Our history

This is a tattoo café, not a coffee café. We don’t serve any drinks here, but we do offer all styles of tattoos. The idea behind the name is simple.  We want you to feel comfortable, like you’re visiting a cozy café. A place where you can relax, feel at home, and enjoy a calm experience.

From the moment you arrive, we’ll guide you through the tattoo process gently, with less pressure, less stress, and more peace of mind. We welcome you into a space of calm, meaning, and transformation where your journey begins not with ink, but with intention.

Here, you’ll find authentic Sak Yant tattoos, traditional Thai hand poke, machine tattoos, and spiritual tattooing all offered in a peaceful, private studio grounded in Thai culture and high standards of care.

Meet Paeng, Founder of Thai Tattoo Café

My name is Paeng. I was born in 1978 in Ubon Ratchathani, in the northeast of Thailand. I came into the world as a 3.9 kg baby with a head full of thick black hair. I was quite a sensation at the hospital, nurses and staff at the hospital kept coming to see me. Some day, I even disappeared for half a day, being passed around for cuddles. The doctor who delivered me even asked my mother if he could adopt me. But of course, she said no.

I grew up surrounded by simplicity and nature. My parents were farmers. Life was humble but full of love. I spent most of my childhood running through rice fields with my dad or playing with my brothers, cousins, and neighbors. When there was no farm work to do, I’d sneak off into the forest behind our land and stay there all day. That forest felt like freedom.

I was lucky. My parents gave me the freedom to live life on my terms. My dad was everything to me, skilled, kind, hardworking, and humble. He passed away at just 62 years old. I still miss him every day. My mom is still with us, and I take care of her with the help of my brother and sister. Our whole family moved to Bangkok in 2010, and we’ve been here together ever since.

Looking back, I now realize that tattooing has always been in my blood, even if I didn’t know it. My grandfather was a kind, handsome, and respected rancher, covered head to toe in Sak Yant tattoos. I was his favorite granddaughter. Maybe a part of his spirit lives in me still.

From Hustler to Healer

By the age of 12, I was already earning money, selling catalog products to my classmates and people in our village. Every weekend, I’d ride my Honda Beat into the city to pick up items people had ordered.

At 15, I went to Bangkok during school breaks to work in a factory. After graduating high school, I moved to Bangkok and worked in a dental clinic for two years. Then I took a management job at a factory where Mom was work there just to be with her as she wish, which led me back home when I got a better offer at a hospital in my province. Working as a nurse aide in a small countryside hospital was one of the most intense and memorable experiences of my life. I worked in every department, emergency, surgery, maternity, and the ward. It was hard, fast, and unpredictable. I loved it. Eventually, I was promoted to a department everyone wanted to be in, with no shift work and better pay. But it was not like that so much. I couldn’t sit at a desk and push papers all day. That role didn’t match my energy. So I quit.

At 24, I started my first business, a training and seminar company. For over a decade, I trained professionals in hospitals, government offices, and corporations across Thailand, teaching everything from service mind and teamwork to ISO standards and infection control. I even worked as a lecturer for 12 years. But eventually, I was burned out. I needed a change.

The Unexpected Tattoo Path

In 2013, I have a chane to run a tattoo shop without a single tattoo on my own body, and without knowing a thing about the industry. I didn’t plan to be in this business. It just  happened. And somehow, it made perfect sense. I turned my training company into a tattoo company. I learned everything from scratch, and I poured all my energy into creating something real.

In 2018, I walked away from that first tattoo shop due to decisions I couldn’t support. It was painful but necessary. Later that year, Thai Tattoo Café was born.

The name comes from a vision, “Thai Tattoo” reflects our focus on traditional designs like Sak Yant. “Café” is about the feeling, we want you to walk in and feel relaxed, like you’re visiting a friend. No pressure. No judgment. Just calm, comfort, and care.

Our logo shows Rama fighting Bharata, characters from Thailand’s national epic, the Ramakien. For me, this image reflects my life. You’re always fighting for something, your dream, your peace, your truth. If you keep fighting, you’re already winning.

Lessons, Loss, and Moving Forward

Life hasn’t always been kind. I’ve been betrayed. Let down. Stabbed in the back. It hurt. It broke me. But every loss made space for something better. Some people didn’t deserve to stay, and I let them go. Each time, I got stronger. I learned to forgive, not for them, but for me. I stopped living in the past. I stopped blaming myself. 

And I want to tell you, no one can make you happy but you. If you're hurting, free yourself. Walk away from negativity. Surround yourself with people who want to see you grow. Life is still beautiful. Enjoy it every single chance you get. 

Thank you for supporting me and everyone in the Thai Tattoo Café family. If you’ve ever visited us, just know,you’re part of us now. You’ll always have a place here, in our story and in our hearts.

Jason Tivey – My One Love

Jason is my husband, my best friend, and my constant support. He’s been by my side through every season, good and bad, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.

We first connected online in 2017, during my Thai Tattoo Tour in Las Vegas. From the very beginning, we FaceTimed almost every day, building a bond across time zones and distance.

We finally met on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2018, when I flew to Las Vegas to visit him. He took me camping and hiking. It was simple, but unforgettable. Later that year, Jason joined me on my UK and Europe tour, and came to visit my home in Thailand in October 2018.

Just before the pandemic, Jason returned to the U.S. to visit family and then got stuck there when COVID hit. We were separated for three years, but never lost connection. We kept in touch daily, and during that time, he worked hard and supported me emotionally and financially through the most difficult period in my business.

In November 2022, Jason came back to Thailand. A year later, on my birthdayApril 14 2023 he proposed. And of course, I said yes. We were married exactly one year later, on April 14, 2024.

A Note to Jason

You’ve seen every part of me, my strength, my fear, my joy, and my pain. And you’ve never stopped standing beside me. Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your love. Thank you for believing in me, even when I was too tired to believe in myself. Thank you for always showing up. You are my partner in every sense of the word. My home. My heart. My forever.

Jason Tivey

My one love, the husband. friend and business supporter. I will not make it till today without him. We got married on the 14th of April 2024.

My team and family.

What we love to do when we have free time is hiking and camping. We like to take a short vacation to do what we love when we have an open space available.