A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Getting tattooed on the beach

Slashface was traveling in Koh Chang, Thailand and while on the lonely beach he came across Blue’s bamboo beachfront tattoo hut, and decided to get a skeletal horse animal of some sort done. He describes the process of having the tattoo done using traditional hand-poking as “slow and painful”, but the results seem good. But I do wonder if Blue’s taken a blood borne pathogens course?

Comments

78 responses to “Getting tattooed on the beach”

  1. Masticate Avatar

    the man has a point..

  2. blingrat Avatar
    blingrat

    re 16. but the bad aids didn’t exist until the end of last century, health and safety to a certain extent in our times is unfortunately a necessity

  3. blingrat Avatar
    blingrat

    re 16. but the bad aids didn’t exist until the end of last century, health and safety to a certain extent in our times is unfortunately a necessity

  4. blingrat Avatar
    blingrat

    re 16. but the bad aids didn’t exist until the end of last century, health and safety to a certain extent in our times is unfortunately a necessity

  5. cuntcumber Avatar

    Koh Chang is beautiful (well, as beautiful as an impoverished shanty tourist beach town can get). Didn’t see Blue’s though.

    Great tattoo, especially considering the technique. How long did it take?

    And Giles — the art may have survived, but that doesn’t mean all of the wearers did. Do what you will, but I like being disease free.

  6. cuntcumber Avatar

    Koh Chang is beautiful (well, as beautiful as an impoverished shanty tourist beach town can get). Didn’t see Blue’s though.

    Great tattoo, especially considering the technique. How long did it take?

    And Giles — the art may have survived, but that doesn’t mean all of the wearers did. Do what you will, but I like being disease free.

  7. cuntcumber Avatar

    Koh Chang is beautiful (well, as beautiful as an impoverished shanty tourist beach town can get). Didn’t see Blue’s though.

    Great tattoo, especially considering the technique. How long did it take?

    And Giles — the art may have survived, but that doesn’t mean all of the wearers did. Do what you will, but I like being disease free.

  8. JesseM Avatar
    JesseM

    I didn’t know that you could do such a quality tattoo with this method. I’ve seen this method used once or twice, but only for native symbols, never anything like this, Pretty cool stuff despitE the cross contamination worries

  9. JesseM Avatar
    JesseM

    I didn’t know that you could do such a quality tattoo with this method. I’ve seen this method used once or twice, but only for native symbols, never anything like this, Pretty cool stuff despitE the cross contamination worries

  10. JesseM Avatar
    JesseM

    I didn’t know that you could do such a quality tattoo with this method. I’ve seen this method used once or twice, but only for native symbols, never anything like this, Pretty cool stuff despitE the cross contamination worries

  11. Warren Avatar

    #16: Giles thats true but also in the past thousand years human civilization has not had to worry about MRSA and other very harmful problems.

    Various countries all over the world have flu vaccinations,etc so you cannot say its just wester civilization. Hence various harmful flus based out of Asian,etc.

    Fact is health and safety should be a INTERNATIONAL concern, not just a Modern Western Civilization concern.

  12. Warren Avatar

    #16: Giles thats true but also in the past thousand years human civilization has not had to worry about MRSA and other very harmful problems.

    Various countries all over the world have flu vaccinations,etc so you cannot say its just wester civilization. Hence various harmful flus based out of Asian,etc.

    Fact is health and safety should be a INTERNATIONAL concern, not just a Modern Western Civilization concern.

  13. Warren Avatar

    #16: Giles thats true but also in the past thousand years human civilization has not had to worry about MRSA and other very harmful problems.

    Various countries all over the world have flu vaccinations,etc so you cannot say its just wester civilization. Hence various harmful flus based out of Asian,etc.

    Fact is health and safety should be a INTERNATIONAL concern, not just a Modern Western Civilization concern.

  14. Giles Wallwork Avatar

    Warren et al – Yes those are very good points but I lament the cries of “gloves” etc when the traditional methods are documented on sites such as ModBlog.

    It would be sad to see this form of tattooing confined to the past.

    Imagine if a Health and Safety team ever turned up at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival ?!?! They would tear it pieces and the spirituality and spectacle of it would be lost forever, confined to postcards and YouTube videos.

  15. Giles Wallwork Avatar

    Warren et al – Yes those are very good points but I lament the cries of “gloves” etc when the traditional methods are documented on sites such as ModBlog.

    It would be sad to see this form of tattooing confined to the past.

    Imagine if a Health and Safety team ever turned up at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival ?!?! They would tear it pieces and the spirituality and spectacle of it would be lost forever, confined to postcards and YouTube videos.

  16. Giles Wallwork Avatar

    Warren et al – Yes those are very good points but I lament the cries of “gloves” etc when the traditional methods are documented on sites such as ModBlog.

    It would be sad to see this form of tattooing confined to the past.

    Imagine if a Health and Safety team ever turned up at the Phuket Vegetarian Festival ?!?! They would tear it pieces and the spirituality and spectacle of it would be lost forever, confined to postcards and YouTube videos.

  17. Warren Avatar

    *looks back up @ the image* to me that shop that’s posted above is a mix of tradition and modern times.

    I highly doubt thousands of years ago people were getting black and grey shade skeleton animals tattooed on them, plus you can see modern flash on the walls of the hut.

    I say if you’re going to go the traditional route, you BEST be doing it 100% authentic…Not just suckering in tourists.

    Also I’ve seen photo’s of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival where some of the individuals piercing the flesh, are indeed wearing gloves….If I remember correctly I’ve even seen it in the Phuket Festival dvd I got back at the APP Conference, I’ll have to re-watch it again to confirm or deny that.

