13 June 2010

Where to get a Sak Yant in Thailand





I received my Sak Yant (tattoo) from Ajarn Thoy in Bangkok. The design is called, Kao Yord.

What is a Sak Yant?

A Sak Yant is a sacred tattoo originating from South East Asia. It is a geometric design understood to possess magic and power. There a many different types of designs, each serving a unique purpose. It is generally understood that the Sak Yants’ main purpose is to defend the bearer of the tattoo from evil and physical harm, very much acting as a protection aura. With that said, please don't go out and test it out by running in front of a car or something.




What is a Kao Yord?

The Kao Yord is a specific type of Sak Yant. It means 9 (Sak) Spires (Yant). The spires and designs within represents Buddha's unwavering path to perfection and enlightenment. It is usually one of the first Sak Yants received and worn on the nape of the neck. Its purpose is to protect and bring good luck.

My Experience

I was recommended to go this place by Rob Cox (English Muay Thai Journalist). Ajarn Thoy is very popular within the Thai community and has many foreign customers. He also travels abroad for seminars and tattoo sessions. If you are wondering about the cleanliness and sanitation, you don’t have to worry as Ajarn Thoy sanitizes his equipments after every session.


Ajarn Thoy is known for the following Sak Yants:

Gao Yord, Ha Taew, Nai Khanom Thom and the Suea Hua Khaad (headless tiger). You can get the Sak Yant in blue-black ink, all black, or red. The lines can be either traditional dotted lines (Kha Pla) or solid continuous lines. The solid continuous line takes more time therefore will cost a little extra.

All in all my first experience was a good one. Ajarn made me feel real comfortable as he would share stories with me and even showed me pictures of his family! As a gift at the end, he gave me a small medallion. My only minor complaint is how they charged you for the tattoo. Most Sak Yant places in Thailand work on a donation basis.


Costs and Available Designs:

All depends on what you are getting! My tattoo cost me 1000 Baht ($30US) and it only took Ajarn 15 minutes whereas my friend’s tattoo cost the same but took a lot longer. I had 2 other friends that paid a lot more, but for more extravagant designs. You can bring your own design or chose from the selection available at the temple. They have a lot of photos so don’t worry about not finding a design.

Getting There:



View otherside of ao nang in a larger map

Sukhumvit Soy On Nut 25

12:00am-18:00pm

Telephone: 0860271995, 023119003


Ajarn Thoy gives his tattoos within Temple Wat Tong Nai, Bangkok. Once you get to the temple, you can ask one of the monks for Ajarn Thoy. His place is kind of hidden, at the back right from the entrance. Just say Ajarn Thoy or Sak Yant and the monks will direct you accordingly. Most foreigners come here for the tattoos anyways.

You can save money by taking the train to ‘On Nut’ station. From here, get off and take the cab to ‘Sukhumvit Soy On Nut 25.’ Don’t forget the left narrow turn onto the street of the temple!



For the Q&A post concerning Sak Yant and Ajarn Thoy go here!:

http://on-baoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/q-sak-yant-from-ajanh-thoy.html


Words from Ajarn Thoy:

Even you think you are high up in the sky, but in the end, the sky is still over you. Even you have a lek lai amulet, do you wish to harm people with it? Or you have Kong Grapan, will you use it to bully kind people? You shall follow the law of the gang? or the law of the land?

Do not forget! “do good, receive good things, do evil, receive evil things”. The word “Evil” is to be avoided at all costs, if you stay close to bad life and bad company, your fate and destiny will fall into ruin. Let all my disciples believe in and practise good deeds and merits, in this way, the power of the Buddhas and Bopdhisattvas will protect you all. Disciples of the same Ajarn are forbidden to fight and be enemies; they must love each other as one family.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll be in BKK in October, and was planning on visiting this temple. Do you know what the best time is to get a yant done by Ajarn Thoy?

Annie said...

Does Ajarn Thoy do Sak Yants on women?

Anonymous said...

Yeah he does, because he is a ruesi.

