What is a Bamboo Tattoo?
What is a Bamboo Tattoo? | Meaning of Bamboo Tattoos
Thailands Bamboo Tattoos are a recent (but now very common) trend in Thailand tattooing circles that replicate the old traditional style of hand poked Sak Yants that are done by holy men in Thailand. Bamboo was never used by these holymen who had access to steel for thousands of years, however international media misinformation coined the term Bamboo Tattoos and Thailands tattoo artists run with the new trend from tourists demand.
When asking what is a Bamboo Tattoo? – The simple answer is; The meaning of a Bamboo tattoo is a gimmick as Tattoo artist promoting hand poked bamboo tattoo don’t actually use bamboo for the needles or to administer the tattoo itself. When using the old style hand poked method bamboo tattoo artists will tend to use steel or heavy wood handles and steel tattoo needles. Bamboo itself is useless as a needle (doesn’t hold ink) and too light to be used for hand poke method (requires too much force to pierce the skin).
While the term Bamboo Tattoo is displayed on almost every tattoo shop and heavily promoted as associated with traditional and spirituality; there has never been any tradition of making tattoos in Thailand with Bamboo.
Disclaimer: This page (and website) concerns itself ONLY with the Counterfeit Fake Sak Yant Tattoo's promoted by Tattoo Shops and Artists as 'Traditional Thai Bamboo Tattoos'. These specific Tourist Tattoo copies of the Spiritual Sak Yant are disrespectful to Thai People and Thai Culture when created by people not qualified in Magical Arts.The current modern trend of Tattooist offering and using the Hand Poked 'Bamboo Method' to make regular tattoo (non Sak Yant designs) for tourists is not of concern to adherents of Authentic Sak Yant Traditions
The Myth of Thailand Bamboo Tattoos
In Fact the term Bamboo Tattoos has only recently (around year 2003) entered into awareness via popular tourist culture (5). Very quickly the term was used associated with cultural Sak Yants and displayed by Tattoo Shops. Over the years travel bloggers getting Fake Sak Yants from Tattoo shops repeating this myth it became common internet lore that Thailand’s Bamboo Tattoo represented authenticity and tradition of the Sak Yant tattoos. So common, that today some tattoo artist will genuinely claim to believe and promote the ancient connection narrative when providing Hand Poked Bamboo Tattooing services.
A claim that is hard to believe since as early as 2011 NPR radio reported on this trend of Fake Bamboo Tattoo Sak Yant and it’s legalities concerning disrespect to Thai Culture. Many Tattoo Artists stating others do it for money (9). “There are some tattoo artists who only care about money,” confides Pongsuk Tammaget, who runs the Max Body Tattoo Parlor. “They heed no rules or regulations. If the law is aimed at them, that’s fine by me. If I see foreigners with tattoos in the wrong place, we notice it. It’s not good, and it offends Thai people’s sensibilities.”
Most older Thai people know (including many Tattoo Artists) know the only time a person would receive a tattoo using a Bamboo Needle was in jail (1). Thai people clearly understood that real Sak Yant Masters have always had and used a metal rod called a ‘Khem’ (1), (6). Additionally Thai people know the Sak Yant must be preformed by a Sak Yant Master (7) who can provide a blessing to activate the design and will not get a Sak Yant Tattoo from a tattoo artist
There is a big difference between a genuine Sak Yant Tattoo which is created and blessed by a holy man trained in magical arts, and the meaningless Bamboo Tattoo copies that tattoo artists include in their catalog of designs (8). We hope to educate tourist coming to Thailand to seek out an authentic Sak Yant Master for a real Sak Yant Experience and not embarrass themselves by having a meaningless and disrespectful counterfeit of Thailand’s Cultural heritage displayed on their bodies.
Tools of the Traditional Thailand Tattoo Trade: Metal, Not Bamboo
When looking at What is a Bamboo tattoo, it is useful to know the true history of the Traditional Thai Tattoos. Sak Yant tattooing employs a long, thin metal rod with a needle at the tip, allowing for precision and depth control. These rods, sometimes passed down through generations, are meticulously maintained and often sanctified. (6) (7)
Contrary to the Thailand bamboo tattoo myth, the precision required for the traditional Thai tattoos would be nearly impossible to achieve with a bamboo stick. Bamboo is brittle, prone to splinters, and any needle fashioned would be incapable of holding the ink. Bamboo Needles and Tattooing is just inefficient for safe and intricate tattooing. Even in the very rare long past occasion a rural Ajarn is forced to use Bamboo, they preferred bicycle spokes instead as the Bamboo stick would only last an hour before needing to be thrown away.
Some tattooing may use a wooden handle for the rod, but this still does not equate to bamboo being the primary material. The conflation of “wooden” with “bamboo” has only added to the confusion.
There is zero evidence in Thailand’s historical documentations that Bamboo was every used as the Tattoo studios like to suggest. In fact on the contrary all writings and more importantly collectors, Sak Yant Masters and those without an agenda to promote the Tourist Bamboo Tattoo know as a matter of fact … Traditional Thai Tattoo’s were done using metal tools
Why do Thailand Tattoo Artists make Fake Traditional Thai Tattoos for Tourists?
Traditional Thai tattoos have captured the imaginations of travelers and spiritual seekers from all over the world. These sacred geometric designs, to offer protection, power, and blessings, are deeply rooted in Thai and Southeast Asian spiritual traditions. But as demand for these tattoos has skyrocketed, so too has a troubling trend: the rise of fake Bamboo Tattoo Sak Yants.
