BANGKOK -- On a sultry Monday morning, Ajarn Neng Onnut's tattoo studio on the eastern outskirts of Bangkok is packed with female customers.
Monday is the most auspicious day for women to visit a studio, or samnak, to see an ajarn -- an honorary Thai term for a teacher, in this case a community tattoo master. Many believe a sak yant, or sacred tattoo, will protect them from accidents or enemies, increase their attractiveness, help them get rich, or simply calm their troubled minds.
