# I Got a Hideous Tattoo on Vacation. Twenty Years Later, I Covered It Up > The story of a hideous Bangkok tattoo and the cover-up that came two decades later. Here is what to think about before getting inked on vacation. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/ya-sdelal-otvratytelnuiu-tatuyrovku-vo-vremia-otpuska-20-let-spustia-ia-ee-zamazala/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-07-02 - Categories: Culture, Beaches, Thailand, Surfing & Diving, Animal Rides, Relaxation --- Ah, tattoos. For some people, they are the perfect vacation souvenir. A permanent mark of an enriching experience in a foreign country, a piece of art to look at while remembering a time and place that left a lasting impression not only on the soul, but on the skin. For the rest of us, they are a cringe-inducing reminder of the day we maybe had one too many on the beach and asked a stranger to give us some questionable design that has not aged well against the cruel march of time. Sadly, I fell into the latter group. In my case, it was a large chunk of black "tribal" artwork stretched across my entire lower back, with an arrow in the lower center pointing in a rather unfortunate direction. And sorry, I am not going to show it here. Call me a coward if you like, but it was that bad. I was in my early 20s, on Bali. It was just one stop on a year-long trip full of misadventures, including a bad motorbike crash in Thailand and a stint working on an Australian farm slapping stickers on papayas after being robbed in a nature reserve. None of those experiences was as regrettable as this tattoo. I gave it very little thought, deciding to get inked on a whim after meeting a novice tattooist in the north of the island. I flipped through the pages of his stencil book for all of five minutes before hastily settling on a design. It was meant to complement an oddly placed black dolphin leaping over the waves that I had picked up at age 18 back home in Canada. What is a little more ink to commemorate this epic year-long journey of self-discovery, I reasoned? ## Hiding past mistakes Fast forward two decades and, big surprise, I hated the thing. I spent years trying to hide it at the beach or the pool, which left me with a limited choice of swimsuits, treating it as a permanent reminder of my younger self's habit of making rash decisions. Late last year, with the pandemic keeping me home in Bangkok, I decided I had had enough. I had plenty of free time. The tattoo had to go. For a very brief moment I considered laser removal. Then I found out the cost. No. In the end, I decided to see what the artists at Bangkok studio All Day Tattoo could do for me. A popular spot for tourists thanks to the studio's strict adherence to international hygiene practices and its large staff of English-speaking artists, it is also known for its cover-ups. In fact, owner Gian Luca Tonello tells me that 10 to 15% of their overall work is dedicated to fixing past mistakes. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-59-1-2025.jpg) "A lot of tattooists and studios refuse to do cover-ups because, honestly, they are very difficult, and often artists do not want to work around someone else's work," he says. As I quickly learned, hiding a huge web of black ink is not as simple as finding a cool design and having an artist put it on top. There are plenty of factors to consider, including size, line detail and color. "We try to be very honest with our clients," says Tonello. "Often a cover-up will have some limitations because of what is already there, so we go over the options with the client about what we think is possible and will work best, to balance both getting rid of the old tattoo and having a new tattoo that they will love in its place." That was the case for me. I worked closely with their talented artist Bird, who covered my monster with a monochrome floral collage after we went through several designs tied to special places in my life. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-59-2-2025.jpg) Getting the size right was tricky, given the width of the original and my wish to extend the new tattoo higher up my back. I went through three sessions in total, each lasting four to five hours and spread over a couple of months. Numbing cream was applied an hour before each session. This kept the pain to a minimum, and I could actually watch plenty of Netflix in relative comfort, but sadly the cream only lasts a few hours. In the final moments of each visit, my teeth were clenched. Curses were uttered. But it was worth it, and I could not be happier with the result. The detail is gorgeous, and the old tattoo is buried, with no arrow or dolphin in sight. Even my kids like it, and one of them is a brutally honest teenager. ## Why finding the right studio matters My experience got me thinking about why we get the urge to get tattoos on vacation and what travelers should keep in mind to avoid the mistake I made. All Day Tattoo owner Tonello says that before the pandemic, about 70% of their clients were international visitors. "Because Bangkok is so well known for tattoos, it has become very common for people visiting Thailand and the region to want a tattoo as a souvenir of what often turns out to be the trip of a lifetime," says Luca, who got his first tattoo at age 23. He has plenty of advice for tattoo seekers, most of which applies whether you are on vacation or at home. "We think the most important thing about getting a tattoo is making sure it is meaningful to you in some way," he says. "We all know that as life goes on our likes and dislikes change, but a tattoo that was well done and meant something to you at the time you got it rarely leaves people with regret." ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-59-3-2025.jpg) Next, he says, you need to make sure you have done your research and found a studio with a good reputation. "Check the reviews, read the website, look at their social media and their artists' portfolios," he says. "Does it look like they put time and effort into presenting themselves well and making sure clients are happy with the tattoo and the service they received?" If not, he says, it probably points to a lack of effort in other parts of the process, a serious red flag. "Running a good tattoo studio is hard, endless work. Either you are willing to put it in or you are not. I do not think there is a middle ground here." The same goes for hygiene. "Tattooing is very safe if it is done properly," says Tonello, who notes that All Day is government-licensed and strictly follows international best practices in tattooing, exceeding the minimum requirements. Do not be afraid to ask a studio about their own practices, he says. A reputable place will have no problem addressing your concerns. Meanwhile, language can be another challenge when you are in a foreign country. "Tourists are often, and rightly, worried about their ability to communicate properly with a tattoo studio and make sure they are understood," he says. "I think we have all seen the funny tattoos online that came from a misunderstanding between artist and client. Well, those things are funny unless they happen to you!" ## How will you feel about this design in 20 years? ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-59-4-2025.jpg) OK, so you have found a studio you are comfortable with and you are ready to book an appointment. But if you are on vacation, you also need to consider your timing and plans after getting inked. Tonello says traveling with a new tattoo is usually not a problem, but you should avoid submerging it in water for a full two weeks to avoid infection, since a tattoo is essentially a large wound, so that means beach trips are off the table. For that reason, most people book their tattoo appointments toward the end of their vacation, he says. Size is another consideration. Many large pieces require several visits depending on your pain threshold, so factor that in when booking. Tonello says their sessions last around six to seven hours at most, though in some circumstances they can run much longer. "While there is obviously some discomfort, we find that the vast majority of clients think the process hurts far less than they expected, and they can take breaks as often as they like, so for most people a long session is doable if the design calls for it," he says. You also need to consider how well the design will hold up in the future. It certainly was not the tattooist's fault that I hated my ink. The color stood the test of time, and he did exactly what I asked for. I just did not put any thought into the concept or what it meant to me, instead latching onto a style that was popular at the time. "We do not think it is necessarily a bad idea to get a tattoo that is trendy right now, as long as it means something to you personally and you are not just getting it because you saw other people getting something similar," says Tonello. This is when getting a tattoo on vacation can be a good thing, because it represents the connection you have with a destination, one that is likely to stay with you. For instance, Tonello says few people visit Thailand without feeling like they have been through something truly special, so a tattoo is a great way to commemorate and rekindle that sense of joy later on. "Besides Sak Yant (traditional Thai tattoos), which are probably the most popular among travelers, we often do other tattoos that symbolize Thailand or travel in some way." These include compasses, world maps, elephants, tigers, tuk-tuks, Unalome and Mandala designs, lotuses and even food, such as bowls of noodles. Basically, anything goes. Well, almost anything. Tonello suggests that clients avoid getting a tattoo with the name of the person they are in a relationship with, no matter how they may feel in the moment. "As much as something may feel like it will last forever in the moment, we know that is not always the case," he says. "However, getting the names of pets or children is not a problem, since those relationships are unlikely to go sour."