Part of the legacy of animism is the custom of wearing protective amulets, which are thought to deter harmful forces. Before entering the temple’s tattoo care enclosure, many of the men stop to purchase a string necklace bearing two small pendants—a plastic tiger’s head, representing power, and a metal medallion of the abbot and head tattooist of the monastery, Luang Phor Pern. But the most potent amulet, the one for which these seekers have come today, is not worn outside the skin but rather in it.

As the men queue up at the various small buildings surrounding the enclosure, the tattoos are finally applied. The tattoo design are monks, some former students of Luang Phor Pern.  Because of the prohibition against touching women, the great majority of the monks will only tattoo men, although occasionally a monk may specialize in women’s tattoos if an assistant can be found.  Many specialize in the tiger tattoo idea, for which the temple is famous, while others are known for their application of protective ancient Khmer scripts. No matter the design though, it is the tattoo art itself that is imbued with power and the act of tattooing that confers the blessing. Offerings of cigarettes, or perhaps orchids, are made to the monks.

Dipping their slender metal double-pronged rods into a dark liquid (an undisclosed combination of coloring agent, snake venom, and potent herbs), they repeatedly, rhythmically, and quickly puncture the skin of the devotees tatoo pictures Like Chinese symbols. Small dots of ink and blood begin to appear, and with repeated applications, the small dots eventually form an overall design. After finishing, the monks say a quick prayer, and the next devotee steps up. But this is not the end of the experience. Although the majority of the men tattoo tribal in the square report that they feel calmed by the procedure, some begin to shriek and writhe as they take on the various tattoo removal characteristics of their tattoo printer , which are believed to activate inner demons. Eventually, temple custodians, companions, or family members are able to awaken the men from their trances by rubbing or blowing on their ears, causing the demons to leave. The exhausted devotees then return to their senses (and attend to any injuries), carrying away with them the assurance that evil has been cast out and that protection from harm will now prevail.