BANGKOK — A trend has emerged in which people are expressing their love and sorrow for His Majesty the Late King with tributes that could last a lifetime.
From iconic photographs of King Bhumibol and the No. “9” to the recent slogan “I was born in the reign of King Rama IX of Thailand,” people nationwide have been sharing photos of fresh tattoos to commemorate his memory.
Bangkok photographer Natthawut Ananthasukhon said he has added three fresh tattoos to his right arm, back neck and left collarbone.
“I get tattoos to record stories in my life,” Natthawut said Tuesday. “[The recent ones] are to commemorate [His Majesty the late King] and remind myself to always do good things.”
A number of celebs including singer Pitt Karchai, performer Jetrin “J” Wattanasin and model Pharunyoo Rojanawuttitum have shown off new ink dedicated to King Bhumibol.
Saturday through Monday, a tattoo parlor at the Central Pattaya shopping mall inked free King-related designs.
Some shops decided to charge their customers 9 or 99 baht.
Nopparat Naplod, a 34-year-old artist at Skin Art Tattoo, said his shop doing it as a free service but won’t ink depictions of His Majesty the King’s portrait or royal emblems as he believes recreating them is inappropriate.
Those seeking tattoos honoring the King should be mindful about where they are applied – the higher on the body the better, Natthawut added.
“You shouldn’t get the King’s portrait tattooed on your hands because we always use them to touch things,” Natthawut said.
