About half an hour from the center of Thailand’s capital, in a quiet district on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand, there is a sacred tattoo studio that has existed for more than 200 years.
Hidden from outsiders within a secluded temple complex works the legendary master Kit Sanapon. To the outside world, he is a world-renowned tattoo artist. To Buddhists and seekers of spiritual practice, he is an Ajarn — a Teacher capable of doing far more than placing an image on the skin. He is believed to change a person’s destiny by sealing into the body the magic of the centuries-old Sak Yant tradition.
I first met Master Kit in China, at one of the tattoo shows in Changchun. At the time, we could barely speak to each other — neither of us really knew English. We simply smiled, exchanged a few short phrases, and tried to understand each other through gestures.
Some time later, we were planning a cycling trip across Asia, and I wrote to him. The reply came quickly: “Come.” That was how I first found myself in his traditional Thai tattoo studio. A few years later, I returned again.
The master himself speaks very little English, so most of what I learned about his art was told to me by his wife. She explained the traditions, the family history, and the meanings of the symbols that Kit has been applying to people’s skin for many years.
Master Kit has two children, and his eldest son will most likely become the fifth Sak Yant master in this lineage. That was when I began to understand that the man before me was not simply a tattoo artist, but a guardian of an ancient tradition.
The Sak Yant Tradition Across Four Generations
To understand the depth of Kit Sanapon’s mastery, one has to look into the past — into the sacred line of succession through which the power of Sak Yant is passed from teacher to student.
“Our family follows the true Sak Yant tradition and has passed this art down from generation to generation for around 150 years.”
In interviews, Master Kit rarely refers to himself as the “creator” of these designs. He sees himself as only one link in the chain, and his power depends directly on those who came before him. In the Sak Yant tradition, it is believed that a master’s strength is formed from the strength of all his teachers.
The first master in this lineage was Poo Saeng — a renowned master of sacred tattooing who lived during the reigns of Kings Rama IV and Rama V. He was so highly respected in his time that he performed Sak Yant for Prince Chumphon, the son of King Rama V.
He passed all of his knowledge on to his student and successor, Poo Plang Srisakda. During World War II, Master Plang became famous for a story that is still remembered in Thailand today. In 1942, military aircraft dropped bombs on Phra Sumen Fort near his home. While the villagers fled, Master Plang stayed. When he heard the air raid siren, he walked outside and began waving a red cloth. To everyone’s astonishment, none of the bombs that fell exploded.
Many people believed at the time that this happened because of the power of a Buddhist amulet tied to that cloth.
After the war, Master Plang Srisakda became widely known as a master of sacred tattooing and spiritual protection. He performed Sak Yant for Thai soldiers, police officers, government officials, and many influential people of that era.
The next master in this lineage was Poo Somjai Srisakda, the son of Master Plang. He began practicing sacred tattooing at the age of sixteen and from an early age studied ancient Khmer and Thai scripts, mantras, and protective incantations under his father.
Many stories are also connected to his name. One evening, the police surrounded his house after learning that a notorious criminal known as the “Four Kings of Spades” had come to see him. When the officers burst inside, the man they were looking for was no longer there — he had vanished before their eyes. Later, a legend spread that he had escaped thanks to a sacred tattoo he had received from Master Somjai.
It was under this master that Kit Sanapon studied. From a young age, he was drawn to the art of sacred tattooing and devoted himself to the study of ancient texts, Buddhist magic, and ritual practices.
He had heard of the famous Master Somjai and, after meeting him at a temple, was determined to become his student. Seeing Kit’s unwavering devotion, Master Somjai Srisakda accepted him as a disciple. Over the years, he passed on his knowledge and skills in many aspects of sacred tattooing, along with the blessing of his own teachers and the responsibility of carrying this ancient tradition forward.
The Mystery of the Ritual
Kit Sanapon often says: “When you come to me, you receive the blessing not only of my hands, but of the souls of all my teachers.”
That is why, before beginning his work, Master Kit always performs a short Wai Kru ritual. He whispers mantras, calling upon the spirits of his mentors to enter the studio and asking their permission to place sacred symbols on the body of a new person. If, during this ritual, he feels goosebumps on his skin and warmth in his chest, it means the ancestral line has given its blessing.
When Master Kit Sanapon takes his tools into his hands, the ritual begins. Every object the ajarn touches has its own spirit and history. Unlike Western tattoo artists, who use machines and factory-made cartridges, Kit works with materials he prepares himself according to ancient recipes.
