It's almost a rite of passage now that when you go travelling, you get a tattoo. For some, the best way to commemorate a particularly memorable trip is getting a permanent reminder of it etched into their skin. Of course, if you're a stranger in a strange land you need to know where to go to get a high quality tattoo safely done. A good friend of mine recently got a tattoo done at Jimmy Wong's in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 5 . Mr Wong is a legend amongst tattooists and recognised as one of Bangkok's best tattoo artists, regularly receiving plaudits for the quality of his work and hygienic working conditions. His sister Joy is also an accomplished tattoo artist in her own right and also works on the premises. (There's a couple of threads on ThaiVisa.com where his work is recommended, and there's plenty more tattoo discussion on various Thailand forums).
You can also read this in-depth article about Jimmy Wong by Mike McCabe at Tattoos.com and watch this 5 minute interview with Jimmy, including footage of the master at work.
Jimmy Wong has his own slightly chaotic website, although you won't find him at work this week during the 16th to 18th May - he'll be in Pattaya managing the second World Tattoo Arts Festival and Exhibition, a gathering of over 200 of the world's best tattoo artists. You can find full details on his site. Last year's Tattoo Festival, the first of its kind, was a resounding success - there are some great photos of of individual tattoos on MyBKK.com
Thailand is a particularly interesting place to investigate getting a tattoo because for the Thais, tattoos have a deep spiritual significance - they are never mere decoration. The Thailand Tattoo Temple, located a couple of hours outside Bangkok, holds an annual Tattoo Festival where hundreds gather to have the tattoos sanctified and reblessed. You can go there any time of year to request a tattoo from the monks, but it's using traditional, non-sterilised methods, so it's only for the brave. Perhaps the most famous recipient of a Thai tattoo is Angelina Jolie, who travelled to Thailand to be tattooed by master Thai artist Ajarn Noo - there's more about it at the end of the Thailand Tattoo Temple story, including links to some pix.
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