Foreign Interest

POPULARITY WITH FOREIGNERS

In recent times, since the massive increase of foreignvisitors from the west to Thailand, Sak Yant has come to be known internationally as a part of traditional Thai Culture and one can observe the phenomenon in many of Thailand’s Buddhist temples. Despite the fact that Thailand may be the most famous place for the phenomenon,the origins of Sak Yant and the magic lettering used in them is derived from the ancient Khmer culture. The lettering is Pali Sanskrit using ancient Khmer letters, called “agkara Khom” (Khom meaning Khmer).
Often are Thai Buddhist monks to be seen covered up to their necks in Yant tattoos. In recent years there have been certain incidents that have made this ancient Buddhist tradition become popular with Westerners; the Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has recieved several Sak Yant tattoos from the Brahmin lay master Ajarn Noo Ganpai in Patum Thani in Bangkok.Apparently her even more famous husband, Brad Pitt, has also followed Angelina’s lead and recieved a Buddhist Yant tattoo, likewise from Ajarn NooGanpai.

Ajarn Noo is the Master known for catering to the stars; it is not uncommon to see Thai movie stars, high ranking policemen andpoliticians hanging around in his salon when one visits to recieve atattoo.His Yant tattoos are incredibly expensive in comparison to the other masters to be found in temples and samnak sak yant around the country. It seems that his newfound fame since the visit of the Hollywood stars have allowe his prices to explode through the roof. A typical Yant tattoo that costs maybe 99 Thai baht in a temple or lay “samnak sak yant” may cost up to 30 thousand Thai baht at Ajarn Noo’s! Just  recently Ajarn Noo has release mass produced factory made amulets to be promoted advertized and sold in plastic wrappers nationwide in the “Seven Eleven” stores, one of the Yantra cloths promoted is seen to be mispelled. Whether this is deliberate or a mistake, is unclear. The quality of these amulets seems to be the same as the toys manufactured and put into the famous chocolate “Kinder Eggs”, (quite well made for a plastic toy lol).

A movie is now being made about Yant Ha Taew – Ajarn Noo is very closely kn it with movie producers, who like to help his publicity marketing

Film Poster - Yant Ha Taew ยันต์ห้าแถว

The amulets are still not available in KFC or McDonald’s though, so you will have to order from the Seven El;even exclusively if you want one. The range till now consists of a mispelled Yantra cloth and the Five pilars Yantra of Angelina Jolie fame – available in clay or metallic looking nickel (or maybe plastic, it’s hard to see through the wrapper.) The Ha taew (5 pillars) amulet is about the size of a man’s thumbnail and goes for a few hundred baht.

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