For more photos from inside temple, and it’s grounds, please check out my Photo Essay!

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GO – Getting There

Now getting to this place was half the adventure! Wat Bang Phra is not well known by the tourist crowd, and so there are no ‘tourist buses’ heading out that way. Your best bet is to go to Victory Monument. If you’re arriving by BTS (sky train), you’ll want to leave the exit towards the monument, and turn left to go down the stairs towards the roundabout. Almost immediately, you’ll see a series of food stands and bus stops. Ask one of the people working there for a mini-van heading to Nakhon Chai Si district, Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand, about 50 km west of Bangkok. There are vans leave every half hour or so, but my suggestion is to get there as early as possible (I arrived shortly after 6 and caught the 7am bus… this seemed to be ideal situation). The mini-van cost 80 Thai Baht per person, and the ride is about an hour, depending on traffic. If you can catch the 6am van, you’ll avoid any gridlock getting there, but note that the BTS won’t be running yet! If you leave any later than 7am, you’ll wind up stuck in traffic for hours, and risk having too many people in line ahead of you that you may not be able to get your Sak Yant done that day. It really is THAT busy, even just among locals.

The mini bus should drop you off across the highway from a massive Big C shopping centre. You must cross a foot bridge across the highway, and turn left. Almost immediately you will be approached by motorcycle taxi guys and tuk tuk drivers. Your choice, though the motorcycle is a great experience (and cheaper) driving past the fields on your second leg of this journey. It’s about a 20-25 mins ride further, and should cost about 120 baht if you go the route of the motorcycle taxi. They guessed why we were there, and should all know exactly where Wat Bang Phra is.

View Where Sidewalks End in a larger map

Transport total time: 1.5 hours

Transport total cost: 80+60 (we both took the same moto-taxi) = 140THB

Leaving was even a bit easier. We walked out to the front gate and caught a local bus for 18 baht, which drove us to an area near the highway where we could catch another minivan for another 60 baht each. The minivan dropped us off in the middle of Bangkok, though on the other side of the river from central Bangkok, and we had to take a taxi the rest of the way back. It’s probably best to make sure they agree to exactly what station they will drop you off at prior to leaving.

Transport total time: 1.5 hours

Transport total cost: 18+60 (+50 for the taxi, but this shouldn’t be necessary) = 78THB

You can find the location on our WSE Travel Post Map using the sidebar navigator.

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Time – Seasonality & Schedules

There are no officially posted hours, though it is suggested to arrive quite early. I believe they aim to open doors around 8am each day, but this can also depend on the mood of the Tattoo Master. The cue fills up quickly as well, and it’s a first come first serve basis. If you can arrive as closely to 8am as possible, you will have a very good chance of having your Sak Yant given that day. If you arrive around noon, there will probably already be such a big lineup that you won’t be able to get it done. In the chance that you can, you’ll probably end up waiting up to 5 hours as he gets through the group in front of you (and do you really want a tired monk giving your tattoo by hand?).

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Safety – Possible risks

I tried researching this as much as possible prior to going. My results were fairly inconclusive. Though the bamboo does get sterilized with rubbing alcohol, I’m not sure it would meet western standards. This being said, an exceptionally large percentage of Thais have this done. The spread of STDs and disease as a result of the Sak Yant are unconfirmed. In one article I read, it stated that unlike a tattoo needle, there is no opening for the blood/disease/virus to get trapped in. This greatly reduces any risk, when compared to regular tattoos. It does not eliminate the risk, mind you. Any decision to get a Sak Yant must be done with this in mind. There is a risk involved. It seems to me, all the good things in life have similar risks, so you have to decide if this is one of those ‘good things’ worth the risk.

Please Note: Travel inherently comes with an element of risk (just like crossing the road does). You are putting yourself in elements that are unfamiliar and foreign to your usual lifestyle and with that, become more susceptible to fall victim those who try to play off those unfamiliar to their local scams. There are also potential dangers in the environments to which you may not be accustomed to.

Please take extra care in travelling, ensure that you have adequate travel medical insurance (accidents seem to happen when you least expect them), and have let a trusted colleague, family member or friend know your whereabouts and activities.

Where Sidewalks End travel advises you to travel at your own risk and to be extra aware of your surroundings (without letting it spoiling your time).

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Pay – How much does it cost?

