By BKK INK Team · Published 8 October 2026
57 convention awards since 2010 · on Thanon Tanao, at the end of Khaosan Road, since 2009 · rated 4.9/5 on Google across 1,200+ reviews, and 96% recommended on Facebook across 850+ · English, French and Thai spoken.
To choose a tattoo studio in Bangkok, choose the artist first. Then check four things: a valid licence, hygiene you can see with your own eyes (starting with a new needle opened in front of you), a price rule agreed before the needle touches your skin, and someone who understands exactly what you want. After that, look for proof that lasts: years on the same street, awards you can check, and local clients.
Choosing a tattoo studio is a lot like choosing a restaurant. The room, the sign and the reviews all matter, but what you are really choosing is the chef. We have been tattooing at the end of Khaosan Road since 2009, more than 40,000 tattoos so far, and this is the checklist we give our own friends, wherever they finally decide to get tattooed.
Compare any studio with this checklist
Ask every studio you are considering the same questions, and fill in the last column yourself. Here are our own answers, as of October 2026.
| What to check | What to ask | Our answers | The studio you are considering |
|---|---|---|---|
| The artists | “Who will tattoo me, and can I see their work?” | 12 named artists, each with their own page and portfolio | |
| Specialties | “Who here specialises in my style?” | One clear specialty per artist (see the table below) | |
| Licence | “Can I see your licence?” | Licence no. 2569-5001-04-000062, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration; licensed since 2009 | |
| Needles | “Is everything single-use?” | New sealed needle pack opened in front of you, disposable ink caps, fresh gloves | |
| Price | “How is the price calculated, and what is the maximum?” | 1,000 THB materials + 3,000 THB per hour, maximum agreed before we start, same rule for everyone | |
| Design | “Can I see the drawing first?” | Original design, free, reworked with you until it feels right | |
| Languages | “Can we go through the design in my language?” | English, French, Thai | |
| Track record | “How long have you been here?” | Since 2009 on Tanao Road, 40,000+ tattoos | |
| Awards | “Which convention, which year, which category?” | 57 convention awards, each listed with its source | |
| Reviews | Read the recent ones | 4.9 on Google, 1,200+ reviews | |
| Community | Look at who follows and reviews them | 300,000+ followers across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok; travellers, expats and Thai locals | |
| After your session | “What happens if I need a touch-up?” | Team available by message until healed; free touch-ups for two years, except hands and feet |
Red flag 1: you cannot see who will tattoo you
The most important person in a tattoo studio is the artist, just as the most important person in a restaurant is the chef. A studio that shows its décor, its prices and its reviews but not its artists is asking you to trust a name on a sign. Ask who will tattoo you, look at that person’s own portfolio, and check that it is full of work in the style you want, ideally with healed photos and not only fresh ones. In our studio, each of our twelve artists has their own page with their specialty and their work, so you know who you are booking before you arrive.
Red flag 2: no clear answer about the licence
In Bangkok, tattooing is a licensed activity: studios hold a licence from their district office under the Public Health Act of 1992. A serious studio will tell you about it without hesitating. Ours is licence no. 2569-5001-04-000062, issued by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Phra Nakhon district) and on display at the studio, and we have been licensed since 2009.
Red flag 3: the needle is not opened in front of you
Public health guidance, such as the Queensland Government’s tattoo guide, gives the same advice: sterilised, packaged needles should be opened in front of you. If you do not see that happen, walk away. Look around the station too. The ink should be poured into small disposable caps that are thrown away after you, the machine and cables covered with film, the station disinfected between clients, and the artist in fresh gloves. In our studio, your artist opens a new sealed needle pack in front of you, every time.
Red flag 4: a vague price, or two prices
The most common bad surprise in a tattoo is the bill, and in a tourist city the second most common is discovering that someone else paid less for the same work. Before the needle touches you, you should know how the price is calculated and the maximum you will pay. Our rule is the same for everyone, Thai or foreign: 1,000 THB of materials per session plus 3,000 THB per hour, with a maximum agreed before we start. The consultation and the design are free, and your deposit is deducted from the final price. A mini tattoo of one or two minutes costs 1,000 THB in total; beyond that, time is billed at 500 THB per 10 minutes. We accept cash, PromptPay QR, Wise and Revolut. Here is why we price by time.
What a tattoo costs at our studio (October 2026)
| Size | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Tiny (small lettering or symbol) | 1,000 to 2,000 THB |
| Small (palm size) | 2,500 to 7,000 THB |
| Medium (A5) | 8,000 to 15,000 THB |
| Large (half sleeve) | 25,000 to 50,000 THB |
| Full sleeve | 60,000 to 120,000 THB |
Red flag 5: nobody really understands you
A tattoo is a conversation before it is a drawing: the size, the exact placement, what a symbol means to you, how to look after it. If you and the artist cannot understand each other, small misunderstandings end up on your skin for life. We work in English, French and Thai. And if you want text in another language, Sanskrit, Japanese or anything else, have the translation checked by someone you trust before the stencil goes on.
Green flag 1: years on the same street
Longevity is the hardest thing to fake. A studio that tattoos badly does not last long in a street where every visitor can compare, read reviews and walk next door. That said, a young studio can have excellent artists, which is why the portfolio always comes first. We opened on Tanao Road in 2009, at the end of Khaosan Road, and we are still on the same street seventeen years and more than 40,000 tattoos later.