    Phuket Festival revolves around a serious spiritual celebration. Something very few people actually take part in due to the rules that are handed down(must only eat veg, must only wear white, cannot drink or have sex,etc)

    Whereas sitting in a tourist heavy area and offering on a CONSTANT basis traditionally done FLASH, is most certainly not authentic and traditional.

    See where I’m coming from? Granted I do agree that if the countries ever decided to clamp down on these types of things, it’d change drastically…But the world, she is a changing. Maybe by doing this we’ll be able to curb the increasing amount of HIV/Hep-infected people that these specific countries are apparently facing according to certain reports…

  18. Warren Avatar

    *looks back up @ the image* to me that shop that’s posted above is a mix of tradition and modern times.

    I highly doubt thousands of years ago people were getting black and grey shade skeleton animals tattooed on them, plus you can see modern flash on the walls of the hut.

    I say if you’re going to go the traditional route, you BEST be doing it 100% authentic…Not just suckering in tourists.

    Also I’ve seen photo’s of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival where some of the individuals piercing the flesh, are indeed wearing gloves….If I remember correctly I’ve even seen it in the Phuket Festival dvd I got back at the APP Conference, I’ll have to re-watch it again to confirm or deny that.

    Phuket Festival revolves around a serious spiritual celebration. Something very few people actually take part in due to the rules that are handed down(must only eat veg, must only wear white, cannot drink or have sex,etc)

    Whereas sitting in a tourist heavy area and offering on a CONSTANT basis traditionally done FLASH, is most certainly not authentic and traditional.

    See where I’m coming from? Granted I do agree that if the countries ever decided to clamp down on these types of things, it’d change drastically…But the world, she is a changing. Maybe by doing this we’ll be able to curb the increasing amount of HIV/Hep-infected people that these specific countries are apparently facing according to certain reports…

  19. Warren Avatar

    *looks back up @ the image* to me that shop that’s posted above is a mix of tradition and modern times.

    I highly doubt thousands of years ago people were getting black and grey shade skeleton animals tattooed on them, plus you can see modern flash on the walls of the hut.

    I say if you’re going to go the traditional route, you BEST be doing it 100% authentic…Not just suckering in tourists.

    Also I’ve seen photo’s of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival where some of the individuals piercing the flesh, are indeed wearing gloves….If I remember correctly I’ve even seen it in the Phuket Festival dvd I got back at the APP Conference, I’ll have to re-watch it again to confirm or deny that.

    Phuket Festival revolves around a serious spiritual celebration. Something very few people actually take part in due to the rules that are handed down(must only eat veg, must only wear white, cannot drink or have sex,etc)

    Whereas sitting in a tourist heavy area and offering on a CONSTANT basis traditionally done FLASH, is most certainly not authentic and traditional.

    See where I’m coming from? Granted I do agree that if the countries ever decided to clamp down on these types of things, it’d change drastically…But the world, she is a changing. Maybe by doing this we’ll be able to curb the increasing amount of HIV/Hep-infected people that these specific countries are apparently facing according to certain reports…

  20. Alan Higgins Avatar
    Alan Higgins

    Blues Tattoo.
    Will be over next mounth to get my tattoo finished.
    What is your email address as ive lost it and want
    to book in
    thanks Alan

  21. Alan Higgins Avatar
    Alan Higgins

    Blues Tattoo.
    Will be over next mounth to get my tattoo finished.
    What is your email address as ive lost it and want
    to book in
    thanks Alan

  22. Alan Higgins Avatar
    Alan Higgins

    Blues Tattoo.
    Will be over next mounth to get my tattoo finished.
    What is your email address as ive lost it and want
    to book in
    thanks Alan

  23. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    I’ve been to koh chang i actually live there for 7 months and theres a couple better artists doing that down there but i’d have to say that all of them are better than the thousand gun artists that line the streets in bankok, pattaya, and phuket.

  24. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    I’ve been to koh chang i actually live there for 7 months and theres a couple better artists doing that down there but i’d have to say that all of them are better than the thousand gun artists that line the streets in bankok, pattaya, and phuket.

  25. Dustin Avatar
    Dustin

    I’ve been to koh chang i actually live there for 7 months and theres a couple better artists doing that down there but i’d have to say that all of them are better than the thousand gun artists that line the streets in bankok, pattaya, and phuket.

  26. Lilitu Avatar
    Lilitu

    “That isnt a horse…
    Head to small, tale it to long,legs are the wrong shape, and horses have what look like one finger where the hoofs are supposed to be or even hoofs…Backbone is wrong.. and I could go on all night…

    Sorry shannon wrong guess… 😛

    But i like it anyway a lot..

    Masticate on July 29th, 2007 at 12:17 am ”

    are you sure you like it??

    anyways i think its way cool
    does it hurt more like that than a normal tattoo??

  27. Lilitu Avatar
    Lilitu

    “That isnt a horse…
    Head to small, tale it to long,legs are the wrong shape, and horses have what look like one finger where the hoofs are supposed to be or even hoofs…Backbone is wrong.. and I could go on all night…

    Sorry shannon wrong guess… 😛

    But i like it anyway a lot..

    Masticate on July 29th, 2007 at 12:17 am ”

    are you sure you like it??

    anyways i think its way cool
    does it hurt more like that than a normal tattoo??

  28. Lilitu Avatar
    Lilitu

    “That isnt a horse…
    Head to small, tale it to long,legs are the wrong shape, and horses have what look like one finger where the hoofs are supposed to be or even hoofs…Backbone is wrong.. and I could go on all night…

    Sorry shannon wrong guess… 😛

    But i like it anyway a lot..

    Masticate on July 29th, 2007 at 12:17 am ”

    are you sure you like it??

    anyways i think its way cool
    does it hurt more like that than a normal tattoo??

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