There is a deep traditional meaning behind some of the tattoos you see in Thailand; something that goes far beyond the faddish mania that's been all too prevalent the past decade or so. Granted, there are still far too many garish or oversize inkings on people that make me wonder if they truly wanted a decorative adornment or if it was more the challenge to see if they could sit still and have nearly a solid square foot of skin disfigured in a way just shy of a third-degree burning. We'll address the more traditional aspects of tattoos in another post.
Obviously my bias against tattoos may seem front and center here, but understand the disdain is reserved for the “look at me” folks and not those who endure the painful process for spiritual reasons. I give a nod of respect for the traditional protective or respective images I see there – such as the one at the top of this post – but not to those that misuse religious icons or are merely use them as a trendy statement - as that trend could change in a heartbeat, if you know what I mean. A tattoo (or at the very least the residual scarring from an attempted removal) is forever.
Stepping down off of the soap box, here (below) are a couple of images taken on an evening walk that took me though the Suan Lum Night Market. After standing and watching from the walkway I’d asked if I could take a photo of the work in progress I was invited into the stall to crowd around for a better vantage point. The young man doing the work was himself lushly colored but from the image being put onto the back of his customer I’d guess he didn’t do much of his own work. His customer was all smiles, though, and I put on a supportive smile (that I hope fooled him) before moving along the aisle.
6 comments:
Not a fan...I'll put that right up there with smoking. Seems like quite a few bad habits go together with the guys that I've met.
There's definitely a divide between the gays that have tatted-up.. and the tatt-free like me. Obviously part of it is generational.. but I tend to believe that there's an intellectual divide as well.
Not so sure it's as simple as an intellectual divide, if for no other reason than the "sak yan" (fodder for another post) are worn by intelligent Thai too. The poor quality ones may reflect an economic divide, but rich or poor, educated or uneducated - get a guy drunk and he's liable to think a tattoo is "cool". LOL
interesting point Khun.. but I was thinking of the Tatt craze in the U.S. I have seen full-sleeve tatts on some intelligent, intense dudes.. but the ubiquitous tribal shoulder tatt.. and the 'tramp stamps' visible above way too many low-rise jeans.. are the universally recognized insignias of the dim-bulb club.
The tattoo fad in the US may not be a sign of ignorance but it's OFTEN indicative of something poorly thought out. When I see them I can't help but think "their mothers must be SO proud!" A memorial or decoration on a bicep is one thing - something up the neck to their ear is *quite* another.
I'm one of those who don't like tattoos. Without even knowing people who have a tattoo, I immediately think of lack of education, drugs and crime. I wonder about about all the tattoo-stalls in the tourist areas, there must be tourists in Thailand who get a tattoo out of a whim (or when drunk?).
On my last holiday in Thailand in January I met someone who doesn't smoke, had no tattoos and whom I did get along really well. A months later, I saw new pictures of him with a tattoo on his arm (my first thought was: "Please tell me this is a temporary tattoo!", but it is real). I still blame myself that I didn't tell him when we first met that I appreciate that he has no tattoos and when we meet again I will carefully inquire why he got a tattoo (although neither if nor why he got a tattoo is my business).
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