Green flag 2: locals get tattooed there too
Every big city has restaurants for tourists and restaurants that locals know for their quality. Tattoo studios are the same. A studio with great marketing can fill its chairs with visitors, but when people who live in the city, and who have every other option, choose it too, that tells you something about the work. Our clients are travellers, expats and Thai locals, including athletes and artists such as Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai and rap star YOUNGOHM.
Green flag 3: awards you can actually check
With more and more tattoo conventions every year, a trophy on a shelf says little on its own. What counts is whether you can check it: the name of the convention, the year, the category, the artist, and ideally a public results page. Our artists have won 57 convention awards since 2010, and we list every one of them with its source, including first prize for Best Back or Bodysuit at the Mondial du Tatouage in Paris in 2014, where we remain the only Thai studio ever to win a first prize, and results you can verify on the Singapore Ink Show’s official page, where winners are listed under the artist’s name, such as Ball and Titun.
Green flag 4: specialists, not one artist for everything
Nobody cooks sushi, pizza and curry equally well, and nobody tattoos every style at the same level. Look for a studio where each artist has one clear specialty, and choose the artist for your style. Here is who to ask for in our studio, with the main specialist first:
| Style | Who to ask for |
|---|---|
| Realism and portraits | Zia (black and grey), Bon (micro-realism and colour portraits), Ball BKK, Titun; Mhee for high-contrast realism |
| Neo-traditional | Ball BKK, Vay |
| Japanese | Mhee; Jack |
| Neo-Thai | Jack |
| New school | Titun |
| Fine line and minimalist | Mo; Mor, Hack, Ballin, Vay, Jack |
| Sak Yant | Mor, Hack and Mo by machine, for more than ten years; traditional bamboo with our bamboo specialist |
| Lettering and calligraphy | Yhee (large-scale lettering, calligraffiti); Mor (small script) |
| Chicano | Yhee (chicano lettering mixed with chicano realism) |
| Geometric and ornamental | Hack |
| Tribal and Polynesian | Hack |
| Blackwork | Ballin (small black pieces with fine shading); Hack |
| Old school and traditional | Mor; Vay, Ballin, Jack |
What a Google rating tells you, and what it does not
A rating below 4 stars is a real warning sign. Above that, the number alone tells you less than you think. Maido in Lima, named the world’s best restaurant in 2025 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, shows 4.7 on Google with more than 5,000 reviews, while a place with a few dozen reviews can easily show a perfect 5.0. Read the reviews instead of counting stars: are they recent, do they name the artist, do they show healed work, and are local clients writing them too? We are at 4.9 with more than 1,200 Google reviews, and we would still tell you to read them.
Two things that are often misunderstood
“FDA-approved inks.” You will read this phrase in many guides, but the US Food and Drug Administration states that it has not approved any pigment for injection into the skin. What you can ask is which brand the studio uses. We work mainly with Dynamic and Eternal, two established brands that are vegan and cruelty-free.
“Hospital-grade autoclaves.” An autoclave sterilises tools that are used again. Today, a well-equipped studio uses single-use needles, tubes and ink caps, so nothing that touches your skin is reused. We still own an autoclave, but we no longer need it.
Plan your tattoo around your trip
The best time for a tattoo is at the end of your trip, not the start: a new tattoo should stay out of the sea and the pool for about two weeks while it heals, so enjoy the islands first and come back to Bangkok for your session. Large pieces usually take several sessions. Our team stays available by message until your tattoo has fully healed, and touch-ups are free for two years, except on hands and feet. Our aftercare guide explains the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Which tattoo studio in Bangkok is considered the best?
There is no single best studio, only the best artist for your style. Choose the artist first, then check the licence, a new needle opened in front of you, a price agreed in advance and a portfolio full of your style. If you judge by international results, BKK INK is arguably Thailand’s most awarded tattoo studio, with 57 convention awards since 2010, each listed with its source, including a first prize at the Mondial du Tatouage in Paris in 2014.
How much does a tattoo cost in Bangkok?
It depends on size and detail. At our studio, a tiny tattoo starts at 1,000 THB, a palm-size piece costs 2,500 to 7,000 THB and a full sleeve 60,000 to 120,000 THB, with the maximum price agreed before the session.
Is it safe to get a tattoo in Bangkok?
Yes, in a licensed studio that uses single-use needles opened in front of you, disposable ink caps and fresh gloves, and covers its equipment between clients. Ask about the licence and watch the station being prepared.
Is it safe to get a tattoo on Khaosan Road?
Yes, as long as the studio passes the same checks as anywhere else: a licence you can see, a new sealed needle opened in front of you, disposable ink caps, a price agreed in advance and an artist whose portfolio matches your style. Take the time to compare before you decide. Our studio is at 143 Thanon Tanao, at the end of Khaosan Road, and has been licensed since 2009.
Can I walk in without an appointment?
Yes, many studios accept walk-ins; we are open every day from noon to 11pm. For a large piece or a specific artist, message first so the design can be ready when you arrive.
Do tattoo artists in Bangkok speak English?
In studios that work with travellers, usually yes. We work in English, French and Thai, so you can go through every detail of the design before you start.
Ready to start? Send us your idea, a few reference photos, a photo of the area, the approximate size and your dates in Bangkok on our booking page, or walk in at 143 Thanon Tanao, at the end of Khaosan Road, any day from noon to 11pm.