Buddhist monk Hlwong Pi Phaew sits on the veranda of his quarters at Wat Bang Phra, a temple approximately 50km outside Bangkok, Thailand. He sits cross-legged on a cushion, with a long silver tattooing needle in his right hand. The monk wears saffron robes over biceps, back and chest covered in magical Sanskrit text. Large dragons coil around both of his lower legs. He is half way through tattooing a large, geometric grid of Sak Yant, ancient protective tattoos, on the middle of a man’s back, whilst three comrades pull their friend’s skin tight from three different angles.
The monk smoothly, silently and precisely pricks away at the man’s flesh with his two-pronged spear, only stopping to occasionally dip the points into a pot of ink, made from secret magical ingredients, supposedly including cobra venom.
HP Phaew, who prefers to work outdoors, is one of the most respected of all the monks in the temple and also one that retains the strict traditions of the art. Like all of the tattooist he will only make marks above the waist, and his designs all come with specific spells, chants, symbolism and meaning. The wearer has to abide by a set of rules in order to retain the magic of the tattoo, although all Sak Yant will lose their power over time.
