Mar. 29, 2010 - NAKORN CHAI SRI, THAILAND: The entrance to the tattooing room at Wat Bang Phra about 30 miles from Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom province. The temple is famous for its tattooing monks who give people "Sak Yent" tattoos, a form of sacred tattooing practiced in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The typical tattoo takes about 3,000 strikes to complete. When ready to begin, he will dip the tip of the needle into a mix of oil, probably palm oil, Chinese charcoal ink, and possibly snake venom. The monk dips the needle into the ink about every 30 seconds. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