Earlier this week, a French Muay Thai champ went viral not for his killer moves but for his tattoo of the Thai word for Thai boxing spelled wrong. Instead of มวยไทย (muay Thai) being inked on his arm, his tattooist mistakenly inked ฆวยไทย.
An understandable mistake since ม (mor) looks similar to ฆ (kor). The only problem/unintentional joke is that ฆวย sounds like the rude word for penis in Thai so instead of getting “Thai boxing” he got “Thai d***” on his arm. ฆวย is actually the spelling for two words in Isan dialect. As a noun, it means buffalo and as a verb it means to shake or become loose but I don’t think he wanted “Thai buffalo” or “loose Thai” tattooed on his arm.
While I enjoy wrongly inked Thai tattoos as much as the next Somchai (my fav is a tourist adorning herself with the word for soft spring roll — I love a foodie stamp), I would like to provide a few tips for anyone, who aspires to get Thai scripted words on their bodies, to help them avoid tattoo typos.
Stick with simple words
I guess part of the reason why foreigners would like to get Thai tattoos is to show their appreciation for Thailand and we, Thais, appreciate that in return. Visitors can earn cred from the locals with popular Thai words or phrases. Imagine how many smiles you would inspire from Thai strangers when they see the word ยิ้ม on your wrist or elbow. If you want to gain extra bonus points, go with ฉันรักเมืองไทย pai loey.
Check the spelling
It’s obvious but it needs to be said. While you can excuse foreigners who can’t read the Thai words, Thais also make mistakes with Thai words on their bodies. You see, the Thai script, while looking aesthetically pleasing, contains pitfalls especially when you try to get fancy words. For example, รัชกาล (reign) looks similar to ราชการ (government service) and many Thais get the latter tattooed to honour the late King Rama IX. Though incorrect, it’s the thought that counts. It doesn’t hurt to ask a Thai friend to have a second look or type it on Google Translate, as it may suggest the right spelling as the picture shown above.
Thai words are written horizontally
Unlike some languages, which can be read and written vertically, the Thai language is always read linearly from left to right. If you go against this convention of the language, you may end up with a hard-to-read awkward looking message, even though you get the spelling correct. See the picture below and you’ll know what I mean.
Place of your tattoo
Thais associate certain parts of their bodies with being high and low. You shouldn’t pet your BFF on the head (except for when you’re drunk), for example. No matter how nice a Thai word, you should stay clear from putting it on your feet. Feet are considered low and if you put a Thai word there, a few locals may find it offensive no matter how nice the word is. Let’s say family is very important to you, it doesn’t make much sense to place the word on your feet. I personally don’t mind if you want Buddha or sacred icons in Thai culture tastefully tattooed on your body. Just make sure that it’s above the waist so you won’t anger the Ministry of Culture too much.