Transport total time: 3 hours

Transport total cost: 140+78 = 218THB

Total time at the temple: 3 hours (including 2-hour wait, getting Sak Yant, and having lunch)

Compulsory Base-Offering to Wat Bang Phra (in exchange for the Sak Yant) = 50 THB

This is where it gets a bit complicated though. You should first understand that Thais pay offerings like this almost every day of their life to temples to receive services from temples. This includes some wedding and funeral services, holiday services, as well as some ‘bonus’ services such as sak yant. To quickly consider that if a Thai person pays 50 baht every day to a monk, or temple, this means that in one week they’ve donated 350 THB. In a year, they’ve donated 18,250 THB. In a decade, that’s 182,500 THB. This works out to almost $600 USD per year for these types of services.

Consider, as a foreigner, you have never donated anything (or very little) to any temples in Thailand to reap the services they offer. We are very fortunate to even be able to participate in their services with this in mind. So, now consider the value of your tattoo? What would it cost back home… or even in a tattoo shop in Bangkok?

To be a responsible and ethical traveller, and fair to both Thai people who have paid into this their whole lives and the monks who rely on those donations to support not only themselves, but also the maintenance of the temple, it is advised that you leave a donation substantially bigger. It doesn’t have to be 18,250 THB… but you might consider putting a few thousand baht into the donation bowl, as we did, if that’s what a tattoo is worth to you – not only for the tattoo… but also for the experience you have shared with this ancient practice and culture.

Of course this is not enforced, but it is worth looking deep inside to feel what is the right thing to do – for yourself, the karma you will receive from these ancient yantras, as well as the value it is intended to have on your life.

Total time for the day = 6 hours

Total cost for the day = 268 Thai Baht (roughly $9 USD) + whatever additional offering you make

Suggested Additional Offering to Wat Bang Phra (as a donation) = 3000+ THB (roughly $95+ USD)

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Responsible Travel – Best Practices

First and foremost – this is a temple! Please dress respectfully. Wearing tank-tops, singlets, short-shorts, etc is not appropriate attire for any temple in Thailand. Make sure your knees and shoulders are covered to show respect to the monks, and that Thais of faith who are present.

When inside the temple, you should always try to keep your head below the head monk/ajarn giving the Sak Yant tattoos. You should not stand over or above him. When sitting in the room, you should also not point your feet towards him, or any of the main Buddha statues.

Treat the temple as you would a church, mosque or any other place of worship. When you show the monks and locals respect, they will appreciate it and show you respect in return.

To properly prepare yourself, this is a very thorough FAQ guide to Sak Yant tattoos.

Don’t forget about being ethical and fair to both the Thais and phra ajarns (monk tattoo masters) by making an adequate donation for their services provided to you.

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Reality Check – Be Aware

It was an awesome day! It was fun, getting there with all the madness of trying to work it out, and uncertainty of going to the right place. The process of getting the offerings (and how comical it is that Menthol cigarettes were part of it), and then waiting in the musty room for hours as others each go through the same process. Getting the Sak Yant itself feels like an accomplishment being able to make it through the pain. It is an ancient tradition and it’s a very special feeling being part of it, in a way that is still quite off-the-beaten-path and practiced by locals. I love that I was able to experience that with my brother, as well. Sharing the experience is something I would possibly suggest, as it’s really unique and will certainly strengthen any bond.

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JOIN US! WSE Travel Packages

This sounds like quite the adventure, right? We thought so too! Though we realize it can be pretty intimidating to get out there into the world on your own, especially when travelling to some of these off the beaten path locations. We love it when our readers give it a shot and try it for themselves! In fact, please leave us feedback if you do!! If trying something ‘this’ adventurous on your own is just a bit outside of your comfort zone, WSE Travel is here to help!

We offer a series of very personalized packages where you are able to meet with an ajarn and discuss questions with them you may have about this ancient art. These studios are far more sanitized than some temples such as Wat Bang Phra, and you will be joined by a local Travel Guru who is knowledgeable in the art of Sak Yant. You will be able to discuss the ancient art in great depth with the ajarn and get a yantra design which is fully customized to you, and not simply a generic design given due to lack of communication with the ajarn. This isn’t your typical visit to a tattoo parlour, these are real traditional samnaks (bamboo tattoo studios). This is the ultimate way of connecting on a deep level to the sacred art of sak yant.