His main instrument is the Khem Sak — a long metal rod sharpened at one end. It is not simply a needle, but a relic. The instrument was passed down to him by his teacher and carries special sacred value.
Kit sharpens it by hand:
“The line must be alive, like a stream of water. A dead needle makes a dead tattoo.”
There are things in the master’s studio that are rarely spoken about beyond its walls. One of them is the ink. Its recipe is passed down within the family and is considered one of the most closely guarded parts of the tradition.
“When Master Kit prepares the ink, he mixes into it a small amount of ink from his teacher, Master Somjai. This is one of the key ingredients,” his wife explains.
But the recipe does not end there.
Sak Yant ink includes several unusual components, each of them carrying symbolic meaning. In the master’s tradition, organs and other biological materials from various animals are used. These are heated in a clay vessel over charcoal, after which the resulting substance is mixed with charcoal and a special herbal oil. Many of the herbs are gathered at specific times of the year and used as part of ritual practice.
Kit’s wife explains: “We use the organs of animals — bear, tiger, turtle, certain kinds of fish, and many others. From these organs we obtain the black pigment, but also their power. In Thai, we call this daeht — the strength and special qualities of the animal, which are passed on through a part of its body.”
The process of making the ink takes several days and is accompanied by the recitation of mantras. Kit Sanapon prepares it only on specific days of the lunar calendar.
A Sacred Practice, Not Decoration
Sak Yant is not simply an image on the skin. In Thailand, it is a sacred practice deeply connected to Buddhist culture and the country’s spiritual life.
The word sak means “to tap” or “to tattoo,” while yan comes from the word yantra — a sacred geometric design incorporating ancient scripts, mantras, and Buddhist symbols. Such tattoos are performed by ajarn masters — teachers who possess knowledge of ancient texts, rituals, and spiritual practices.
During the tattooing process, the master recites prayers and blessings. In Thailand, most people practice Buddhism and worship the Buddha, and the culture of Sak Yant is closely tied to faith. These tattoos incorporate mantras — special letter-sound formulas taken from Buddhist sacred texts. It is believed that the symbols receive their power through these mantras.
As Master Kit himself explains:
“During the work, the master recites prayers and prays for everyone who comes to our temple. You could say that everything you see here is white magic.”
All kinds of people can be found in the master’s studio. Bangkok police officers who believe that Hah Taew — the five sacred lines — will protect them from bullets. Stockbrokers from Singapore hoping to attract luck through the Unalome symbol. Blogger girls asking for Gao Yord — the nine sacred peaks — to help them gain popularity. And simply tourists who want to touch the mystery for themselves.
“It doesn’t matter what a person believes at that moment,” the master says, bending over a client’s arm. “What matters is what they feel afterward. My tattoos are like guardian angels. You cannot see them, but you know they are there. That gives you strength to keep moving forward.”
The Modern World and an Ancient Art
Today, Kit Sanapon balances on the boundary between two worlds. He runs an Instagram page where he posts photographs of his work. Celebrities from Hollywood and Europe fly in to see him.
But once the studio door closes, he lights incense and returns to a world without hashtags or likes — a world of silence and ancestral blessing.
“Sak Yant will never become mass-produced like coffee from a vending machine,” he says in farewell. “It is an intimate conversation between God and a human being. I am only a guide. And as long as there are those who still want to speak with Heaven, I will keep this steel rod in my hand.”
Master Kit is one of the last keepers of this tradition. It is a long, meditative, and quite painful process. But pain here is not a side effect — it is part of the initiation. It is believed that through overcoming pain, the energy of the master and the power of the mantra enter more deeply into a person’s body and spirit. If you decide to meet the master, remember: you are not going for a beautiful image. You are going for transformation. And perhaps years later, when the lines have faded a little, their magic will reveal itself in your life in the most unexpected way.
We would like to thank the author of this material — Vladimir Babchuk, organizer of the international KTB tattoo forum and a researcher of tattoo culture. For many years, he has traveled the world studying the traditions of different tattoo schools and meeting masters whose knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. It is thanks to his connection with Kit Sanapon that this autumn the legendary Sak Yant master will come to Moscow for the first time as a special guest of the KTB forum. Visitors will have a rare opportunity to witness the ancient tradition of sacred tattooing and personally meet one of its keepers.
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