Tattooing in Thailand: Tourists, Beware

Thailand is littered with tattoo parlors from well established locations in Bangkok and Chiang Mai employing legitimate artists, to small booths set up at traveling fairs. While the price might be right, especially compared to the prices charged for permanent inking in many Western countries, the cost can sometimes be much higher than expected.

One man, whom we shall call Sam, recently went into a tattooist with detailed designs of his dream tattoo in hand. The paper with the design for his right arm was labeled “right arm� and the one for his left labeled “left arm.� Mistaking these instructions for part of the tattoo, the tattooist obediently reproduced the words in permanent ink on the man’s arms.

At first, when the tattooist showed Sam the finish product, he didn’t notice. That’s because he was drinking 15 beers while getting his ink done. He said he saw the pictures and didn’t pay any attention to the words.

Unfortunately, the words are a major part of Sam’s current problem. In addition to having “left arm� and “right arm� tattooed on his left and right arms respectively, the tattooist also made a mistake when tattooing the words “Day Premiers� above the emblem of the Geelong Football club.

Instead, the tattoo on Sam’s arm reads: “Gay Premiers.�

When he noticed that, Sam was shocked. “Once they'd written right arm, I told them you may as well have left arm on the other one make it a bit of fun,� he said.

Actually it was Sam’s son-in-law who noticed the blunder, walking into the five and a half hour tattoo session after Sam had already consumed 15 beers.

Luckily for Sam, there’s a tattoo shop in his hometown of Geelong that’s willing to help. Ricky Johnson of Xtreme Ink Tattoo said he could fix the “Gay Premiers� mistake and cover up the “left arm� and “right arm� blunder with something more appropriate.

Mr. Johnson said that he has already corrected the tattoos of six people who were inked in Thailand or Bali this year. He warns all travelers to seriously reconsider getting tattooed while abroad. When getting a tattoo, sterilization is extremely important. And, Mr. Johnson advises, stay away from the alcohol.