“I have lived in Thailand for more than 13 years and as a photojournalist I am constantly on the lookout for exciting festivals and cultural events that are fun to photograph. The wilder, the more exotic, the more difficult to get to, the better”, writes photographer David Longstreath.
“The tattoo festival at Wat Bang Pra, usually held for one day in early March depending on the lunar calendar, is a “must attend event.” When you first arrive at Wat Bang Pra, (“Wat” is Thai for temple) you see a parking lot full of people sitting on plastic sheets in blazing morning sun. There are several temples and a stage area with a statue of former abbot Phra Udom Prachanart. About every minute, one, then another and then many men, leap up, work themselves into a screaming fit or trance and then charge off towards the sacred stage area where a large bronze statue of Phra Udom Prachanart resides.”
