Yantra tattooing, also called sak yant or sak yan (Thai: สักยันต์ sạk yạnť,[1] Khmer: សាក់យ័ន្ត, Burmese: တက်တူးထိုး), is a form of tattooing that originated from ancient Southeast Asia. It consists of sacred geometrical, animal and deity designs accompanied by Pali phrases that offer power, protection, fortune, charisma and other benefits for the bearer. Today it is practiced in Thailand and Myanmar, and to a much lesser extent in Laos and Cambodia. The practice has also begun to grow in popularity among Chinese Buddhists in Singapore.[2] Sak means tattoo in Thai, and yant is the Thai pronunciation for the Sanskrit word yantra,[3] a type of mystical diagram used in Dharmic religions.[4]
Sak yant designs are normally tattooed by ruesi (the Thai form of rishi), wicha (magic) practitioners, and Buddhist monks, traditionally with a long metal rod sharpened to a point (called a khem sak).[5]