Off-season pink cherry blossoms welcome Songkran tourists in Loei
Hundreds of Thailand's off-season pink cherry blossoms are now vividly blooming at Phu Suan Sai National Park in northeastern Loei province, ready to greet visitors during the Songkran Festival.
The Prunus Cerasoides flower, also known as the Wild Himalayan Cherry, blooms every winter from December to February.
However, this year's blossoming of Nang Phaya Sua Krong or Thai Sakura at Phu Suan Sai is out of season.
As a result, the blooming occurs just as the long holidays of Songkran, Thailand's New Year celebration (April 12-15), while hundreds of thousands of Thais across the country prepare for their vacation.
Worawut Winayayong, the national park's leader, invited all tourists to witness the breathtaking scenery.
Nang Phaya Sua Krong is known as the "Sakura of Thailand" because it resembles the famous Japanese cherry blossoms known as "sakura".
Every winter, thousands of tourists flock to the Northern Region's mountains to see them bloom.
