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