Bangkok’s Tattoo Arjan
2006 Mike McCabe

For everyone, the process of life is mysterious and unknowable. There are big and small unanswerable questions that cannot be addressed in any reliable way. Who will be rich or poor? Who will marry successfully? Who will have good or bad health? The human condition has always been haunted by its inability to control its own fate and more importantly, has always been tempted to try to do so. Left and right : Arjan Heng

Life in Thailand is saturated with superstition. People are convinced that benevolent and sinister powers direct their destinies and a lot of time is dedicated to appealing to these powers for help and kindness. In Thailand the sacred and profane are completely intertwined and interdependent. For more than 300 years Thai men have visited with tattoo arjan (master), listened to the teachings and received tattoos in an effort to understand their destiny and exercise some control over it. Thai women are usually not tattooed but if they are the designs are tattooed with special anointed oil and not black ink.

Bangkok has several esteemed tattoo arjan who work from simple studios in their particular neighborhoods. These arjan are deeply respected and watch over the spiritual and physical well being of their communities. Today the art of tattooing has become a very popular youth-based world-wide phenomenon. Young people in places like Bangkok see western media images of young western, tattooed people and imitate what they see for a mixture of reasons. They are impressed with the media representations and want to be a part of the global tattoo scene. However, western style tattoos are very expensive for the average Thai and they therefore visit with traditional tattoo arjan instead, where costs are minimal or might only involve a simple offering of flowers.

In an effort to capitalize on this current trend, many phony tattoo arjan have recently materialized in Bangkok and some “spill-over” trade finds its way to them. These arjan demand cash payment for their work and like con-men everywhere split the difference between low and high tattoo costs. The young customers who patronize these questionable arjan are not concerned with the traditional process associated with Thai tattooing. They only want to be marked with a tattoo and become a part of the tattoo craze.

There are several dedicated tattoo arjan in Bangkok who operate somewhat secretly from personal studios in traditional neighborhoods. These masters feel a true sense of connection to the men they tattoo and offer advice and direction as they bring these men through the tattoo process.

Arjan Thong (left) tattoos from a simple apartment studio located in the Taladplue neighborhood (above right). The apartment building is a bit run down but it is full of life. Dogs are barking, kids are crying and the air smells of spicy cooking. The master’s studio door is always open and a cluster of young boys are always gathered around it looking at him while he tattoos. He is surrounded with small religious alters covered with exotic flowers. Behind the master high on the wall, there are several golden statues of the Buddha with burning incense.

“I have always worked in this area,” the master says. “I am now 52 years old. All these tattoos go back 1000 years to Khmer times and culture. My teacher taught me the Khmer language. His knowledge goes back through his teachers for 300 years. As a young man I was always interested in this. My teacher saw that I had a special talent.

“He taught me that to have a special power you must be a special person. Have good behavior to pursue a good life. Without a good life, the tattoos have no power. People come here because they have faith in the master and faith in the power. I want the customer to realize what they are doing. To bring them into the good way of life. If a customer just wants power that is not good. I am not interested in this. There must be depth of interest and understanding. These tattoos are a complete belief system; they are not a quick fix.

“I do not want to mislead people who might think they have a special power and they are special people so they get lazy. They need to stay serious and stay with the teachings of Lord Buddha. If anything, these tattoos demand dedication.

.“There are some people who feel that this type of tattoo is nonsense. I explain that the tattoo process demands the combined attention of the person getting tattooed and the person giving the tattoo. Most of the young men who visit with me are looking for assistance. Some of that is very practical; to be made bulletproof or uncuttable by knives. Other requests are questions of relationships and health.

“I feel that I am giving a special gift. My customers are my special children. By the time I have finished a large Gow Yod, Seven Peaks back tattoo these young men have listened to me and have become a better person.”

Arjan Heng tattoos in Bangkok’s old Khaosan Road district where traditional life is mixed with western back-packer kids traveling through Asia. There is only a simple sign in front of his studio that announces its location. Upstairs the apartment is simple and clean with a few chairs and a table. There are figures of the Buddha on the wall and a collection of traditional Thai tattoo designs.

“I learned to tattoo when I was 14,” Arjan Heng says. “I learned from monks. I see many new style tattoos on the young western people in this area but I prefer the old style designs. I do not judge between old and new styles. I like them both. The traditional style is Thai Buddhist style. (Arjan Heng's tools at left)

“There is a 1000 year old history of the traditional designs. I first learned from Monk Lonta Au Au at Wat Pochai outside of Bangkok. He taught me about the power of meditation. Then I learned from the monks at Wat Bang Phraw. The differences between the western and traditional Thai style is great. There is no better or worse, there are many talented artists in America and Europe. They make very special and amazing tattoos but not necessarily magic. My tattoos are magic. There is a difference.

“To get a traditional tattoo in Thailand this must be accompanied with practice and meditation. Without the complete devotion the power does not exist. The arjan plus the patron plus the design plus the practice of meditation is necessary to activate the tattoo. Everyone has power, energy, ideas and spirit.

“Now people everywhere think too much. They are removed from life. They are removed from time. They move too fast. Then when they die time stops. They are removed from the ability to understand life.

“The old Thai way of tattoo makes a connection between people and where they are. It helps to guide them like a map tells you where and how to go. There are easy ways to go and there are difficult ways. This is up to you.”

Arjan John’s lucky number is 13. He makes a point of telling you this when he greets you. Numerology and the grid forms of Thai Yan style tattoos are connected. Yan style tattoos look like complicated jig-saw puzzles. Each little box has a Khmer letter in it that corresponds to a magical concept. Arjan John has them tattooed all over his head like magical hair. He is 35 years old and tattoos at the Tung Set-tee Fields of Millionaires temple on the outskirts of Bangkok.

“I am now 35 years old,” arjan John (above) says. “I make tattoos for 13 years. I learned tattoo from the monks at Tong City temple. I am from this area where this temple is located. This temple has been here for 200 years. I do not have a family, Buddha is my family. People visit this temple all the time. They look to me for guidance. Men receive these tattoos for power, strength and guidance. I have learned certain things to say as I tattoo, certain ingredients to mix with the ink. I blow on the tattoo when I finish and bring it to life. I think I am now in the middle with making tattoos. I am a messenger between the different worlds. I know the monks of Wat Bang Phraw. I have been tattooed by the monks there. I have a knowledge I have learned from my masters and I pass this on to people who look for it. Many young men come to see me and they listen to me when I tattoo. They ask questions… They are afraid or they are confused. Something troubles them. They will sit and we will talk as I tattoo. Sometimes their questions will receive answers. They are always thankful. They have taken time to listen and they have considered the information. It is useful to them if they know how to use it. I offer suggestions about using the information. These are confusing times for many young people. There is too much to listen to, too much to look at.”

The Bangkok tattoo arjan provide a valuable service to those young men who feel that they need it. With the help of tattoo symbols and the tattoo process they give confidence to a young man who feels insecure or has a question about some aspect of his life. In Thailand this process of self discovery through tattooing seems exotic compared to the situation in the developed West but the motivations and significance are basically the same. In both, young people with some questions turn to tattooing with hopes of finding some answers.

Translation assistance by Bangkok tattooer, Amporn Klahan (pictured belowleft)