Eleven young Thai boys inspired by the heroes of Thai soap opera movies have persuaded a monk in Isaan, North-eastern Thailand to put magical Khmer style tattoos on their bodies to make them invincible, Thai police said.

The teenage friends, aged 9 to 12, convinced one of the local monks of their village in Khon Kaen province in North-Eastern Thailand, 450km north-east of Bangkok, to add large magical Khmer style tattoos on their back, shoulders, legs and arms.

The youngsters motivation came from a combination of old folk beliefs and looking too many local Thai movies, where the movie heroes become invincible by wearing such tattoos, Lieutenant Colonel Sa-ard Wienghin, the deputy commander of Kranuan district police force said.

Parents of the young boys complained to the Thai police after worrying that the teenagers would now attempt to test whether they had become invincible and gained super powers, and also fearing the boys chances for getting good jobs in modern Thai life, with a body full of ancient Khmer tattoos.

Most popular Thai soap movies depict heroes able to stop speeding bullets and flying knives thanks to their magical tattoos.

Under the Thai criminal law no one can be charged in this tattoo case as the young boys volunteered to get the tattoos and the Thai monk did it for free, the police said.

It's the boys personal rights to add tattoos to their body, Sa-ard Wienghin said, adding that the young boys had easily tolerate the terrible pain of the primitive tattooing. The boys told me that it was like a million ant bites, he further added.

Modern Thai society generally frowns on tattoo wearers.