Tattoos have become commonplace in Cambodia, especially among the younger generations. The sight of tattooed young men and women may still shock some conservative members of society, but it is ...

Rooted in religious sanction, the “Sak Yant” form of traditional tattoo has been a pivotal part of Thai culture for generations. The tattoo is believed to act as a form of spiritual shield for ...

Wat Bang Phra, a temple in central Thailand, is renowned as a center for sak yant, a style of tattoo art believed by some to convey protective powers. An unordained tattoo artist applies ink with a ...

The introduction to Sacred Skin , Tom Vater and Aroon Thaewchatturat’s new tribute to Thailand’s sak yant , or sacred tattoos, begins with an agonized exclamation: “Uaaahh!” So it should. While modern ...

As travellers increasingly seek transformative wellness experiences, Indigenous cultural practices have entered the mainstream. From the commercialization of ayahuasca retreats to Mexican sweat lodges ...

He has a monkey on a chain. And an owl - also chained. Teven Say, a master of magical tattoos, strokes both of his familiars and regards me with a proud gaze. He is sitting in a large shed in Siem ...

When Angelina Jolie showed off her first Thai tattoo 15 years ago—five lines of Buddhist blessings running down her back—she raised the country's international status for spiritual tattoos. The artist ...