Ball BKK

A selection of neo-traditional and realistic pieces.

I started tattooing at 15 on a Bangkok market where I pushed delivery carts to earn my place. A working tattooer took me under his wing, but made me draw for three full years before letting me touch a machine. Now it is the discipline I built this whole studio on: draftsmanship first, equipment second.

I turned professional at 18, won my first trophy at 21, and at 24 took a 1st prize at the Mondial du Tatouage in Paris, still the only Thai artist to have won 1st prize there. In 2009 I co-founded BKK INK right at the end of Khaosan Road, and as co-owner I still work the floor like everyone else.

Ball BKK has two specialties that work as one: Neo-Traditional and Realistic, portraits included, and he is genuinely strong in both. They are not opposite styles but complementary ones: realism taught him light, volume and anatomy, which gives his neo-traditional pieces their depth, while his draughtsmanship sharpens his realism. That is why he has won so many awards in both: the Mondial du Tatouage back piece and two 1st prizes at the Singapore Ink Show 2023 in neo-traditional, and realism prizes in Stockholm, Pattaya and Singapore. Learn more on our neo-traditional and realistic tattoo Bangkok pages.

The Mondial du Tatouage in Paris, where Ball won 1st prize in 2014, remains one of the most prestigious tattoo conventions in the world.

A machine is just a tool, if you cannot draw the subject, it only makes the mistake permanent faster. Those three years taught Ball BKK to see proportion, light and shadow before any ink existed, so the hard decisions are made before the needle moves.

• Mondial du Tatouage, Paris 20141st prize, Best Back or Bodysuit
• Stockholm Inkbash 20142nd, Best Realism
• Pattaya International 2011Winner, Best Realistic
• Singapore Ink Show 20231st, Best Sleeve + Best Collaboration
• Singapore Ink Show 20252nd, Best Collaboration
• Singapore Ink Show 20172nd, Best Small Piece Colour + 3rd, Best Realism Colour
• MBK Tattoo Contest, Bangkok 2014 & 2015

Two complementary specialties: Neo-Traditional and Realistic, portraits included, and he excels in both. Realism taught him light, volume and anatomy, which gives his neo-traditional work its depth. After 17 years he is best known for large multi-session pieces, and his awards cover both styles, from the neo-traditional back piece that won 1st prize at the Mondial du Tatouage in Paris to realism prizes in Stockholm and Pattaya.

Book through our booking page or message the studio and ask for him by name. His calendar fills early, so larger pieces start with a free consultation to plan the design, agree a maximum price and set a date.

Ball BKK and the team work in English, French and Thai, so visitors near Khaosan Road can plan a piece without a language barrier.