Hey guys,

Just wandering where I can find respected or good-reputable bamboo tattoo artist in Thailand. Money isnt an issue, just need a good artist. If anyone can help, would be appreciated.

Thanks

Where specifically did you have in mind or were you willing to travel?

He's posted the same thread all over ... so ....

Well, the 4 other threads have now been closed. Please do not post the same thread in multiple forums. All responses can be posted here.

Sorry guys, new to the forum postings...

Sorry..,

will be travelling all around Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Phi Phi.

Sorry..,

will be travelling all around Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Phi Phi.

My friend Sorn is the best traditional Thai tattooist I have seen in 25 years. Visit the site at nakhonsrithammarart.com and you can see a lot of his work. I can call him and get you a quote if you send me a picture of what you want. He can tattoo you anywhere in Phuket.

Beware of Sak Yantra tattoos as they use ink mixed with anything from snakes blood to acid and can be as rough as. Traditional Thai tattoos are usually done with rotting indian ink in plain black. Sorn has a nice range of Starbrite colours and I recently bought him a large bottle of Kumo Suri black from Japan. It is perfect for hand tattooing.

Sorn is extremely patient and calm and will spend hours on an image to get it exactly as the customer wants it. He doesn't speak English much so if you call him have a Thai speak to him for you.

Sorry..,

will be travelling all around Thailand, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Phi Phi.

My friend Sorn is the best traditional Thai tattooist I have seen in 25 years. Visit the site at nakhonsrithammarart.com and you can see a lot of his work. I can call him and get you a quote if you send me a picture of what you want. He can tattoo you anywhere in Phuket.

Beware of Sak Yantra tattoos as they use ink mixed with anything from snakes blood to acid and can be as rough as. Traditional Thai tattoos are usually done with rotting indian ink in plain black. Sorn has a nice range of Starbrite colours and I recently bought him a large bottle of Kumo Suri black from Japan. It is perfect for hand tattooing.

Sorn is extremely patient and calm and will spend hours on an image to get it exactly as the customer wants it. He doesn't speak English much so if you call him have a Thai speak to him for you.

This guys work is very good for handmade tattoo's

He should work on his shading technique a bit as his overall images are to dark.

There are some Sak Yant's masters out there these days doing very fine lined detailed work also.

Thanks for the positive feedback. It's amazing how negative some of the feedback has been from the site. The photos on the site have been drastically cut in quality so they load quickly and many were taken in the bright midday sun in Phuket so it is hard to see just how bright many are. Many tattoo sites and magazines have the tattoos oiled up and posed in front of a black background so they appear real bright. I've tried to keep the site realistic in seeing things exactly how they have turned out.

Up until I met Sorn he only tattooed in rotting ink so you had a choice of either black, blue or red. The Thais in Nakhon and the South are very dark skinned so most just go for the heavy black. This has made Sorns style quite unique with his heavy black shading. Since I bought him a nice range of colors he has moved into doing coloured work and he is getting better and better. He is only 29 so has huge potential to be a real master of this style.

Sorn is quite gentle compared to the Japanese, we watched Hiryoshi the third that famous Japanese master on Y tube and he was brutal compared to Sorn. They say only 20% of people finish a traditional Japanese tattoo as it is so painful. Have a look and you can see why

Sorn doesn't actually claim to be an artist but many of the images he actually draws himself or even works freehand if people let him. Some tattoos are just not suitable for hand done work and Sorn will not do anything he thinks won't turn out well. The traditional stuff like dragons, koi fish and Thai designs are perfect for this type of work. Sorn is very good at shading for a hand tattooist and I will get him a bottle of greywash so he can do a lighter style of shading in the future. Considering what he charges he is well worth considering if you have a tattoo you want done.

Most guys like Sorn with real talent are usually very self effacing and unless someone else promotes them you will never ever see or meet them. I know another guy in Nakhon Sri who is an art teacher, he did me a large portrait I wanted and it turned out brilliant. I would never have known about him without a friend who knew where to find him.

I have extensive bamboo/needle tattoos. I had them all done on Koh Samui by Khun Noi out at Big Buddha Tattoo and Art Studio.