Baoy said...

hey man, Ajahn thoy is usually available in the afternoon. definitely call him though to make sure

Anonymous said...

Hey Baoy,

Great Blog, I really enjoy reading it. I am going to Bangkok soon to train muay thai, and was interested in getting a Sak Yant. I had heard of Ajarn Thoy before, and that he also had an autoclave for sterilization. Any truth to this?

Chimo,

Andrew

Baoy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Baoy said...

Hey Andrew,

Ajarn Thoy is definitely quite popular with the foreigners! He does however charge fixed rates, but they aren't so bad. Mine cost 1000baht which is about 32 dollars or so.

As for the Autoclave sterilizer, I didn't see one there and I'm not sure if I heard of him ever owning one. From my research, I would say it's quite safe to get a tattoo from him. However, more research on your behalf won't hurt.

What gym are you planning to go to for training man!?

Let me know if you need any help with planning your trip!

Baoy

klara said...

hey!
im in Thailand at the moment and staying till jully. i want to get a tattoo by Ajarn Thoy and your blogg helped me a lot.
please tell me do you get some anesthetics or something-im just wondering what is that red pen-look alike thing Ajarn is injectin you in yor right side??

klara

Cookie said...

hi
i planning get a Sak yant by Ajarn Thoy.Is easy to find Ajarn, i go to Wat Tong Nai anyone know where is him?
Is Ajarn Thoy using English? or someone help to talk something by Ajarn Thoy? If i call Ajarn Thoy tel.no is English or Thai?

Baoy said...

Q&A:
http://on-baoy.blogspot.com/2012/02/q-sak-yant-from-ajanh-thoy.html

Jay said...

is he the same as Ajarn Thoy Dabos listed in this site www.tattoo-thailand.com?

Anonymous said...

For anyone interested in getting a Sak Yant from Ajarn Thoy:

He charges 2000 Baht for Farangs now (Gao Yord). You also need to donate another 200 Baht.

But all in all it is really worth it, as he makes you feel very comfortable, uses sterile needles and the whole thing is a lifetime experience. Also the results are brilliant and the healing process is phenomenal.

Anonymous said...

Hey,

Not sure if anyone will reply to this but I am going to Thailand next month and was hoping to get 2 tattoo...is this possible or will I cause offense? I don't want to insult anyone by asking

Punit said...

Hi,

I am planning to get sak-yant on my upcoming visit to Bangkok. I have 2 questions:
1. Who's better Ajarn Thoy or Luang Pi Nunn of Wat Bang Phra? Both sanitation-wise and religiously?
2. You said one can chose, I have learnt that it's the Monk who choses the sak-yant depending upon aura of the person?

Unknown said...

Can i get 2 tattoos at one time? And amulet maybe hohoho

Anonymous said...

Were at Ajarn Thoy place two days ago... Finding the place is easy but once I got there there were a few people of the shop's staff and none of them seemed actually interested in a customer and what surprised me the most no one could speak any English. I wanted a design of singh thong done on my leg (10x8cm) and was shown the price of 6500 THB. For a lot smaller yant paed tidt on my back 3500 THB. The funny thing was that there was actually a chart with yants and prices (in Thai) and the most expensive was 1000 THB. I understand that we are farangs but thats just a rip off. To me it seemed like Ajarn Thoy had gone overpopular and obsessed with money and in not that spirited anymore. What I'm saying is avoid this place and get your Sak Yant outside of Bangkok.

Nicolas said...

Hi, I am in Thailand and I want to have a sak yant. but i am very concerned about the risk. Did anyone get a blood test after having donde a sak yant?.
How do I get to the temple?
Thanks
NIco

Anonymous said...

Hey nico, when you worry about the hygienic, go to the Khao San Road, they will do it for 4-6k. But it's not the real one. Maybe i will make a test, but you have to wait 12 weeks before the test is significant.
Above is a good discription of the way, go with the sky train to the On Nut station and hire a motorbike driver for 30-60bht at the big lotos supermarket, they know the tempel (Wat Thong Nai)

Anonymous said...