So why do some tattoo artists in Thailand create fake Sak Yants? Let’s explore the reasons—and how to avoid falling into the trap.
1. Tourist Demand Without Understanding
Many tourists come to Thailand seeking a Traditional Thai Tattoo Sak Yant as a souvenir of their travels, often inspired by celebrities like Angelina Jolie. Unfortunately, not everyone understands the spiritual and cultural weight these tattoos carry. To meet the demand, some tattoo shops offer decorative versions of Sak Yant without any ritual, blessing, or authenticity.
In other words, they give the customer what they want—something that looks real (for the tourist at least), even if it’s spiritually meaningless.
2. Lack of Qualified Ajarns
2. Lack of Qualified AjarnsTraditionally, Sak Yants (The real Traditional Thai Tattoo) are performed by Ajarns (spiritual masters) or Buddhist monks trained in sacred geometry, ancient scripts, and magical incantations (kata). These practitioners undergo years of spiritual discipline. But genuine Ajarns are few, and the training is rigorous. As a result, many commercial tattoo artists imitate the style without the sacred knowledge behind it.
For the Tattoo Artist it’s much easier—and more profitable—to copy a design than to become a true practitioner.
3. Profit Over Principle
There’s no denying that Traditional Thai Tattoos, Sak Yants have become big business. Tourists are often willing to pay top dollar for what they believe is an “authentic Thai experience.” For some tattoo shops, this is simply a money-making opportunity. They may replicate popular Yant patterns, skip the chanting and blessings, and market it as the real deal.
This commercialization undermines the spiritual significance of Sak Yant and turns the sacred traditional Thai Tattoo into a gimmick tourist commodity.
4. No Spiritual Empowerment
A real Sak Yant is more than ink, it’s a spiritual ritual. Without the proper blessings, chants, and permissions from the spirits or deities invoked, the tattoo is just a design. Think of it like a religious artifact: a cross or Buddha statue is not sacred unless it’s been blessed.
Tattoo artists who skip this process are offering an empty shell as they don’t have the knowledge or personal conduct ethics to do any better.
The growing popularity of Sak Yant tattoos has sadly led to a wave of inauthentic practices. While it’s understandable that artists want to meet demand, faking a sacred tradition does a disservice to the culture it comes from, and to the people who receive it under false pretenses.
If you truly respect Thai culture and want to honor the spiritual depth of Sak Yant, take the time to find a real Ajarn, understand the meaning of the tattoo, and receive it in the traditional way.
Your tattoo will mean so much more when it’s not just ink, but a blessing for life.
Academic and Historical References
(1). Thai Tattoos, the symbolic lines of faith National Geographic. Nov 4 2020. https://ngthai.com/cultures/31619/thai-traditional-tattoos
(2) Why you don’t Get a Bamboo Tattoo at a Tattoo Shop sakyantchiangmai.com Oct 2022 https://sakyantchiangmai.com/sak-yant-bamboo-tattoo/
(3) Study of Thai and Japanese Tattoo. 1996 Nantchaya Mahakhan Burapha University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences https://buuir.buu.ac.th/xmlui/handle/1234567890/549
(4) Communication and Perception of the Meaning of ‘Tattoos’ in Contemporary Thai Society’, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, by Suksan Kamolsantiroj, 2005 https://cuir.car.chula.ac.th/handle/123456789/8025
(5) What is a Bamboo Tattoo. Sak Yant Chiang Mai 2023 https://sakyantchiangmai.com/bamboo-tattoo-thailand/
(6) Tattoo Culture in Lana Sept 6 2022. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. Phudech Saensa https://www.sac.or.th/portal/th/article/detail/371
(7). Sak Yant tattooing as Thai soft power. Department of Public Administration Faculty of Political Science Ramkhamhaeng University. Krissada Promvek. And Prachaya Chumnaseaw 2024. http://www.hurujournal.ru.ac.th/journals/35_1719810573.pdf
(8) Bamboo Tattoo Bangkok. Sak Yant Bangkok 2024. https://sakyant-bangkok.com/bamboo-tattoo-bangkok/
(9) Thailand To Tattoo Tourists: Think Before You Ink NPR Radio June 20, 2011
(10) What is a Sak Yant Tattoo: Explained by Sak Yant Masters Sak Yant Chiang Mai
Bamboo Tattoo Articles - Discover the Truth!
- All
- Bamboo Tattoo
- Sak Yant Tattoo
- Tattoo Shop
Thailands Bamboo Tattoo History – A modern gimmick for Tourists The History of Bamboo Tattoo in Thailand. Historical and Academic...
Traditional Thai Tattoo vs Bamboo Tattoo (non-existent in Thai Culture) Western media made up the term Bamboo Tattoos when reporting...
How to Avoid getting Fake Sak Yants Tattoo Shops in Thailand and regular Tattoo Artists can’t do real Sak Yant...
What to Do After Getting a Fake Sak Yant Receiving a Sak Yant tattoo is often considered a sacred and...
Biggest Thailand Tourist Scam – Fake Sak Yant Bamboo Tattoo While not that well known or at all reported, one...
Why you don’t get a Tattoo Artist Sak Yant Why you don’t get a Tattoo Artist Sak Yant Bamboo Needle...
What is a Bamboo Tattoo? What is a Bamboo Tattoo? | Meaning of Bamboo Tattoos Thailands Bamboo Tattoos are a...