On Koh Samui, at Big Buddha Beach, you just go out to the temple there, on the left just before the temple is the studio and Khun Noi.

Speaks English very well and is not only a tattooist but an established Thai artist who has had many exhibitions.

He has a website at www.kohsamuitattooart.com

Cheers!

I find it slightly ironic that the nakhon website says 'Traditional Thai tattoo' and yet there doesn't appear to be a single Thai design in any of the photos.

Very few Thai 'bamboo tattoo' artists actually use traditional motifs such as those found in Thai sak yan. This is because most Thais believe that sak yan have no power – and may even be harmful to the customer – if they aren't applied by someone who is a strict Buddhist, with a background in the monkhood (or still in robes).

By the way the term 'bamboo tattoo' is a bit of a misnomer since the material the shaft of the stylus is made of can be anything, eg bamboo, wood, ceramic, silver, ivory, etc. The needles are, of course, always metal, typically two to five very fine metal needles attached in a line.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback so far. Both websites look good, will do further research but will highly consider both artist. Is it true that they dont bleed or scar? Noone I know has got any...

Cheers

I have extensive bamboo/needle tattoos. I had them all done on Koh Samui by Khun Noi out at Big Buddha Tattoo and Art Studio.

On Koh Samui, at Big Buddha Beach, you just go out to the temple there, on the left just before the temple is the studio and Khun Noi.

Speaks English very well and is not only a tattooist but an established Thai artist who has had many exhibitions.

He has a website at www.kohsamuitattooart.com

Cheers!

This guys work is even better as he understands how to apply shading to a tattoo.

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback so far. Both websites look good, will do further research but will highly consider both artist. Is it true that they dont bleed or scar? Noone I know has got any...

Cheers

I got my first tattoo using bamboo a couple of weeks back in Haad Yao... the experience was... awesome! no bleeding, heals fast.

Koh Phi Phi has many bamboo tattooists. I never had one but friends have and they seemed pretty good. Ask around and find the best artists. Cheap too!

Theres a guy on koh chang who tattoo with bamboo needle,has been there when i first went in 99 .I think he works at tantawan resort,on white sand beach.

There are several on Ko Chang. None use bamboo needles, but some use styli with bamboo shafts.

Up until I met Sorn he only tattooed in rotting ink so you had a choice of either black, blue or red. The Thais in Nakhon and the South are very dark skinned so most just go for the heavy black. This has made Sorns style quite unique with his heavy black shading. Since I bought him a nice range of colors he has moved into doing coloured work and he is getting better and better. He is only 29 so has huge potential to be a real master of this style

Are you into a relationship with Sorn? Certainly sounds like it.

I've heard theres a few artist in Koh Chang, the ones I have heard of so far are - Jack and One.

Koh Phi Phi has some aswell, but not sure where they are located.

Go to One!!!! Lonely Beach, Ko Chang.

He's amazing, my tattoo is phenominal, and he's a great guy.

He has a killer website with many, many examples of his work and a lot of information about the process etc.

www.bambootattookochang.com

I think it's tragic you guys come to Thailand only to get your tattoo at some tourist island (Phuket, Samui, Chang). You might as well get it back in your home country because these tourist targeting tattoo shops have no relation to traditional Thai Buddhist tattoos. It's fake and fraud and you become fake and fraud for wearing them.

There are only a handfull of authentic monk tattoists left and they are not operating on walking street of some tourist location. You need to hit the country temples for this kind of thing -and get the tattoo from a monk. Who cares about shading, that's not what matters here, what matters is the would be magic and the long tradition of religious tattoos in Thailand.

I think it's tragic you guys come to Thailand only to get your tattoo at some tourist island (Phuket, Samui, Chang). You might as well get it back in your home country because these tourist targeting tattoo shops have no relation to traditional Thai Buddhist tattoos. It's fake and fraud and you become fake and fraud for wearing them.

There are only a handfull of authentic monk tattoists left and they are not operating on walking street of some tourist location. You need to hit the country temples for this kind of thing -and get the tattoo from a monk. Who cares about shading, that's not what matters here, what matters is the would be magic and the long tradition of religious tattoos in Thailand.

Agree:

You also can't get good sticky rice in Bangkok, you need to go to Buriram province.