I got my kao yord on the 18.7. from Ajarn Thorn a few days ago. Was 2000BHT what is still to much. Next time i will go to the Wat Bang Phra north of Bangkok. So far no infection.

Anonymous said...

Hi how long does kao yord take?

Unknown said...

i got my kao yord in songkla from a tattoo parlour , the tattoo artist looked like a monk and was very good with the machine , he has alot buddha praying altars at his parlour ..will the kao yord still have it's power

Anonymous said...

The only place to get Sak Yantwhen in Bangkok is Wat Bang Phra, if you want one for the right reason.

Anonymous said...

I do not agree about Wat Bang Phra.
I was there in Nov. 2013.
Only a young monk was there.
Very arrogant and unaware about his work, maybe irritated by the young german girl he was working on.
I had the idea more fashion sak and not much attention to yant.
Maybe wrong time wrong place. I keep on searching.


Suryo

Anonymous said...

Suryo - i do disagree with your comment - that is not true and seems to be your personal feeling.
I am now the 6th time in Temple Wat Bang Phra - and do get good and correct treatment.
I am German, 55 years old, looking like a ordinary FARANG - but everybody was friendly to me.
Actually the first 2 times, when i did not know what to do - the monks did not smile really.
And i can understand the reason behind the behavior of the monks. Sak Yants are still used a scarified tattoo and not as a Hype oder Stylish Picture. The monks can see if you take respect for Buddha and for the Temple as soon as you enter the room. There are some typical behaviors from Farangs - just today i saw it. A couple (looks like from US) came into the room - they did not greet buddha or the monks, then they sat down putting the foot showing to the monks - my Thai wife said that seems to be very unpolitely - never point with your foot to the monks. The male had his cap still on his head - actually he looked like a Hipp-Hopp Gangster. When the Monk got the gifts and the money from all the people waiting in the queue, then is he is praying and gives his blessing to the queue - but all of them should hold with one hand each the plate with the gifts - these couple were still sitting in the middle of the room - he was looking at the wall and she was typing some SMS.
All that non knowing of the FARANGS may cause some strange feeling.
BTW - did you went up into the first floor for the tattoo ? In that room mostly 2 monks are giving the tattoos - and both are very experienced powerful monks. When you just pass the entrance - in that area sometimes a trainee monk is working - real monks do have yellow/orange robes - trainee to have white robes.
Hope next time you do get a better run - try again Wat Bang Phra - that is real the only temple where you can get scarified Sak Yants - all other Russies or similar are making a show for Farangs and charge you 20 times more than you pay in Wat Bang Prha.
Kind regards to everybody looking for Sak Yant

Joerg A.

Unknown said...

Hi ,

it´s me again - forgot to mention something about hygiene .
I can confirm that it is not the same like somebody described visiting Ajarn Thoy.
If you are scared about infection or similar - may you will not go.
But when i do read all the articles about Sak Yant and Wat Bang Phra - everybody mention that there is no proofed case of infection coming from the tattoo.
Actually what i can say - the wound is closed within hours and the next day nothing is paining you you.
I got one ordinary Ying-Yang tattoo on my left arm from a tattoo shop. It takes me 10 day, before the infection and the skin was ok again.
So i am not too much worry about the infection risk in Wat Bang Phra - but it is up to you everybody to make his own mind.
kind regards
Joerg A.

Anonymous said...

Just went there yesterday (Feb 13, 2015) and Ajarn Thoy wanted $3,000 baht for a Hah Teaw (5 Lines)! This was after I spent the better part of an hour making my way out there.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he meant 3000 baht for Hah Teaw? But anyway this is very expensive!

Unknown said...

I am wondering why you are complaining about the cost? Ajarns charge money for their services. They are not Monks, they do not do it for a donation.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I live in Hua Hin (200 km from Bangkok) and can't find a telephone number to inquire whether Ajarn Thoy is there or not.
Before coming to visit him how can I find this out? Any phone number for the temple?

Anonymous said...

OK I got the info: +66 (0)2-311-9003, +66 (0)86-027-1995